Additional Testimonials

I wanted to thank [IvyWise], particularly for helping to keep track of deadlines, and especially during the homestretch surrounding November 1. This school year has brought many unexpected struggles, and I never envisioned being physically incapable of even keeping track of deadlines. If [IvyWise] had not accepted [my daughter] into their Scholars program, I truly wonder if either of us could have submitted forms and application materials on time. I am sure we would have missed some/more things and the possible consequences of that could have been devastating.

We are extremely pleased with the exceptional guidance and support the counselor and the IvyWise team have provided during this highly competitive, inevitably stressful college admission process. The advice from the counselor was very strategic and constructive. We are also very impressed by the creative and effective approach IvyWise adopts to provide Roundtable feedback from multiple counselors on our daughter’s application. Their collective experience and insights really helped bring out the unique qualities and personalities of our daughter. In addition, the whole process is streamlined. The communication is efficient, and we have 24/7 access to track the progress of the application and the notes from the counselor and Roundtable. While we are celebrating this successful milestone with our daughter, we are grateful for the counselor and the staff for their dedication and tireless efforts. We have already recommended IvyWise to friends and colleagues. Needless to say, we would highly recommend IvyWise to anybody who is seeking high quality college admissions counseling service.

We have been delighted with our experience with IvyWise. The IvyWise team is dedicated to helping students make the most effective and authentic presentation through their applications. Throughout the process they offer insight gathered from years of working inside admissions offices, and help students find their voice. Whether through brainstorming or a gentle push to improve an essay, they help shape a better application. From counselors to the staff, the IvyWise team is dedicated, professional, encouraging, and focused on success.

[This] was our third child to partner with IvyWise for college counseling and our third child to be admitted to her number one choice. We believe in this program! Her counselor was able to help her craft an application that communicated exactly who she is a student and who she is as a part of an academic community- interested and interesting. What is often a painful process was nothing short of enjoyable and best of all, it enabled us as parents to take a back seat. This was a win-win for all of us!

My son was a pro bono client and we could not be more pleased with the support he received. From his initial Skype session to his wrap-up session, [our IvyWise counselor] was a supportive and dedicated counselor and mentor. I appreciate how [our IvyWise counselor] was able to talk through the process with my son and through their conversations and her guidance, my son was able to craft essays that truly carried his voice and thoughts. Navigating the top tier school process is daunting and [our IvyWise counselor’s] guidance and knowledge made the process less intimidating! IvyWise was instrumental in supporting my son and aiding him is admittance to his top choice school. Thank you to the entire IvyWise Team!

I just wanted to say how impressed I was with all the [Roundtable] feedback. I haven’t seen anything like that! Thank you for getting that much focus on [my daughter.] I am terribly grateful. This is a stressful time for any student seeking admission to an Ivy League school. It was clear as parents, we weren't making it any easier. It was fantastic to have a professional and objective person (team) on our daughter's side. Our initial concerns that you might try and "package" her into something she was not, was completely eliminated. We were and are grateful that you helped her put forth her real and best self. Honestly, we felt like we had a swat team on our side! I can't really say that I am looking forward to going through the process again with our younger children, but I am certain we would not go through it without IvyWise. The saying "you get what you pay for" is appropriate here.

Our family's engagement with IvyWise during the better part of our son's high school years was an extremely positive and productive experience. Helping our son with refining and implementing the academic and non-academic elements of the high school plan and navigating the application process was a significant contributor to his acceptance at an Ivy League school. The most important thing about having our counselor early in the high school career was the ability to create a multi-year strategy that leveraged the student's interests, abilities and aspirations. Setting up achievable but challenging goals both for academic and extracurricular activities enabled the student to focus on what was important each year. Overall this created a stress free application process while enabling the student to excel in his selected areas.”

Having gone through the experience with IvyWise during my son's senior year, my only regret is we did not engage them earlier in the sophomore or junior year. Right from helping us creating a solid list that included a few stretch schools (that we would have never considered), to holding our hands through the complex application process, we always felt as though we were in the safest of hands. My son not only got into his top 3 school, he was accepted to 9 other schools. IvyWise has developed a perfect system that taps into the uniqueness of the individual student and marries that with the uniqueness of the school and its admissions process.”

[Our daughter] came into the IvyWise process late but [her IvyWise counselor] quickly honed in on what she needed to concentrate on. She already had a rigorous courseload and top test scores but her confidence was low. He gave her confidence not only to apply to top colleges but to look at her academic interests differently. [Her counselor] helped her embrace her love of math. He encouraged her to pursue her poetry. [Her counselor] was a good match for [our daughter] because he could explain things intellectually and push her a bit when she wasn't decisive.

I can’t thank you and the incredible IvyWise team enough for your exceptional work with my son. He grew tremendously during this process—improving in introspection, writing ability, communication style—and so much more. I know that this was not an easy road for either of you. I appreciate you troubleshooting when the Common App essay was just not working and continuing to guide and coach him in a variety of ways. I admire your persistence in trying different approaches until we hit on one that worked. I know that my son admires you as a person and appreciates your intellect and thinking style. Through your work and guidance, I learned much about and became closer to my son. My husband and I feel that you and your team have given both of our children a priceless gift— access to an exceptional, life changing multi-faceted education and experience. I wish you all the best as you continue your excellent work.

We can't thank you enough for all of your help, guidance, patience, advice, etc. with [our student] these past few months (as well as with [our other student] 6 years ago!) and the fantastic job you did helping [our student] produce great applications. While we don't have another child, if we did, we would absolutely use your services again! Please also thank [the IvyWise team] for us and their helpful comments on all of [our student’s] essays.

In the highly competitive world of top tier college admissions where all applicants are superstars with high grade point averages and test scores, IvyWise’s expert services are essential for students and for parents. One of the most important components of the application process is ensuring that the college application demonstrates the student’s individual character through their profile, essays, extracurricular activities and course load. Our IvyWise counselor was essential in providing expert experienced guidance on these aspects of the college admissions process…because they know what it takes to ensure that an application provides the essential ingredients to differentiate superstars.

[Our IvyWise counselor] has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He has made this process so stress free. He was extremely thorough and insightful. I can't thank him enough for that.

We are so thrilled with [our student’s] success. [Our counselor] was an outstanding and wise counselor. I have spoken to [our student] some about the process and the one point she made which stands out in my mind is how [our counselor] made a highly stressful process not stressful. She kept [our student] on track with her timeline. Without [our counselor] it would never have happened. We felt [our student] was in very experienced and capable hands, whatever the outcome. Most importantly I felt that [our counselor] really got to know [our student] so well and understood her as a unique human being irrespective of the process. Making these applications requires much self-reflection and maturity. [Our student] was able to ride the journey with equanimity and a rock solid sense of her own self worth. I feel so blessed that [our student] had so many amazing choices. But getting off the Harvard wait list was truly the icing on the cake and I do believe it will be the right place for her. I have so much gratitude from the bottom of my heart for [our counselor] and IvyWise.

It all went so smoothly. My husband and I felt comfortable staying out of the application process because we knew our daughter was in such good hands with [her counselor]. IvyWise allowed us to keep the peace during what could easily have been a miserable year. And ultimately, the results speak for themselves!

Kat’s greatest strength is to assess each child’s unique skill and interest and work with that child to develop that interest. Over the years in working with Kat, our kids discovered a huge amount about who they are and gained the self-confidence and pride to be that person. I would have been happy to pay for that even if the kids didn’t achieve their school of choice, which of course they did.

We were extremely pleased with our IvyWise experience. From the very start, our experience was well organized and professional, as well as warm and supportive. All logistical communications were prompt, efficient, and highly responsive. [Our counselor] was an excellent fit for our daughter, and they quickly transitioned to a productive dialogue. [Our counselor’s] deep experience with the process of college admissions was of strong moral support to us during the process, especially as this was our family’s first experience (in modern times!) with the Common App and college applications. Our daughter was well organized and motivated on her own initiative, but [our counselor’s] guidance, along with that of the essay review team, helped us to know she was on the right path. At the end of it all, our daughter was thrilled to gain admission to her top college choices.

Your continued guidance, support and encouragement has been pivotal in the success our children have received from the college application process. Offering superb and organized feedback, maintaining a manageable timeline for completion of work and keeping [our son and daughter] motivated was critical to making the application process a smooth and highly effective one. Their hard work and yours has paid off in spades with both [our children] being accepted to their first choice for college. We have highly recommended IvyWise to our friends and family whenever the topic of applying to college comes up.

IvyWise did a terrific job! They deliver [and] that’s what matters. From strategy to execution and superb coaching throughout the process…I strongly recommend them!

[Our son’s] application was authentic to who he is as a person - his interests, his accomplishments, etc. - and I am pleased Yale felt he would be a good addition to their class. We are so grateful for your guidance, and the end result is obviously fantastic! [Our son] enjoyed working with you and is thrilled to have the privilege of attending Yale.… You are so knowledgeable and guided him so adeptly through the process.

We are very excited for the acceptance to MIT. Thanks to [our IvyWise counselor] for her help over the course of the application process. Also, thanks to the entire IvyWise team in assisting [with my student’s] applications.

It was truly a pleasure working with IvyWise. My counselor helped me voice my thoughts and ideas as I was unable to do that. She squeezed my creative side out of me and made sure it was painted beautifully in words throughout my application. My personal statement as well as my supplements were in top shape, they communicated my ideas very efficiently. The roundtable feedback was always a delight to have; my counselor and I would continuously revise the drafts until they seemed to be perfect. My counselor always planted a seed of motivation in me, which helped me achieve my goals. She constantly pushed me beyond my limits and we always had a backup plan (it reduces the stress!) Working with IvyWise has made my senior year less stressful as I worked a lot over the summer and at the beginning of the year. The IvyWise team has made my dream come true! I got admitted to my top choice university as an ED applicant—it’s truly such a relief. On top of that, they were extremely professional and organized (it is a huge advantage when it comes to college applications.) I am forever grateful for my counselor and the IvyWise team. It has been a wonderful experience.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for…all your invaluable help in the past year. I can only imagine my callow little self walking into your office last summer, probably late, and without any idea what admissions officers—or literally anyone—care to read. Thank you for whipping me into shape. I’m now impressed with your insistence, expectations high, always assured in your communicative instincts. I’m attending a school I never thought I’d have a shot at, not even a minute before I was accepted, and I can’t thank you enough for your guidance!

[My IvyWise counselor] is the best counselor anyone could ever dream of having. From a public school whose school counselor had a ton of students and was not knowledgeable about college applications, [my IvyWise counselor] made me feel confident about the college admissions process after years of insecurities and always replied to emails by the next day. She taught me that it’s not about college rankings, but about college fit. My dream college went from a large public school to a small liberal arts college because I wanted small classroom sizes where I could know my instructors and easily pursue research. As someone who struggles with ADHD, I loved getting reminders and essay progress soft deadlines. Although my dream college was a significant reach, I was not only accepted but also received a twelve-thousand-dollar merit scholarship. When you find your top college through IvyWise, you will understand why it’s perfect for you and therefore be able to write a genuine essay on it. Without IvyWise, I would have been lost in the college admission process. I would not have applied and have been accepted to my dream school. Thank you so much for helping me through the admission process!

My counselor helped me so much during the college application process. She helped me find the appropriate programs and schools that were right for me. She was the most helpful for my essays and helping me explain and understand why I wanted to study what I did. Managing all the deadlines and extra essays I had to write for different programs was a lot easier with her advice and edits. She was always supportive, regardless of the admission decision and went out of her way to research things for me. Thank you so much!

There was so much that I was blind to in the college admissions process before I started IvyWise. Working with my counselor, I was able to stay on top of all my goals and manage a tight schedule. She helped me sort through the different pieces and decipher which ones were most important. My counselor was always positive, supportive, and friendly. I am so grateful for my IvyWise experience!

After texting my parents and a couple of close friends, my IvyWise counselor and assistant were the first individuals I shared the news that I had been admitted to my dream school: Stanford University. Indeed, it seems weird to think a year ago I was reading testimonials of kids being admitted to dream colleges and thinking "psstt must be nice", but I can now say, without any sort of reservation, that IvyWise and its staff helped me get there. The overall help they provided me with essays, Common Application advice, and emotional support when I needed was unparalleled. If I took away anything from this process, it was: dreams do come true, especially with IvyWise.

I'm going to Dartmouth next year! I am beyond excited and relieved that the process has been successfully completed and that I will be attending my first-choice school next year. Seriously, I could not have done any of this without your help and guidance along the way! I would just like to take the time to thank you so much for all of your assistance and care these past few years. Whether it was choosing the right extracurricular activities, preparing for standardized testing and choosing testing dates, writing essays (a huge portion of my application!), or just powering through the horrors of junior year, you were always there for me, and you provided clear guidance the entire way! This all just feels so surreal to me, and I still can't get over that I'm going to be a Dartmouth '22, let alone attend college next year. These past few years have really gone by so fast, and looking back on them, I am so happy with all of the work I've done and with all of the work you have helped me to accomplish. I will definitely keep in touch as time goes on, but for now, I am a Dartmouth '22! Thank you again, and best wishes for a happy holiday season.

At the start of this process, I was unsure I would get into any highly selective college, let alone all of my top schools. I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards everyone at IvyWise, but especially my marvelous counselor. As a pro bono student, I would not have had access to such knowledgeable and encouraging counselors if it weren't for IvyWise. I always knew I was capable of thriving in college; IvyWise showed me how to reach that success.

IvyWise gave me the tools and assistance to present my best self in the college admissions process, ultimately granting me acceptance to my top choice school, Cornell University, with a $60,000 independent scholarship.

My family and I had done extensive research and immersed ourselves in the ins-and-outs of the admissions process outside of IvyWise, but [my IvyWise counselor’s] unique insights as a professional offered much greater depth to our existing knowledge, and she was very generous in sharing those. My application benefited greatly from the way she helped me to look at it critically through the lens of an admissions committee's expectations, customs, and limitations.

[My IvyWise counselor] was a huge help in narrowing my interests in engineering. She pushed me to explore my interests, whether it was taking an online course or doing a summer internship. When choosing where to apply early, she showed me all the pros and cons of each college and gave me her suggestions, but she never pushed me to apply to a certain school over another. After I was deferred from Cornell, she helped me write an excellent deferral letter, and she helped me take all the necessary steps to get accepted. I could have never accomplished what I did without the help of [my counselor] and the whole IvyWise staff.

I just wanted to take the time again to thank you for all your help in guiding me through the admissions process. All the time and hard work has finally paid off with the acceptance, and I only have you to thank for it. After advising me on all the extracurricular activities, course selection essays, and more, I understand how much you contributed to the strength of my application. It is a huge relief getting in, and I look forward to relaxing a bit and enjoying my senior year.

I will be eternally thankful to IvyWise and my counselor for helping me be admitted into one of my dream schools. The attention to student's needs that IvyWise offers is like no other program I have ever seen. They want to make sure that you are creating the best application and that you are choosing schools that are the right fit for you. Through IvyWise, I was able to highlight high points in my application and make it more appealing to admission counselors. After the completion of my program I felt secure and happy about my application and the process I went through to achieve it.

My experience exceeded all expectations, and everyone I was involved with was organized and professional. IvyWise for did everything perfectly for me, so If it were up to me I would change nothing.

I would just like to thank you again for all the help you've given me to get me here but also to [my client relations specialist] and the whole IvyWise team for all their suggestions and support. I think the whole process was very thorough and well designed from the Initial Consultation to the organizing of the school choices to submitting the applications. I didn't really know what to expect before coming in contact with [my counselor] but it soon became clear that [my counselor] was very knowledgeable, professional and can give me a lot of assistance and advice during the difficult process of applying for colleges. Additionally, the round-table feature with other counselors was also a highlight for me because I thought it was a practical way of simulating the reactions of admission officers to my application material so it was really helpful. Overall, I owe a lot of my successes in receiving offers from schools to the help of [my counselor] and the whole IvyWise team.

Dr. Kat and her team were incredibly helpful in all aspects of the college admissions process. They helped with my college list, standardized testing, essays (with dozens of revisions), and more. With IvyWise, I was admitted into many excellent institutions, including UC Berkeley…Thank you, IvyWise!

I loved my IvyWise experience. My counselor invested so much of her time and effort into my applications because she genuinely wanted me to succeed as much as I did. In the end, I was accepted into six of the seven colleges I applied to.

Thank you for everything! Working with [my IvyWise counselor] was really a pleasure. [My counselor] helped me open my eyes to what I really want from my college education and to find a university that will allow me to develop into the person I someday hope to be. Before we started working together I thought that to prove my worth as a student and to get the best college experience I would have to get into an Ivy League school…I understand now that ultimately the college search is about finding a place that suits my needs and even my personality. I have been referred to as a New Yorker more times than I can count throughout my life, and now I see how my independent and fast-paced style of working truly is the embodiment of just that. I am very excited for the next four years of my life thanks to [my counselor] and IvyWise.

My college application experience with [my IvyWise counselor] has been fantastic. [My counselor was] open, easy to talk to, and vastly experienced counselor, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to work with [my counselor]. As an international applicant, I did not know too much about applying to top-tier U.S schools, but [my counselor’s] expertise and experience ensured that the process was smooth as can be. Through countless edits, [my counselor] helped fine-tune my essays so that they were ready for the admissions officers. [My counselor] brought invaluable criticisms and insights on how to focus my essays on things that truly represented my passions. [My counselor] also made sure my Common Application activities were well rounded, represented my hard work, and were presented in the best light possible. I definitely realize that I had many weaknesses working against me throughout the application process, and that deferral or rejection from a hyper-selective school such as University of Pennsylvania was more than likely. However, I have no doubt that having [my IvyWise counselor] gave me a competitive edge in the admissions process. I would not have gotten into the school of my dreams without [my counselor], and I am extremely thankful for all [my counselor’s] help! I would recommend any student looking for admission to a highly selective college to strongly consider working with IvyWise. Their professional service, endless expertise, and dedicated staff made my application process seamless, and their unique IvyWise Roundtable ensured I got multiple opinions from various former Ivy League admissions officers.

Kat and the entire IvyWise team that I worked with far exceeded my expectations. They did an amazing job helping me define and present myself to colleges. IvyWise provided me with the tools I needed to face the intimidating college application process. I was able to complete all my college applications before the majority of students at my school had started to fill them out.

At first I thought IvyWise would be unnecessary due to the fact that my current high school has excellent college counselors. I was pleasantly surprised when I began my sessions with [my IvyWise counselor]. I truly believe I would not have achieved early acceptance to Emory University without the guidance of [my counselor] and the entire IvyWise team. Skyping with [my counselor] helped answer any questions about the college process, alleviate stress, and polish my college essays. Being a senior and attempting to achieve the highest grades of your high school career while simultaneously applying to college is a very daunting and stressful task. IvyWise helped me manage my time and map out a plan, which immensely brought down my anxiety about the process. I believe that IvyWise's strategy in editing each student's college application allows for the production of the highest quality essays. Working with one's individual counselor, along with receiving notes from the rest of the IvyWise counselors allowed for me to make sure my essays were the best demonstration of myself. I love IvyWise because it is completely full service. Not only did I receive help on my college essays, but I was also aided in presenting myself in the best way possible throughout my entire application. I would highly suggest using IvyWise to any student applying to college! I don't know what I would have done without the extremely talented and knowledgeable IvyWise team.