Recommendations
Clients find Smart College Selection in a variety of ways – a school counselor or a test preparation specialist recommends us, parents find us through an internet search, or they meet Amy, Kate, Bonnie, Stephanie, or Christy around town. But the vast majority of clients are referred to Smart College Selection by current or previous client families.
“My daughter actually enjoyed writing all the college essays! Amy has been an incredible support throughout this process and I would recommend Smart College Selection to anyone who wants an advisor who is genuinely interested in their child’s success as they navigate their journey to college.
”
“AMAZING. Bonnie was fantastic. I knew it was a good idea but when I saw the looks of other parents’ faces in October because their kids hadn’t even started the essays and we were already turning in applications I knew we were in a
perfect place.
”
“When I first met Kate, I immediately felt comfortable. She was genuinely excited about working with me and had my desires in mind. I honestly believe that without her help, I would not be at my dream school, the
University of Notre Dame.
Kate’s previous experience working on the college side of the admissions process was immensely helpful in guiding me to make my application the best it could be. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to do everything they can to make it to their dream school work with Kate and Smart College Selection.
”
“Through the systematic, comprehensive, and collaborative approach adopted by Smart College Selection, and specifically Stephanie, our family not only thrived but actually enjoyed the college research, selection and application process. Our son explored universities not previously known to our family, and as a result, he radically changed his notion of an ideal fit to one that will undoubtedly suit his personality and career goals much better.
In addition, the “college bootcamp” proved to be a lifesaver as his Common Application was almost entirely complete by early August. Consequently, his fall was stress free and our family conflict free! Smart College Selection is by far the best allocation of money invested in my son to date.
”
“It was like having a neutral, very knowledgeable third party who was clearly there for the sole purpose of taking our child through this process, both logistically and emotionally. Our catch-phrase during the process was, ‘when in doubt, ask Amy.’ Amy enabled our family to be on cheerleader duty, instead of nagging duty!”
“Thanks to Bonnie, our daughter’s experience was absolutely incredible. She was accepted into her dream school, Vanderbilt, and without Bonnie’s encouragement and guidance she may not have even applied there.
”
“Choosing a college is one of the first big decisions children make that ultimately lead to their independent lives. We wanted to support our children but not overly influence or direct the choices they made.
Working with Kate allowed us to be parents and sounding boards without having to be in the position of pushing, nagging, or directing a timeline. Kate’s stewardship of the process all happened directly with our children (while we were, of course, kept informed.) The college research and application process was their own, under Kate’s watchful eye.”
“Yay!!! So happy for my daughter. Stephanie your guidance and positivity has truly made all the difference in her journey…thank you so so much.
She’s a very happy girl.
”
“Amy’s knowledge and experience have given our daughter more opportunity than I would have ever dreamed. She has challenged us all to think bigger and has helped us succeed. As I talk with our daughter’s classmates and their parents, I have come to realize just how much Amy has brought to our family and the selection process and how much more prepared we feel compared to others.
We as parents will know that the search she did was right for her and will have the confidence that she will be prepared to succeed as a result. My husband summed it up like this, “if you were buying a house you would do an inspection, right?” Amy has helped us do the inspection on colleges.
”
“Bonnie and Smart College have been a gift in the college process for our family. Bonnie is more than just excellent at her craft of advising, she is also a beautiful human. Her guidance and care of our son through the college application process have been nothing short of exceptional, especially considering that he was struggling emotionally in his first semester of senior year. She approached him gently, kindly, and wisely, which we believe kept him more engaged in the process and carried him (and us!) through with grace. Icing on the cake?
He got in to his #1 school.
”
“Kate has an uncanny ability to connect with high school students and to be very clear on the process and expectations while simultaneously easing anxieties and stress by empathizing with what lies ahead. Kate is extremely good at setting deadlines while also ensuring she is doing everything she can to help the student meet those deadlines. In short, Kate is worth every penny.
”
“I am so thankful we used Smart College Selection with our daughter. She is our oldest so we were unfamiliar with the way college applications work now. Stephanie helped guide her through the process start to finish. She helped her find a “right fit” school and helped her to manage all the deadlines. They bonded in a way that was very meaningful to my daughter. Stephanie’s guidance helped us have time to enjoy all the joys of senior year as a family and reduce the stresses of the application process.
”
“Using Amy’s services saves me time, decreases the stress levels at our house, and increases our confidence that we are on the right track. I feel like I have another person on my parenting team. My son, who was initially hesitant to get involved with a college selection consultant, talks to Amy at length, in person, or via Zoom. He now loves that he has his own college coach.
”