College Wise

My counselor was an immensely thoughtful and considerate guide for me throughout the daunting college admissions process. Whenever I had a question, concern, or second-thought, it would always be addressed promptly and thoughtfully. I am sure that without the help I received from Collegewise that I would not be attending my dream school in the fall, and I am so grateful for the care he showed both to myself and to my work. Collegewise has given me a gift I can never repay, the freedom of choice and happiness -- of making a decision!

I have really enjoyed my Collegewise experience. I am very quiet at first and it takes time for me to warm up to people. My Collegewise counselor was very easy for me to work with and she MADE SURE I was on top of my assignments and deadlines. I needed a lot of structure and patience during this process, and she was excellent. I am also not the strongest essay writer and I have trouble coming up with ideas to write about. She helped brainstorm different ideas with me over many meetings and I felt very comfortable sharing personal stories with her. Overall, I loved my experience at Collegewise and I do not think I could have come this far without my counselor!

My experience with Collegewise was crucial to my college process. Without the support of my counselor, I would not have been able to organize my work and figure out the perfect strategies to help me tackle it. Even when I was procrastinating, she supported me and assured me that everything was going to be fine. Other than helping with the work aspect, what may have been most important to me was the positive state of mind she inspired in me.

I had such a fantastic experience with Collegewise. It was such an individualized college admissions experience, so I really felt like this was my journey and my thoughts and opinions mattered. At times, my counselor knew me better than I knew myself, pointing out strengths that I hadn't even considered before. The Collegewise experience was positivity based. I never felt unheard or not good enough for a college. Without my counselor's encouragement I never would have applied to my perfect fit school. She and her resources helped me create a college portfolio and personal statement that truly felt authentic. I was always ahead on due dates and, unlike my friends, never had those stressful late nights trying to submit before a due date.

I thought that my time with my counselor was extremely helpful especially in that I had to somehow balance applying to 18 colleges with school and sports. Having a schedule with due dates was pretty much necessary for me to finish everything about 3 weeks ahead of time. On top of that I thought that her help with my essays was really what set me apart in my application especially since some of my first drafts were garbage but then they ended up pretty good.

I could not have asked for a better college application process than the one I received with Collegewise. Everyone that I worked with was very knowledgeable and I never had a question go unanswered. A big part of what I loved about Collegewise was the ability to get to know my counselor on a personal level. This really helped with finding colleges that were right for me and understanding where I was coming from if I had difficulties wording my thoughts when it came to writing essays. Overall, I felt truly supported and was able to develop 12 amazing applications, without a single one receiving a rejection. I in no way could have done it without Collegewise!

Collegewise and Sam Joustra did a wonderful job guiding our youngest daughter during her college application process. She got into her top choice via ED in December. We wish we had used Sam and Collegewise for our older two daughters. I recommend them without reservation. Prompt, caring and very professional, Sam won our confidence early on. Our daughter is very independent and organized but this is such a busy time for high school kids! The extra help really makes a difference. She supplemented my daughter's research into colleges with a lot of valuable suggestions. She was also a coach guiding her on time and stress management. We let our daughter navigate the process mostly on her own with Sam's guidance. Sam was always prompt in giving us email summaries of the meetings and answering my questions or providing additional information.

As someone who genuinely had no idea what she was doing going into this process, Sam really helped me navigate exactly what it is that I was looking for and decide what the perfect plan would be for me. She answered every question I had and always provided me with ample resources so I could do research and make as much of an educated decision as I could. The editor provided for my essays and supplements also proved extremely helpful to me in understanding exactly how to write as well as content, to make it the best work of mine that it could be. Overall, Sam and Collegewise as a whole was a key component of my college process and I am forever thankful for all the help. I got into my first choice ED and I am so excited!

I got into my top choice college. My advisor, Sam Joustra, provided helpful insight into researching colleges and brainstorming ideas. It would not have been as smooth of a process without her.

Collegewise was an excellent decision for me and my family. It eased much of the tension out of the innately stressful college application process. My Collegewise counselor, Mrs.Ashley Meyer, helped me to write stellar essays and get into my dream schools. She helped me through hard times and tough deadlines, and I am eternally grateful. If you want to help your child through this process, Collegewise is a fantastic program.

I am a senior in high school and I worked with Sam Joustra this year trying to find a school that was right for me. She was very helpful in the process of narrowing down where and what kind of environment I wanted to be in and was very organized which made things much easier for me. I started this experience feeling very stressed and overwhelmed and once I started meeting with Sam, it started to feel fun and exciting. She was a great listener and was able to help me find programs and schools that were right for me.

Collegewise and especially Ashley M, made the college application process stress free for our family. i did not have to keep up with dates or stay on my son to complete his applications or essays. They had set meetings and deadlines which they set up with little to no involvement from me.

I am extremely grateful for the experience I had with the wonderful team and my awesome counselor, Ali Springer. Not only did she help me get into my top choice, but she also made the college process a lot easier. College planning and applications can be very stressful, so it was so nice to have someone with a lot of experience to help give me a push along with a lot of support along the process. She also helped a lot with the big personal essay along with a little time-consuming essay. She was super sweet and was over the moon excited for me when I found out that I got into my dream school. My brother used Collegewise with another retired team member and I am happy to say that my little brother will join the train with Ali coming up soon!!!

I used Collegewise this year when applying to colleges. They offered a ton of support in regards to financial aid, writing essays, and deciding what schools to apply to. The experience was helpful every step of the way and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who needs extra support when applying!

I have had a wonderful experience with our Collegewise counselor. Our counselor has been working with my son since 10th grade. They have built a solid, honest relationship. He keeps me posted on their progress and answers all my questions timely and thoroughly. Our counselor has kept my son on a doable timeline and helps him balance his school schedule, his sport and his high school social life and stresses. I would highly recommend Collegewise!

I truly loved working with Nikki to help me navigate my college admission journey. She was always willing to jump on a call with me if I had any questions or concerns, and made sure to communicate with my parents on what we had talked about in our meetings. Nikki helped me realize what I wanted in a college, and I ended up being admitted to (and choosing) my dream school! My family and I cannot say enough positive things about our experience. Thank you Nikki!

Our experience with Collegewise was priceless!! As a parent, just thinking about keeping our daughter on pace of going through the process of finding the right school, filling out applications, SAT testing and writing a few essays was nerve racking. A friend recommended that we give Collegewise a try, it turned out to be the best advise that a parent of a high school junior could ever get.College is an investment in your kids future so it was definitely worth it for us to take this path as a family. Our Collegewise counselor, Allison, made sure that our daughter looked at schools outside of her comfort zone, she kept her focused on the importance of grades, the SAT test, writing her essays and helped her with the rigorous application process. We couldn't have done it without Allison, she was such a blessing to us. The college process became enjoyable & exciting and our daughter has ended up at her dream school... University of Alabama!!We are now starting the process with our second daughter and she is excited to go down the same path as her sister did, again we are lucky & blessed to do this with Allison.The investment is well worth it. I would highly recommend Collegewise to anyone!!

Collegewise has been a godsend! We have two children that have used their services and are extremely happy with the results. The counselors at Collegewise are not only knowledgeable about college admissions and the process, but they truly care about finding the right fit for your student. They are great at getting your child involved in the process (making it less stressful for the parents) and having the child take responsibility for themselves. The seminars they put on are full of great information and the college essay process is excellent. I could not have done it without the help of Collegewise. I fully recommend this company!

Collegewise and Nicole were wonderful to work with throughout the college application process. She worked with our daughter on college selection, essays, deadlines and the whole application process. Our daughter and our family were very happy with the guidance Nicole was able to provide. She got into her top choice and is expecting good news for her other choices as well. We are using Nicole for our twins who will be applying this coming fall. I would highly recommend Collegewise and Nicole for any family looking for guidance in the college application process. They are there for meetings as necessary and keep the kids on schedule to meet deadlines that the schools set during the process. The essay and application reviews are also very helpful and critical to ensure anything that is being submitted is being reviewed before submission by multiple parties. Nicole was great at working with my daughter to help her narrow down school choices using different criteria to help her pick the right schools for her major as well as her personality and interests. She was also invaluable in keeping her on schedule to meet the deadlines. We look forward to working with her again this year!!!

Collegewise has made the college application process - fun! I had heard horror stories about the college application process, but with Collegewise guiding you through - it was enjoyable! By opening his eyes to all the schools out there to brainstorming essay ideas to helping us look at financial aid, the help was worth every penny.The counselors give your student "homework" to keep them on track. This is based on meeting all the deadlines along with monitoring your child's activities. Right before my son's senior year, he chose not to do what was assigned. So Allison (our fab counselor) asked "So what are doing on Monday", my son responded "relaxing, it is my last day of summer", and she responded "no, I think you will be right here in the office on the computer finishing the assignment". And that is what he did!When the process was done (by Halloween), my son had a great list of schools and I believe would have been happy at any of them.We have just begun the process again with my daughter!

I honestly can't recommend Collegewise highly enough. Working with Tara was the best thing to happen to me in the midst of my educational journey. I only wish I had know that specialists like Collegewise and Tara existed back when I decided to return to school. When I knew I wanted to pursue higher education at a four year university, I was skeptical I'd get in anywhere due to my part-time status at a community college and an embarrassing amount of W's on my transcripts. So you can imagine my astonishment when I was offered admission at nearly every school I applied to! This included top-tier UC research universities, private universities, and scholarships I never imagined I was capable of receiving! I could have never achieved this without Tara's genius approach to tackling my personal statement on the Common Application, guidance on choosing and answering the right insight questions from the UC system, and tackling the individual essays required for each private university. I can't thank Tara or Collegewise enough. Now my biggest problem will be choosing which university to attend! Trust me when I say I NEVER thought this was possible.When I first learned of Collegewise, I was convinced they were only for high school students and likely wouldn't be able to help me, an older student returning school after a long break. When I filled out a web form, someone called me the next day and connected me with Tara Wessel Swoboda, who turned out to be a Godsend and just the perfect fit for me. Tara, having been an admission counselor at many of the most prestigious universities in California, was highly knowledgeable about what qualities admissions counselors look for in an applicant. She brought out the best in me, turning what originally sounded like a stiff business letter into an essay that showcased my personality and unique qualities. If you're considering hiring a college admission service to help you on your path, I can't recommend Collegewise, or Tara, highly enough. Was it cheap? No. But honestly, is anything inexpensive when you want exceptional quality? With Collegewise and Tara at your side, you simply can't go wrong. It'll be the best investment you ever make in securing your own, or your son's/daughter's, educational future.

We are on our second round of Collegewise for our second daughter. Without a doubt, the cost is well worth it for us. For our first one, Collegewise was a diplomatic buffer between our daughter and us during her high school years. This can be a very emotional and tense time for many families. They kept her on track with crucial deadlines and talked us through endless Q&As.For our second one, Collegewise has been an incredibly responsive resource whenever we have a question...no matter how insignificant it may seem. They have a ton of resources but we never feel overwhelmed with information. We have complete access to their knowledge base and never feel rushed when we have a meet up. Collegewise basically hand holds us through the entire application process personalizing their guidance according to our daughter's situation. Most importantly, Collegewise encourages their students to be proactive and take ownership of their application process which ultimately grows them as individuals regardless of which college they choose to attend.

Miranda tutored our daughter to help her improve her SAT score and also to prepare for her AP US History exam. Our daughter's SAT score improved after working with her. Miranda created a specialized plan for our daughter based on her passed scores. She was extremely thorough in her tutoring and prep strategies and also in summarizing her sessions to me. I really feel we got our money's worth in working with her. Thank you!!!

Michael Cohen at Collegewise in Berkeley Heights provided ACT prep services. He was wonderful to work with and a great tutor. My child was very happy with the improvement in her ACT score. The administrative staff was also very easy to work with and responsive. I'd highly recommend Collegewise.

I've been waiting to write this review until I saw some results from the services. Those results began coming in the mail last week so now is a good time to share my experience. :)I'll start by saying I'm very detailed and have a high performing student. I figured between the two of us, we would be able to tackle the rigors of college apps. That is until I actually begun making a folder with all the different submission deadline dates, details of all the different items (letters of rec, test scores, etc.) each college wanted, not to mention different essay prompts for almost each individual school that I became slightly overwhelmed. It all seemed so much easier when I applied to college.Nowadays it's so complicated, the demands are greater, life is busier, and you're dealing with the future of your child....I originally reached out for essay help only (still thinking I could handle the organization part), but soon came to realize that no matter how great your child's counselors are at their high school, there is a lot of info to parse through and they only have so much time to give.I could be a methodical dynamo, but I lacked the knowledge of what colleges want in an application that only years of experience could offer.With that, we decided to contract for unlimited assistance with Collegewise. We learned about applying to safety colleges, in addition to target and reach schools. We learned more about finding which schools were a fit for my son in each of those categories. And we learned what a monumental task managing it all was going to be.But not only did our counselor keep everything on track and made sure everything was turned in by it's due date, she went above and beyond making herself accessible through multiple rounds of essay prompt edits and was always available to answer questions by phone and email.Yes, the unlimited assistance service wasn't cheap, but as acceptance letters are rolling in (with scholarship offers to boot), I can honestly say, it was worth every penny.

Not to be dramatic, but Collegewise saved my sanity! My son and daughter had the privilege of working with Allison Lopour. Allison's knowledge and professionalism was balanced by her friendliness and enthusiasm. Her wonderful reputation preceded her. She made the whole college search, test prep, essays and applications into manageable "chunks" that my children could do completely on their own. I am not a helicopter parent, yet wanted the process to be worthwhile. Allison and the staff at Collegewise went above my expectations and truly cheered for my kids. I recommend Collegewise to many in my community as it was a positive and effective service for both of my students.