Testimonials
"Kathy Speer made the college application process a true joy. We have been working with Kathy for our daughter for over a year. Kathy guided our daughter and us first-time parents going thru the application process with extreme professionalism, all while making the process enjoyable (not the norm when thinking about applying for college). The true gift of working with Kathy was that she truly took a vested interest in our daughter, she helped her find out what schools would be a good fit academically but what she would want out of the town, the social scene, and more. As very hands-on parents, we were thrilled to see that Kathy worked directly with our daughter and held her accountable for this college process. We did not have to ask one time to ensure that the applications were turned in. Kathy’s method of making the student accountable for her meeting times and application deadline are what parent dreams are made of. Kathy’s attention to detail is outstanding, as we had a discrepancy on our daughter's transcript, within minutes, Kathy caught this and guided us as to the next steps to make it right. Our daughter learned of her first college acceptance the summer before her Senior year, which of course, made for an exciting start to 12th grade, not to mention the joy and the mental load relief that she knew she was going to college. We are forever grateful to Kathy for this wonderful start in our family's next chapter of life. Our one request was that Kathy may not retire until our other daughter is finished with the college process. Thank you, Kathy, for all of your hard work, updates, and genuine care, all while you were cheering us all on. We so appreciate you."
The Stapleton Family - Class of 2023
"When it became apparent my son was going to have to navigate the college admissions process, with COVID still front and center, I reached out to Kathy to have Noah speak with her. First and foremost, I needed him to feel heard and understood as there was already so much uncertainty and pressure. After the initial conversation, he conveyed to me that he trusted her, liked her approach, and felt that she would be a good person for him to work with. He felt that way through the entire process. Kathy has an amazing ability to understand each student for who they are. This is due to the time she spends getting to know the student, and what they want while helping to guide them to where they might find the most success. She provides resources after significant research and is easily available for questions and concerns. She made sure Noah had a clear timeline of what to do, so there were no surprises and he was able to keep himself on track and not rush to complete anything. She has genuine care and interest in the success of her students and feels deeply for them as they navigate the process of applying to college. Our family is thankful for Kathy and the knowledge she has provided to Noah and the support she has offered. She left no stone unturned and Noah feels when all is said and done that he had a person in his corner every step of the way. We will be using Kathy again for my daughter, and I have no doubts the experience will be just as fantastic."
Elissa Thompson., Parent - Class of 2022
"Kathy is truly an expert in the field of college admissions! The amount of research she does coupled with staying current on the changing field of college admissions, has helped my daughter navigate the process. Her knowledge, passion, advice and encouragement was evident each step of the way. She took to time to get to know my daughter and pulled out the very best in her so she could put her best foot forward on her applications. She was my daughter’s biggest cheerleader as she worked with her on finding the best college fit. Her timeline management guides the students to complete their applications in a timely manner, avoiding the stress of last-minute deadlines. There are so many nuisances with each application and Kathy streamlined the process. We are forever grateful for her guidance and expertise!
Stephanie B., Parent, Class of 2023
"One of the best decisions for our family and our son was to use Kathy to guide us through the college applications and admissions process. We are so grateful to Kathy for her expertise and counsel. A friend had told us about Kathy. At the time, I was looking for someone to provide insight into the process and ultimately provide us with a list of colleges and universities that might be a good fit for our son. Our son is the first of three children in our family so we really had no idea what to expect but felt that we could probably muddle through the process on our own if given some direction. It became clear during our initial consult with Kathy that we did not have the breadth of knowledge she brings to the table and decided to engage her services through the entire process. ​
​
We highly recommend Kathy and her process. After speaking with several other educational consultants, Kathy differentiated herself with her enthusiasm, expertise, pragmatism, insight, and passion for what she does. Despite the challenge of navigating these unprecedented times in a test-optional environment, Kathy has shown she is willing to evolve and adapt to provide her clients with the best advice. We were also impressed with Kathy’s willingness to roll up her sleeves and really get to know my son. She was extremely accessible and responsive to our emails, calls, and texts. Five stars for Kathy and we will definitely be using her for our Class of 2024 and 2026 kids too."
Bonnie S., Parent – Class of 2022
"Kathy was amazing in guiding our son through the college process. Her knowledge of everything from testing to choosing senior high school classes to summer extracurriculars to possible college choices helped us with this "overwhelming" process. She is so passionate about helping students and was always accessible through text, email, and phone. She went above and beyond throughout the entire process."
F.L., Parent - Class of 2019
"Approaching this year with my firstborn applying to college was daunting, to say the least. As the date was approaching for the applications to go live, I felt extremely fearful and overwhelmed with anxiety. A good friend highly recommended Kathy Speer and after talking to her, it was a done deal. She was knowledgeable, confident, realistic and so encouraging. She helped to organize my son as he was applying to 15 colleges. She outlined deadlines for each school, helped brainstorm ideas for essays, edit essays, and activity descriptions. Kathy was very conscientious of keeping within our budget as well which was a huge blessing, especially during these uncertain times. The list of things Kathy helped my son with is endless. She was always ready to have a zoom call with him if he needed to talk through something and would respond to my emails right away. . . even at midnight. For me, she was a sounding board, a friend, and a wealth of information and expertise. If she didn't know the answer to something about a particular school, she could find out within hours. Kathy Speer made our college application process enjoyable and seamless. I highly recommend her to anyone approaching the college application process. You will not regret it. I have a 2022 senior as well and 100% without hesitation will be using Kathy Speer for all my son's college application needs."
Rachel F., Parent - Class of 2021
"Kathy Speer is a very skilled college application advisor. Frankly, she is more like a coach for the big college tryouts. My daughter, an extremely hard worker, straight-A student, and somewhat of a perfectionist, truly benefited from each meeting with Kathy. She had tried another adviser and was not impressed by what she got: very general advice, impersonal attention, and no focus on her specific course of action and application help/needs. In one session, Kathy knew our daughter's needs and gave her specific tasks to help identify options and maximize her chances at her dream school. With a few follow-ups, my daughter felt confident applying to some uber-reach schools. Kathy was extremely responsive to specific application essay help requests. Most importantly, Kathy gave our daughter the advice and confidence she needed to put her best foot forward. So far, 9 out of 10 colleges sent our daughter 'accepted' letters, and the very expensive ones also granted her significant merit scholarships without any extra application paperwork. We could not have asked for anything more. Kathy checked all the blocks for us. Thank you, thank you, Kathy."
Lisa S., Parent - Class of 2021
"College applications and admissions are a stressful and confusing process. However, Kathy has helped to alleviate the pressure through her counseling. Even during a pandemic, Kathy was always excited and eager to provide the best support. Being a student, an athlete, working a job, and managing all of my other extracurriculars, my time is limited, but Kathy helped to tailor this process to fit my schedule. She set me on a path that allowed me to complete all of the schools I wanted to apply to and more.
​
Her expansive knowledge and expertise in this field set her apart and truly gave me, as a student, the best insight while going through this process. Above all, the one thing about Kathy that made her such a great counselor was her availability. She was super responsive via text, email, Zoom, call, you name it, and she was always available. Overall I could not be more pleased with Kathy’s counsel."
Dean S., Student – Class of 2022
"In the Fall of 2017, I entered into a contract for College Application Services for my High School Junior with a “well-known and highly recommended” Educational Consultant based in Encino. In July 2018, this Consultant informed me that I would have to renew our services with an almost $5000.00 contract if I expected to finalize my son’s application process. I was flabbergasted and, unfortunately, unable to afford to continue the relationship with this Educational Consultant. She unceremoniously dropped us as a client at the most inopportune time in our college application process.
It was at this point, two months before the applications were due that we were introduced to Kathy Speer. Kathy had compassion and expertise that she shared with us. Even though she had a full client load at the busiest time of the college application process, she told us she would assist. My son accomplished so much in the few months we worked together, including finalizing and submitting all recommendations, essays, and applications for his Cal State, UC, and Private School Applications weeks before their due dates. Kathy has a keen eye, a positive attitude, a creative mind, responds in a timely manner and connected with my son during a very stressful time in an 18-year-olds life—his senior year.
Kathy truly cares about the student and what is best for them as an individual. In addition to understanding the needs of the parent, she knows the requirements of the University systems because she is a contemporary parent of two high-achieving college-aged students. So far, my son has received three acceptances, including a merit scholarship. I highly recommend Kathy for any assistance with your College Application needs."
Many thanks, Kathy!!!!
Britt A., Parent - Class of 2019
"Working with Kathy has made my college application process a million times easier. Every step of the way, whenever I had any questions or concerns, she would be there for me to reassure and help me. She was also incredibly encouraging and motivational with every small victory and application submission. When there were issues or conflicts with my application, she would help me problem solve and use her knowledge and experience to resolve them. She also has a keen eye for pointing out the little things. Not only has her expertise been extremely helpful, but by Kathy's organization of all of my progress and due dates, I was able to apply early action to all of my schools and get some acceptances back by October. Applying with much time to spare and being ahead of schedule made the whole college process much less stressful and even enjoyable. I highly recommend Kathy for a college counselor!"
Ava T., Student - Class of 2021
"When I first spoke to Kathy to inquire about her consulting services, I knew instantly that she was the one to guide my daughter through the college search and application process. She is passionate about helping students tell their best story, directing them on how to showcase a strong portfolio, and she is committed to identifying schools reflective of each student’s values, personality, and geographical desires and interests.
​
Kathy’s personality is warm, welcoming, open, and it’s easy to be drawn to her professionalism, expertise, efficiency, and confidence. What I appreciate most about Kathy is her communication style—she is receptive, responsive, fast on the follow-up, and even quicker on the follow-through. She put my questions to rest by sharing her knowledge, insight, and perspective in a field where she is truly an expert and dialogues with clients in a natural and encouraging way.
​
Kathy stays actively informed and updates clients with current news through her research, personal/professional contacts, networks, and social media outlets—she is in the know. Whenever my daughter (or I) reached out with a question or concern, Kathy was reachable, available, and ready to hop on a call in an instant. She led the application trail with a shining light, making sure we were informed about all that was expected and needed. She also helped my daughter consider various aspects and angles she would not have otherwise known.
​
Kathy prioritizes her clients every step of the way, offering perspective and non-stop encouragement. There isn’t anyone else I would have chosen to support and guide my daughter through all the parts and pieces of this process. I am grateful for her time, care, and steps she helped my daughter take toward the next chapter in her academic life. Thank you, Kathy!"
Linda B. Tang - Parent, Class of 2022
"Like many other students, the college application process was a constant source of anxiety for me throughout high school. Meeting with Kathy was the best thing for me that made the process significantly smoother and completely reduced my anxieties. Kathy’s expertise, dedication, and constant support transformed what initially felt like an overwhelming journey into one that was manageable. Kathy broke up the process into digestible tasks and celebrated my progress along the way. Throughout the complicated process, Kathy was there to navigate and help me be the best applicant possible.
Without Kathy’s endless help, I wouldn’t be studying at my dream school that has turned out to be the perfect place for me. I am endlessly grateful for her for making the past year much less challenging and for her help setting up the rest of my future!
Jessica Baumann, Student - Class of 2023
"We all know that the college application process can be a nightmare. When do we start the
process? Do we take the SAT/ACT or not? What schools should we apply to? What schools
can we really get into? How important are my college essays? How important are my
extracurriculars? What’s the most important thing to be doing now? And how about later? Are there things that I can do to improve my chances of getting into schools? There are so many questions, and how do you get the answers to them all?
As students and parents (yes, parents can be stressed by the college application process as
well) Junior and Senior years can be an overwhelming and scary time for those that plan to
head off to college after high school graduation. The reality is that students work hard for 12
years and then really have just one chance to get it right.
In my mind there is just one answer to all these questions. Kathy Speer.
As a parent of 3 children, I have gone through this process 3 times. I have learned that things
are constantly changing and that as a parent there is no way to stay versed on how to best do things. We were blessed with three children that are all hard workers and academically very similar. When my first and second born went through this process we chose a college
counselor and hoped for the best. What we got, however, was not what we hoped for, and the experience was disappointing. While they both got into schools that they are thriving in, the process leading up to the decision on where to go was beyond stressful. By the end of the
process, my first two kids did not want to interact with the college counselor anymore and
wished that we had made a different decision in choosing one.
When it came time for our youngest to start the process, we knew that we needed to find the
right person. We went through the interview process with college counselors, focusing on a
different set of parameters than we did the first two times. We were fortunate enough to
receive a referral to Kathy, and from the first discussion, we could tell that our experience with
her would be different. Our son immediately liked Kathy’s easy-going personality and was
impressed with her knowledge. We made the decision to work with Kathy, and off we went.
Our experience was beyond amazing.
Kathy was the most wonderful person to work with. The whole college decision process takes
time, effort, and persistence. Kathy’s ability to keep students on target and working throughout the process, while being able to maintain a great relationship with the student is amazing. She sets reasonable goals, pivots when necessary and is a wealth of knowledge. She works with each student individually, setting time targets based upon what works best for that student and treats each student with an upmost level of respect. Our son felt comfortable speaking with Kathy about everything, and she was always available on short notice, if necessary. The best part of the process for me as a parent was that our son always felt like he could talk to Kathy and get honest, detailed feedback from her that he could understand.
There are so many positive things that I could say about Kathy Speer as a college counselor.
We were blessed to be referred to her and are beyond thankful for all that she did for our son
through the college process. A good college counselor helps you get to the finish line, but a
GREAT college counselor like Kathy Speer makes you feel like you’ve not just finished, but like
you’ve won the race.
B. Gewert, Parent - Class of 2024
"Kathy has been so incredibly helpful in the college application process!! I always felt less stressed and more prepared after our Zoom meetings; her work is specific, thorough, and engaging in all the right amounts. The Google docs for the Common App activity list and preliminary college list both made the actual application work so much easier and less tedious. I so appreciated being able to share my Common App and supplemental essays with Kathy and receiving feedback that was friendly and constructive; I felt extremely confident in all areas of my application after reviewing everything with her. Having her alongside me in the application process was a fantastic decision."
Abby T - Student, Class of 2022
"Kathy really took a lot of stress away from the college experience for me. I was always so worried that my application was missing something and it was so helpful to have Kathy to be able to review each one. She really goes in-depth with her analysis of your application to ensure that it is the best it can possibly be to put you in a position to get into your dream school."
Brendan K., Student - Class of 2019
"When we first stepped foot on the daunting path toward college, we didn’t know where to start. And while we had nothing but questions, my daughter Ava knew one thing - that she wanted to stay true to herself, have ownership throughout the process, and most importantly, that her voice be reflected in her application. After meeting with several college counselors, Kathy was the perfect fit. It was clear that this was more than just a job for Kathy. She took the time to really listen and seemed to understand Ava in a way others hadn’t. Once we knew we were going to work with Kathy, we breathed a sigh of relief, and everything fell into place seamlessly. Kathy provided the balance we needed, along with the necessary skillset including, the most detailed organization system I have ever seen; on point, sage advice, and heart. She treated Ava as her primary client yet also kept my needs in mind. She was there every step of the way while also giving Ava room to make it her own. Throughout the process, Kathy served many roles; including cheerleader, hand-holder, mentor, and timekeeper. Thanks to Kathy’s meticulous time management skills, Ava got all of her applications in early. Kathy is truly exceptional and unique in her ability to know exactly what her clients need."
Gayle T.., Parent - Class of 2021
"Kathy Speer has been a wealth of knowledge, advice, leadership, encouragement, and support throughout the college admissions process with our family. I only wish we had been introduced before our first child applied! Kathy was extraordinarily helpful in targeting schools that were a great “fit” academically for our son’s choice of major and in agreement with his preferred size, extracurricular interests, and plans for the future. From our initial meeting, Kathy took an immediate interest in him, navigating through the process with a personalized plan that included his current high school curriculum, honors, and activities. Kathy’s relationship with our son grew immensely throughout the process, as she mapped out target dates for each application, offered helpful feedback, provided routine follow-up, and cheered him on every step of the way while he took full ownership of each application. It is not unusual that one of the first e-mails our son sends upon receipt of a college acceptance letter is to Kathy – a true testament to the relationship they formed throughout a process that might otherwise be characterized as painful and unpleasant. From the perspective of a parent, I can honestly say that Kathy’s expertise has been extraordinarily helpful, but more importantly, it has preserved the relationship we have with our son. She availed herself to our calls on many occasions when we became concerned about the process or needed expert advice. Kathy has a true passion and gift for helping students find the place where the next chapter of their lives will be created, and we are incredibly grateful for the help she has provided our family."
Stacey N., Parent - Class of 2020
“Prior to working with Kathy, I had no clue where I wanted to go to college, what colleges I could reasonably get into, which would be a stretch, and how I would get through the college application process. I knew how miserable both of my sisters' processes had been and I was a bit scared and concerned. A year later, I have finished my first semester of my senior year and I have already committed to a school that I am ecstatic to go to. Kathy’s constant reinforcement and support were invaluable to me. I truly can’t think of what more Kathy could have done to get me through the long, windy road of reviewing my college options and submitting my applications. Kathy is always there when you need her and is willing to go the longest yard to help you, no matter how big or small the challenge. If you are someone who struggles to manage a calendar, procrastinates until deadlines, or just simply needs a little organizational support, Kathy will give you a polished schedule and winning plan to achieve your goals. Managing college essays can prove to be a tricky game, but Kathy is experienced and knows all the tips and tricks to make sure your essay will check all of the boxes when it's time for the admissions officer to sit down and read. I would highly recommend Kathy Speer if you want to make the college application process the easiest and best experience possible."
Jack Gewert, Student - Class of 2024
“Without Kathy’s advice on my application and edits on my essays, I would not have as nearly as strong of an application as I did when it came time to submit them. Her words of wisdom and encouragement helped me to finish my application in time for the deadlines. Even though we live on entirely different coasts, she always made herself available to any questions I had and was willing to make time for me. Her belief in me and time commitment to me and my success means so much and I couldn’t be more thankful for Kathy and all of her help."
T. Roberts, Student - Class of 2021
"I have always been told how horrible and stressful the college admissions process is, so going into it, I was scared. The process was made so much easier and less stressful because I had Kathy in my corner. From my very first meeting with Kathy, where she got to know me better and discuss my interests, I felt that she truly cared about my specific goals and helped me put my best foot forward. She helped me establish a very solid list of colleges to apply to based on my specific goals and aspirations. Working with her allowed me to stay on track and not get overwhelmed because she had very clear dates for each aspect of the application process. The biggest advantage that working with Kathy gave me was that she was always there for me whenever I had questions or wanted to talk things through. When I say whenever I truly mean it. I remember being very overwhelmed when I had to decide whether or not to send in my ACT scores to schools. Despite being on vacation, Kathy called me and walked me through each school for 45 minutes to settle my nerves. After the phone call, I felt so much better and was so grateful that she was there to help me. Now that I am done applying to college and am reflecting on the process, I couldn’t be happier with my choice of working with Kathy. She truly has the student’s best interest at heart and I would vouch for her any day. She is a fantastic college counselor and an even better person."
Noah T., Student - Class of 2022