CollegewiseReviews of collegewise.com

Melissa Royal from Collegewise was genuinely one of the biggest reasons I felt confident throughout the college application process. She helped me so much with building my college list, brainstorming ideas, organizing my applications, and especially improving my PIQs and personal statements. I honestly thought my essays and English skills were already very strong, but the essay editors at Collegewise were incredibly detailed and helped me notice so many flaws and areas I could improve. Their feedback made a huge difference in the quality of my applications. Melissa was supportive, encouraging, and always willing to help whenever I had questions or doubts. Thanks to Collegewise and especially Melissa, I was accepted into the College of Computing and Information at UC Irvine! I’m extremely grateful for all the guidance and support throughout this process. Melissa is truly the best, and I would absolutely recommend her and Collegewise to anyone applying to college!

Where do I even begin?! Elizabeth Majors was the greatest person I think I’ve ever worked with! She was so amazing! She talked me through everything, guided me through the application process, helped me understand what colleges fit me personally, and helped me get into my DREAM SCHOOL. I don’t think I could have gotten in without her help! Thank you so much Liz, and thank you Collegewise!

We worked with Kate Strzelecki and Ali Springer at Collegewise to support our two seniors through the college application process, and we can’t recommend them highly enough. Each of our kids had their own counselor, which made a real difference. The guidance was personal, not formulaic. In our daughter’s case, she actually graduated a year early as a junior, and Kate and Ali navigated that timeline seamlessly. Our kids are independent and driven, and they wanted to own this process themselves. Kate and Ali respected that completely. They guided without taking over. Their work, their choices, their future. An unexpected benefit: having Kate and Ali in the lead removed the tension that can come with parents monitoring every deadline and decision. The counselors held the kids accountable so we didn’t have to. A few things that made the experience work well for other parents to consider: • Start in junior year if you can. The earlier runway made a real difference in how organized and unhurried the process felt. • Regular check-ins with the kids kept momentum without the nagging. • The Collegewise app lets parents follow along, so you stay informed without hovering. The result: applications submitted on time, acceptances at the majority of schools they applied to, and both kids genuinely thrilled with where they landed (Penn State and Fordham). If you ask our kids directly, they’ll tell you they don’t believe they would have been accepted to the schools they’re attending without Kate’s and Ali’s help. That’s the highest compliment we can give. If you’re considering Collegewise, don’t hesitate!

We had the pleasure to work with Jessica Strange who partnered with our son on his journey to college. Not only he landed in a school of his dream, but Jessica made this journey so much less daunting and stressful. Her positive energy, planning skills, caring attitude and dedication was simply amazing. We really worked well together as a team, with open and constant dialogue, and this was the key to success.

Dre was great to work with and helped me so much in writing my essays and getting into my dream college!

They helped me for most of junior year and all of senior year, and they were super helpful! I had lots of help on my editing and how to structure my activities and leadership to best show a rounded application. I got into UNC Chapel Hill oos and I really think it was due to their help and organization! I had Brianne and Dre help me, they were the best.

Hi! I'm an incoming freshman at UNC Chapel Hill as an Assured Admit to Kenan-Flagler, all of which has been made possible through Collegewise. My counselor, Aaron Going, is one of the most proactive people I've met. Throughout the application season, Aaron would take time out to craft essay guides and provide thorough feedback. I had always thought I would apply ED to UPenn, but after talking with Aaron, he helped me realize what I valued in a college and where my goals were aligned.

We engaged Collegewise for both of our teens and had fantastic experiences. Though pricey, it is well worth it to give the kids an objective guide and coach through the stressful years leading up to, and then applying to, college. For my son, his college counselor, Joe Korfmacher, helped him define the criteria he desired in a university, and Joe pointed us to a school that wasn't on our radar. He ended up selecting that university because it was a perfect fit. My son just graduated from college and had the best 4 years of his life there. Thank you, Joe! For my daughter, who is currently a senior in HS, we had Liz Albertelly, and she was a great match for her. Liz was a great listener, kind, and strong coach. Liz guided her through 3 years of high school with class choices, extracurriculars, and helped her articulate her passions. Liz became a trusted advisor who she turned to for advice regularly. She helped our daughter brainstorm essays and list pros and cons of various schools. Liz also kept her on a timeline from SATs to essay writing to sitting with her while she submitted the applications (ahead of the deadlines!), so she didn't feel overwhelmed in doing things last minute. In part thanks to Liz's advice, she was accepted into 12 out of the 14 schools she applied to, including several reach schools. We also appreciated Liz's well organized emails that kept us (the parents) informed of timelines and actions. My daughter is so excited to go to the university of her dreams. Highly highly recommend Liz and Collegewise. Thank you, Liz!