In applying for colleges with an unconventional high school background, I felt nervous and, at best, underprepared in comparison to other students. Jessica made the college selection and admission process seamless. Through her mentorship and support, I now attend UC Berkeley and am on track to form my own major through Berkeley's Interdisciplinary Studies Field program.
I found Jessica in my second year of homeschooled high school -- taking in-person community college and online homeschool courses. Over two years of close mentorship she helped guide me towards classes that fit my interests and worked with the requirements for transfer to UC Berkeley. If it seemed like I wouldn't be able to get a class that I needed for transfer -- the deadline had passed, the waitlist was too long -- Jessica found a way to get me in. She showed me countless strategies and shortcuts that have helped me navigate the crazy bureaucracy of the California community college and UC system.
Through her network in the alternative education community, Jessica connected me with many successful homeschooled/unschooled/early-college students, giving validity to my own education path and confidence moving forward into college.
She taught me how to write for my strengths in alternative education (instead of making excuses for them) and showed me that being different from other college applicants could actually be used to my advantage.
I quickly became a more confident writer and was finally able to accurately represent myself on application essays. The skills I learned from Jessica in writing, self-confidence, and self-advocacy have lasted long past her formal mentorship, continuing to this day to help me market my strengths in job applications and cover letters for selective internships and creative positions in the competitive Bay Area job market.
Her mentorship was crucial to getting into the college of my dreams and will continue to be valuable to me in life past college. I cannot recommend Jessica more highly. read more