I had an amazing experience working with Gourdy. He helped raise my ACT score a ton and was super…read morehelpful with all my college essays, from private schools to UCs. He really knows what he's doing and made the whole process way less stressful. He was also a big reason I got into UC Berkeley, which I'm super grateful for. On top of that, he's really knowledgeable but also funny, so sessions never felt boring. Definitely recommend if you want someone who actually makes a difference.

Gordy is an exceptional college counselor! He kept my son on tack and met all the deadlines even…read morewhen we had limited time. He was encouraging and used virtual services effectively. I also liked how he created google folders and made the whole process of essays and tasks easy and even fun! I would highly recommend Gordy!

I wanted to take a moment to leave a quick review. I reached out to in regards to counseling…read moreservices for my daughter. Unfortunately, she was not taking new students at the time, but the fact that she took the time to call me back and spent her personal time on the phone, giving me some basic information with absolutely no upside for herself speaks volumes. If she will give her time to a parent, who is not her client I can only imagine how dedicated she is to the students she works with. Not only that, but she was a wealth of information in a short amount of time. Thank you for your time, it was truly appreciated.

We have just completed our second tour with Michelle and once again had a superb experience. She…read moreprovided great counsel starting at freshman year regarding what classes to take to improve GPA, summer enrichment programs to consider and how to round out experiences in order to make a compelling application come senior year. Her methodology and cadence for deliverables is very thought out and based on her depth of knowledge. It helped keep our student on track with a timeline and game plan. Everything she does is very purposeful. Our student got into his top target school and had many other options. She holds the kids accountable, is a straight shooter and is pleasant to work with, both for students and parents. She's a pro.

If you have a high schooler who will be applying to college, definitely seek out Kathy, especially…read moreif your child aspires to Ivies, Stanford, UCLA and other top schools. Definitely call early, best to start with her freshman or sophomore year so you're not scrambling come senior year. I had two daughters who were recruited athletes and Kathy helped them tell their stories, and they ended up at their first choice schools (Yale and Stanford). Your journey may be different but Kathy did fabulous work for us.

Professional, knowledgeable, and super helpful for admission to selective colleges. Thank you,…read moreKathy!

Review from my son: Zach Pava played a major role in my…read morecollege admissions process. Not only was his college essay feedback on 15+ essays extremely insightful, I felt that the manner in which he set up a schedule with deadlines and tasks was more helpful. He always kept in touch, especially during October and November, and always responded promptly. Zach set up mock interviews for me with other Insight counselors to practice for college admissions interviews, which did not count against my counseling hours! Also, the fact that Zach primarily worked over Skype was actually more convenient, since I did not have drive to the Cupertino office all the time for the counseling; instead, I could just do it over Skype in my room.

I just recently graduated from Emory University, and upon finishing my time in undergrad, I found…read moremyself looking back and reflecting on my college application process. I am the eldest in my family, and a first-generation American, so my family and I were unseasoned and largely out of our comfort zone when the time came to begin applying to universities. I found Zach through Insight, and he was a tremendous help to me, offering up suggestions about colleges I may be interested in applying to, prepping me for college tours and visits, editing my personal statements and supplemental essays, and offering me any guidance or support I needed throughout the long process. While I was a bit shy and lacking in confidence, Zach saw my strengths and potential, and constantly motivated me to challenge myself, ensuring that my applications reflected my best attributes. With Zach as my counselor, I never once felt stressed or overwhelmed about writing my applications, as Zach planned out deadlines for all components of my applications, ensuring that I would have everything in on time. Zach's genuine concern for my well-being and future was palpable throughout the application process, and after being accepted into Emory, my top choice school, Zach continued to be supportive of my aspirations. He was always more than happy to answer any questions I had about college and the future beyond. I highly recommend Zach not only as a college counselor, but also as a trusted mentor. His help was, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for me and my family!

Navigating today's college admissions process is completely different from when my husband and I…read morewent to college. We both attended public universities in California, but we quickly realized we didn't feel equipped--or have the time or energy--to guide our son through the competitive and often overwhelming landscape of applications, essays, and deadlines. On top of that, the dynamic between my son and me made it difficult to help him directly. That's when we decided to look for a college consultant. After an initial consultation with another firm, we hesitated. The cost was high, and we weren't convinced about the value. Around that time, we remembered Elton, whom we knew through our church. Years ago, I had attended a free workshop he gave and was struck by his message: helping students find the right fit--not just chasing prestige. That stuck with me. Knowing his character and his heart for young people and families gave me confidence in Ilumin's mission. Ilumin Education has a stellar team of experienced counselors, and we were given the chance to interview several coaches. We chose to work with Kelly because of her warmth and energy. She made an immediate connection with our son, and the fact that she had a child going through the process as well gave us added reassurance that she truly understood what families like ours were experiencing. Kelly built a trusting relationship with our son and always acknowledged his strengths--even though he didn't have a top SAT score. She structured meetings to fit his personality, keeping them productive and under an hour, and helped him stay on track without overwhelming him. Thanks to her encouragement and guidance, he completed his essays with confidence--many of them even ahead of schedule. He participated in Ilumin's summer essay bootcamp and later told us, "I can write really good essays now." He was so confident, in fact, that he submitted essays to additional schools outside our package on his own. The growth we saw in him was incredible. He was motivated, driven, and even helped friends who weren't working with a consultant. I had never seen him work so hard--and I never once had to nag him about his essays. Kelly helped him apply for selective summer opportunities, one of which was a month-long program at UCSB that turned out to be an amazing experience. Ultimately, our son was admitted to several great schools--including Purdue, University of Washington, Santa Clara University (with merit scholarships), and several selective state schools. He was even waitlisted at a highly selective Ivy League school, which he never would have considered applying to two years ago. While he didn't get into all his top choices, we were incredibly proud of how far he reached and how much he grew through the process. Beyond her work with students, Kelly supported me as a parent. During moments of panic (and there were many!), she responded to my emails promptly and thoughtfully--even after hours. On one occasion when Kelly was unavailable, Elton stepped in right away. That kind of responsiveness and care made us feel like more than just clients. We truly felt like they were part of our team. Working with Ilumin was one of the best decisions we made. I've spoken with other parents who hired consultants from other companies, and I can honestly say--we had the best experience. We are so grateful to Kelly, Elton, and the entire Ilumin team for their support, wisdom, and care during this journey.

Illumin Education Review…read more The summer after my high schooler's sophomore year, we researched and interviewed several college admissions coaches/companies. Ultimately, we did not find a good fit and decided to enter the college application season on our own (researched colleges, fit, requirements, admissions data, admissions strategies, etc.) and worked with our high schooler on a plan. By the middle of junior year, our high schooler was struggling to manage the process and was falling behind set milestones. Parents were stressed out. Child was stressed out. There were heated ... discussions and unhappy times. We re-opened our search and eventually set up a consultation with Elton Lin at Illumin Education. We discussed our family's current goals, such as focusing primarily but not exclusively, on University of California schools (large publics, in-state tuition, nice weather), our challenges (balancing all the high school life responsibilities), etc. Elton set up calls with our high schooler and a couple of their counselors. The calls went well and we landed with Anna as our college consultant. Anna was a great fit for our high schooler. They had monthly calls to work on strategies and goals and targets, which eventually transitioned to weekly calls during the Fall. Anna was knowledgeable about the various schools we were already looking at (and why) and suggested a few others that she felt would also be good fits. We were able to stay the course as well as pivot when necessary. Anna also was able to help our child bring their authentic self to the essays and be portrayed as they wanted to be seen, while balancing the rubrics which each school's admissions offices use. Especially helpful: Illumin's Week-long College Essay Bootcamp in June Anna's 1:1 calls with our high schooler Management of the various college application deadlines (ED/EA/RD) Application crunch time calls with essay specialist Greg SAT/ACT test date management Activities and Summer Programs recommendations Fun Anecdote: For Reed College, the kid wrote a supplemental essay on religion, Faust, and video games. People were like: I have no idea what this essay is about. Anna: It's perfect. Hit submit! (and the kid got in!) Conclusion: Our child applied to a mix of UC, CSU, out of state flagships, and a couple private schools. We were happy with the colleges the kid was accepted to and super excited for our kid to enroll at UC Berkeley for Fall 2025. There is a saying, "You can't teach your own kid to swim" and that was true for us. While you can research all the information about the college application process and strategies (and we did), for us having a knowledgeable partner to work with our high schooler to cross the finish line was a critical piece of the application journey.

Elaine is a world-class advisor--thoughtful, capable, compassionate, and responsive…read more She worked with our twins for several years as we navigated the stress and uncertainty of the college process--where to apply, how to think about value, and how to strike the right balance between reach, target, and safety schools. The process today is daunting. With Ivies accepting just 3-5% of applicants and UC schools also extremely competitive, it's too risky to go it alone and hope for the best. Elaine dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and care guiding our kids through every step. No matter the situation, her advice was always thoughtful and transparent. She responded quickly to every question, usually the same day or within 24 hours. Of course, no advisor can work miracles if a student isn't already committed and putting in the effort--but for motivated students, even the strongest ones, her guidance is invaluable. She also helps set realistic expectations for both kids and parents, which is just as important as anything else. Now the results are in. Both of our kids are strong IB students who were active in music and leadership programs. While the Ivies ultimately proved too far a stretch (despite their qualifications), they were accepted to several top UC and state schools, as well as USC, LMU, and others. Our daughter has chosen UC Berkeley, where she also received a significant merit scholarship--something we were especially grateful for given the cost of college today. Our son was also offered spots at UC Berkeley and UCSD, but has USC Thornton in his sights. If you have a child entering or already in high school, I highly recommend starting with Elaine for an initial consultation. Our whole family--especially our kids--is grateful for her guidance, which led to outstanding options at some of the top public and private universities in the country. We couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome and look forward to the next chapter with twins in college.

Elaine Chan helped my daughter apply for college for the fall of 2023 and I can't say enough…read morepositive things about Elaine! Let me try though... First of all, Elaine is extremely knowledgeable and professional- she does her research on colleges and keeps very up-to-date on the changes in universities and in the application process, even going on regular in-person visits to check out college campuses herself. She offers very personalized counseling services because she gets to know the student in conversation as well as through assessment tools. She counsels the student and family to apply for best-match colleges based on all relevant interests including academic, social, environmental/"vibe", geographic, financial, etc. Secondly, Elaine is super accessible and an awesome communicator (dare I say, to a fault, with the speed in which she answered emails and texts??) and she is very organized. Elaine makes herself available to answer questions and to be helpful in any and all ways she can. Elaine is resourceful and provides important resources and support without overwhelming the student with TOO much information. Elaine is very easy to talk with and helped make the college application process practically painless! Thirdly, Elaine knows how to bring out the best in the student by helping the student understand and capitalize on their strengths and coaches the student in the essay writing and in all the other application requirements. Because of Elaine's deep familiarity with the college application process, she is able to counsel the student on approaching college application in a strategic manner. Lastly, Elaine is a genuinely wonderful person- she is warm and caring and we felt that she had my daughter's best interests in mind in all of her meetings with Elaine. Additionally, Elaine has a special place in her heart for first-generation college students and has extended herself above and beyond for students who would otherwise not have the knowledge, resources or support to apply for and attend college. We are grateful for Elaine's help and would give her 6 stars if we could!!

We've had an outstanding experience with Bright Fox. Both of my kids attended their SAT preparation…read moreprograms, and the impact has been truly valuable (though we went to Brightfox last min). We really appreciate how they accommodated last min sessions to get through the crazy application process. The instructors at BF are not only highly knowledgeable but also very structured and thoughtful in their approach. They understood how to bring out the best in our kids and made even challenging concepts easier to grasp. My kids especially appreciated that the instructors relate well to students and help them with narratives that stay true to their original voice and stories, which made a big difference in their confidence. I feel what sets Bright Fox apart is their commitment to student success and the consistency in the quality of teaching. Special thanks to Alex for the care and support, especially when we were confused with the process and frustrated after a bad experience at another institute (who wasted lot of time and hours without making real progress with essays). BF team was efficient, and their quick, iterative feedback helped a lot. They have a diverse and highly capable team, and communication has always been smooth with timely responses and support whenever needed. My kids felt confident, well-prepared, and supported throughout their journey. Both my kids found their voice and unique style of story telling that represented them in the essays, and discover themselves li'l more through this process. I genuinely appreciate the dedication of the entire team and would highly recommend Bright Fox to any parent looking for top-quality academic guidance. A well-deserved 5-Star experience!! Thanks Prasad & Saraswathi

HIGHLY RECOMMEND Birghtfox Education learning center! My…read morechild used this facility for SAT service and we are very happy with the outcome. I solicited few learning centers from Alamo to Dublin and landed with Brightfox for few reasons: 1. The approach is very strategic. Upon assessment of your child ability, they will come up with a REALISTIC plan without pushy 'marketing' tone that forces you to buy blocks of hours. They would ask your child to take the assessment twice to ensure consistency of results and serve as your child's ability/knowledge baseline. Then, they will set up a time with you and your child to review about timeline, targeted score and hours needed to review those areas that need improvement, inclusive lots of practice tests that I found extremely important to build the child confidence and comfort in taking the test. 2. Low ratio: 2:1 and sometimes even 1:1. One hour per Subject. 3. The hourly rate (in block discount) is far more reasonable than others that I inquired. 4. Brightfox Education user portal is very intuitive, easy to use/track and modern. 5. Administrative plus! There's always someone to respond ASAP (most of the time) or reasonable time, especially Ms. Heather, their office manager is SUPERB in providing response, flexibility, etc. Genuine interest in your child's success. 6. Facility is awesome. Clean, wide space, modern in office complex, plenty of parking and best of all, provide a welcoming sense. All in all, if you are looking a solid learning center partner, Brightfox can definitely offer you that as it did for us.

We've had a great experience with Insight, Purvi is phenomenal. The college process can be…read moreoverwhelming, and a lot of it comes down to picking the right list of schools to apply to early and during regular decision. Insight has a lot of experience on this front, and also a lot of "insight" into what colleges look for. In short, Purvi has been able to guide us through the nuances of the application process. Additionally, she gave us some great advice around summer programs - we would have never found the ones that she suggested. We also had a great tutor for ACT from Insight, who was able to give my daughter some great tips. She ultimately got into her top-choice school. We are very happy with Insight, and have recommended them to many friends!

Hi Ajit, Any chance I can get my $200 back for an initial consultation that was absolute nonsense?…read moreI have kindly asked for my money back multiple times. I want you to known that telling my kid who is STEM focused taking 10+ APs to consider taking a ceramics course doesn't cut it for a $200 initial consultation. JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK. Just letting you know that your responses on your reviews of people who complain about your service is underwhelming. Improve your service and you will do much better. Ajit, I will continue to complain about the service I received to every Indian parent that I know in the Bay Area. If you think otherwise, you don't know me well... Based on your "Stanford MBA" education, you may certainly know that word travels fast in the Bay Area. A simple suggestion to all who read this (including you Ajit) - Do NOT pay $200 for an initial consultation. Simply request a free initial consultation so that you are aware of the all of the program details, the costs, and the proficiency level of the counselor. If they can't give you a free consultation, move on and find another program. Believe me, there are plenty of programs that give you all the information that you need without paying fees to find out. They should be selling you on the program and not the other way around. 8/18/25 - Ajit, I read your response. Your answer is false. My wife, my son, and I all attended the meeting with your "counselor." It was you who was missing in that meeting. So don't make up stuff. The fact remains that I have not received my $200 back....

Entering my senior year of High School and the chaos of college applications, I was very lost on…read morewhat a strong college essay and application looked like. I remember having different extracurricular experiences to talk about but there was a missing piece of how to word my essay and let alone start on my essays. I spent 2 weeks blankly starring at my document before realizing I needed more help than I expected. It wasn't until I started working with John and Jamie that I was able to talk about my life experiences and turn them into strong essays that reflects who I am and the type of leader I am in any community. Working with them helped me quickly understand how college essays are structured and how I can word my experiences to illustrate my strong characteristics as a student and leader. I really appreciated the weekly workshops provided by Jamie and John for extra time to spend on essays. As someone who had a hard time finding time and motivation to work on my essays, the workshops and set meeting times held me accountable for getting my work done before each meeting. I would 100% recommend John's service to anyone else struggling during this process. I am now committing to UC Davis and I couldn't be more grateful for the help provided by John and Jamie.

John worked with both of my sons through their high school years. He was very patient with them,…read morelistened to their goals and focused on what was important to them. He also helped them figure out what they were interested in pursuing as a degree and potential career. Without his guidance they were feeling confused about the whole college application process. When the boys had calls with John they would come back with action items that would push them out of their comfort zone. The steps they took helped build their confidence as well as their skills. Both of them are attending a top California university and had choices between various UC's as well as some top private schools. Having John help them through the process was invaluable. It also preserved our parental relationships since we were not the ones telling our teenagers what to do. I would highly recommend John and his team.

Gerna is the best in his field and he does it all with a smile and a lot of Aloha! He has helped…read moreme throughout my son's entire college career and he makes the application process for FAFSA painless. Gerna is a blessing and a gift to the parents who ask for his advice and support while applying to FASFA. Gerna keeps it real. Gerna IS the Great Kahuna for college financial planning. Janet Welsh Somatic Arts practitioner/ choreographer/educator.

We had great result with Bay Area College Planners. Our daughter was accepted in multiple colleges…read moreincluding UC-Irvine, UC-Santa Cruz, UC-Riverside. We are extremely happy with the results, given our daughter had multiple great choices. Gerna was always helpful, he walked us through the entire process. He was always available to answer any of our questions no matter what time or what day we called. Great results, great service. We will absolutely go with Gerna for our son who is graduating in 2 years.