I have never written a testimonial for anyone or anything until now. Dr. Katherine Cohen is a person at the height of her profession. She is competent and compassionate. She has a knack of making the obscure and uncertain process of a college application into something understandable.
Three unconnected, but related events caused my family to seek out Dr. Katherine Cohen and IvyWise to help our two children in their college pursuits. First, several years ago a client of mine lamented that although her daughter was extremely bright, and a high achiever in high school, she had been rejected by her collegiate dream school and was devastated. To make matters worse the girl had also been rejected by other not so dreamy schools. The college application process had so many twists and turns in the road that my client felt inadequate to help her daughter.
Another client advised me that although he had graduated from a State University, he would have had a far different life had he graduated from an Ivy League School. He had seen his colleagues progress on a fast track to success from those schools; his progress had been much slower.
Next, I was in a bookstore when my oldest child was in the sixth grade and a book caught my eye, The Truth About Getting In. The frank candor and tone of the author caused me to discuss IvyWise with my wife and contact Dr. Cohen.
Integrity, honesty, straight talk and tough love is what you will get from IvyWise and Dr. Cohen. Quick, clear and definitive answers to the murky waters of the entire application process are provided. Perhaps your child would be better suited at a school you had never heard of, but is a top-notch institution. Perhaps your child does not know if an Ivy League School is right for him or her. IvyWise gives both direction and insight for both the student and the family.
In our case, one of our children was better suited at a non-Ivy League School. That child is now flourishing and looking forward to the end of her college career. Our youngest child was just accepted as an Early Decision Candidate at Dartmouth. In each situation Dr. Cohen’s guidance was invaluable.
Anonymous parent of two IvyWise students, Chicago, IL
Daughter, Accepted Regular Decision, Goucher College, Class of 2009
Son, Accepted Early Decision, Dartmouth College, Class of 2012
Thank you so much for being there for us when we needed you. I know that this time you had to make an extra effort to fit Alex in your very busy schedule. He probably would not have been able to do it without your help.
Last night when Alex had to decide whether he would commit himself to attend Brown if accepted I couldn't think of making that decision without your advice... I will also value tremendously your advice regarding which teachers/classes are the most passionate and engaging in the Literature department. I am sure that some of your most outstanding professors are still teaching at Brown.
Mirta T., Parent of Alex, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Accepted Regular Decision
Brown University, Class of 2012
IvyWise not only helped our teenager organize her college process be helped her think deeply about who she is and what college would be a good fit.
Parent,
New York
Accepted Early Action
Yale University,
Class of 2012
In my extensive experience in the college admissions field, I have yet to come across counselors more capable of guiding a student through the complex and very competitive process of college admissions than those at IvyWise.
Lloyd Eric Cotsen
Founder of the West Coast Chapter of The Princeton Review
We are happy to report that Dylan has been accepted at the University of Chicago -- she is relieved and flattered. She likes Chicago a lot but wants to see what else might be available. She hasn't yet implemented your suggestions about her Brown application -- unclear if she will have time before vacation so we may not be able to get the revisions back for your review -- but your guidance was much appreciated.
It has been a pleasure working with you -- your comments have been sensitive, insightful and helpful and your editing is superb (particularly given the difficulty of editing while observing high ethical standards to assure that the final product is truly the student's). I am sorry that Dylan would not accept more of your help: her independence is both good and bad.
Parent, New York
Accepted Early Action
University of Chicago, Class of 2012
I wanted to thank you for steering my son to accepting the offer from Georgetown. I felt that you took the time to get to know him by meeting him, speaking with his high school counselor and me to give you the background required to direct him accordingly. Georgetown is the perfect fit for him and I know that he will have a wonderful college experience. It is a good feeling for both of us.
Marie Halloran, Mother of Jake Halloran, New York, USA
Son Accepted Early Action
Georgetown University, Class of 2008
IvyWise was our savior. As Canadians unschooled in the ins and outs of the US college admissions process, we were able to depend on our counselor for up to the moment expertise. My daughter's counselor was extremely knowledgeable, practical, and achievement-oriented. She helped our daughter narrow her choices of colleges, fine tune her extra-curricular activities and pace herself in the application process. She was a constant sounding board and a diligent and demanding taskmaster. She took the second-guessing out of an equation that would otherwise have been completely nerve-wracking for us.
Ariella Rohringer, Mother of J. Rotman, Toronto, Canada
Daughter Accepted Early Decision
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2008
IvyWise's counselors are exemplary professional. We moved to the United States a few years ago and had no knowledge of the college admission process. IvyWise came to our rescue. Even though a child is talented, there are serious questions about how to make those talents known to college admission officers. Many choices face high school students, from courses to SAT I and SAT II selection and timing, extracurricular activities both in and outside of school, summer jobs, essay topics. IvyWise helps students work through these choices, developing appropriate responses with each one as a unique individual. It is a cooperative and engaged approach, where students are guided but not manipulated and required to do the work themselves. The counselors' skill is to help them to understand how to shine through the pages of an application form. Making the most of the student is, of course, what a good teacher is all about, and IvyWise has such teachers.
Anonymous Parent, New York, USA
Daughter Accepted SCEA
Yale University, Class of 2009
After four Ivy non-acceptances and one wait listing at Johns Hopkins, we realized at that very moment that we needed a college counselor who was well versed with the process and had vast insight into it; my first telephone conversation with IvyWise proved to be a turning point in this very disappointing situation. Our IvyWise counselor's methodical, meticulous, detailed and extremely knowledgeable review was a shining guiding light to all of us. Most of all, as parents, we were able to feel that a sense of control had been restored to our lives with IvyWise at the helm leading us. Our IvyWise counselor worked tirelessly with our son imbuing him with a sense of renewed confidence, pointing out strengths and weaknesses and thereby allowing him to develop and grow as a well rounded and effective individual. IvyWise's straightforward and realistic approach of the application process and its many details should have been our first stop as novices; however, our admiration and respect have only reached new heights right at the moment our son was advanced from the wait list at The Johns Hopkins University to admission to the class of 2005.
Anonymous Parent, New Jersey, USA
Son Accepted Regular Decision
The Johns Hopkins University, Class of 2005
IvyWise's forte lies in devising a strategy to help the student present himself most effectively. Haphazard teenage choices were transformed into a revealing personal profile. This process in itself was a real turning point for Alejandro: he learned to see and acknowledge his own strengths and weaknesses more clearly. He saw where he was at and what he had to do to get where he wanted to go. He had his heart set on going to Brown and with IvyWise's help, he was offered a place there, his first choice school.
Mother of Alejandro Landes, Quito, Ecuador
Son Accepted Regular Decision
Brown University, Class of 2003
We wanted to thank you again so very much, for helping [our son] through his college admission process. Our counselor was a phenomenal help in navigating a high-stakes, complex adventure – and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome!
Anonymous Parent, Portland, Oregon, USA
Son accepted to Brown, Class of 2010
