Collegewise Reviews 618

Liz Albertelly, our college counselor at Collegewise, was excellent. Her kindness, positivity, resourcefulness, availability, and attention to detail really stood out and helped our son thrive during the entire college application process. We are so grateful we had her to guide us.

While we are pleased with the college outcomes for our kids, we are even more grateful for the time that we were able to share with Sarah Turner and the steady and supportive guidance that she provided them. Said differently, the end results were always out of our collective control but the process was not. We are forever thankful to Sarah for making sure it was overseen with compassion and kindness.

My Collegewise counselor, Ida, was extremely helpful and accommodating to any questions or revisions I went to her for. Thanks to her constructive feedback and comments, by the time my UC application needed to be submitted I truly felt confident in my PIQ essays, activities list, and additional information section!!

Thank you Ida!

Lindsey Conger was my counselor and she was the ABSOLUTE BEST OF THE BEST. She was especially helpful with the essay writing process and helping me come up with ideas, when before hand I had really no idea what I was going to write about. She was also super helpful at keeping me organized and on track, and because of that I got my applications in before my senior year even started. One other thing that I really appreciate was she went through my common app with me before I submitted, and we checked everything together to make sure there were no errors which was really reassuring for me. Because of Lindsey, I got into my #1 college that I also dreamed of getting into, and I would not have been able to do it without her. She's the best!

Collegewise, and especially our counselor Mary Finn, made the college application process so much more manageable for our family. Mary helped my son shape a powerful personal statement, refine his additional information section, and gave clear, practical pointers on how to write about his activities. Her guidance helped him present his strengths authentically and confidently, and he has already seen excellent early results from his applications, with 5 acceptances so far. We’re very grateful for Collegewise’s expertise and highly recommend speaking with someone there to see if Collegewise is a good fit for your family.

Collegewise was very helpful in providing feedback and encouragement for my UC application. There is plenty of interaction with counselors, like my counselor Ida Lonnqvist, who provide lots of meaningful comments and suggestions for the application, particularly the PIQs. Additionally, I really liked the free UC webinars I attended with Collegewise where I got to receive advice from UC admissions themselves.

From the very first interaction with the staff, it was total professionalism; they really cared about what we were trying to do and where we were heading. Our coach, Sarah and her team were absolutely the best. We came in knowing nothing about the college process, and Sarah Turner walked both my son and me through every step. My son could be a bit lazy, but he stayed on task and he was able to complete all of his assigned tasks. He was accepted to his first-choice school, and he is loving his experience there. Sarah is very knowledgeable, she is task-oriented, and will make time to answer any questions you may have. I would definitely work with this company again, and I would recommend them to anyone. If you can get Sarah as a coach, you will definitely be in great hands. We started working with Collegewise in December 2023, but due to how far the calendar goes back, I can't enter the accurate date.

We’re grateful for the excellent support Emily at Collegewise provided our son throughout his college application process. She gave him thoughtful guidance and encouragement while leaving the real work in his hands. Our son put in a great deal of effort on his essays and applications, and Emily’s steady advice helped him stay focused and confident along the way.

Emily was always responsive when we checked in, offering helpful strategies for how we could support him without stepping in too much. This balance allowed him to take ownership of the process while still knowing he had the right resources around him. In the end, his hard work paid off with several strong acceptances. In the end, his decision came down to UCSB or UCSC, and he proudly chose UCSB, where a few friends will be joining him as well.

Thank you, Emily, for playing such a meaningful role in this important milestone.

Liz Pack was our counselor for both our daughters and we could not be more thankful for her care and willingness to go the extra mile for her students. She did an amazing job teeing up their choice of colleges, scholarships and helping them think thru their essay material. She also was able to connect them up with experts who helped thru the application process.

My advisor, Christina, has had an incredible impact on my life. When I was a sophomore in high school, she began helping me prepare to get into my dream school. With her guidance and the resources Collegewise provides, I was accepted and started a new chapter at my dream college. Later, when I realized that school wasn’t actually the right fit for me, Christina continued to stand by my side throughout the entire transfer process. Applying to other schools while still attending the one you’re trying to leave is not easy, but Christina supported me every step of the way, both logistically and emotionally. Collegewise doesn’t just help students achieve their goals, it also guides them through one of the most stressful times of their lives. Without it, I would have never found the place where I truly belong.

Christina has gone above and beyond with her efforts of both helping me and educating me in the realm of college applications. More than once I have been stumped or lost in my writing or what to write about and Christina has the solutions to all of my problems. With her help and influence, I have been able to work efficiently and to the best of my ability throughout my application process at all times.

I had the pleasure of working with Christina Mangano during my college application and test taking process. Not only did she help me achieve the scores I needed and wanted, but also gave me guidance on how to navigate the difficulties that came with choosing the right college for me. She became a mentor and an invaluable resource to me. Her dedication to her students, her patience and her ability to make you feel comfortable are only a few of the qualities that make her so great. I can’t thank her enough for all the help with the application process and for making something which at first was so daunting to me, feel so easy and seamless. Christina is the best, and I cannot thank her enough, I appreciate it all and she is absolutely outstanding!

As a mother of three children I can say that the College review process was unbelievably stressful for my first child. This is what drove me to working with Christina M. for my second child and all I can say is WOW what a difference. Christina helped my daughter maneuver through the college process in a way that made it easy to understand and allowed her to focus on the areas that made a difference in the big picture. Helping to hone in on the schools that made the most sense for my daughter knowing her personality traits along with her goals academically she landed in her perfect place. While I am still a few years away from my last one going through this process I am hoping Christina is still available to help support my son.

We feel incredibly fortunate to have Christina as our counselor—she has been not only a guide for our children but also a trusted friend to our whole family. With her dedication, genuine care, patience, insight, and understanding, she was able to open the hearts of teenage boys at a stage when they are often difficult to reach. She turned what could have been a stressful college application process into a journey of self-discovery and growth, filled with both excitement and joy. Christina has far exceeded everything we ever hoped for in a counselor, and we believe she will remain a lifelong mentor to our children. We are also deeply grateful to the warm and supportive team at Collegewise for providing families like ours with such outstanding guidance.

Working with our Collegewise counselor, Christina M., was an incredibly valuable experience. Her guidance and support throughout the college application process helped our child stay focused and achieve his academic goals. Christina made the entire journey—from planning to submitting applications—as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Thanks to her expertise, our child was able to hit the "submit" button with complete confidence, knowing he had presented the strongest application possible, regardless of the outcome. That peace of mind is truly priceless.

As parents, we were also grateful to maintain a positive and supportive relationship with our child during what can be an emotionally charged transition. Christina’s involvement allowed us to step back from the stress and simply be present for our child. We couldn’t be more thankful.

I can't say enough about the value of my son's work with Collegewise!
My son, Matthew, is a very bright student who has always been out of the mainstream high school. Loves Japanese and moot court, but not into sports or drama.
He was not excited about college in his junior and senior years of high school. I was getting concerned about his future.
Collegewise counselors got to know Matt and led him to many options that raised his interest in college.
Beyond that, they suggested colleges that fit Matthew. He is not academically competitive and he would have been very unhappy if he was in an ivy league school.
Besides working with him on writing a great college essay, they recommended colleges where my son would be inspired and his interests served.
In the end, Matt is going to Ithaca College and already loving his classes, his professors, and his dorm mates.
The best thing about Collegewise is that they do not point everyone towards ivy league schools. They get to know your kids and help them find a path and a college where they will grow and thrive. Matthew's future life has been changed due to his work with Collegewise.

Christina has been mom, therapist, tutor, mentor and friend throughout the very stressful college application process. Her team of the highest caliber and we couldn't recommend Collegewise, Christina and her team any more.

Working with Patricia Hatcher was super helpful in preparing me for my GRE. Not only was she super knowledgeable on the exam material, she also was very helpful in preparing for the exam itself: question types, timing, what traps to look out for, how to attack different types of questions, etc, which in my opinion can be even more important than reviewing the material itself. She also was super understanding of my work/school schedule and did not overload me with content at any point. With her help, I was able to get a nearly perfect score overall on the exam!

Both our students went through this service with Liz P and both got into the colleges they wanted to go to. Collegewise consultants helped them talk through their class choices, extracurriculars, research colleges, plan of action, etc. They were prepared for the best chances for admissions to the colleges that would best fit their needs. Best of all, they do the gentle reminders and tracked the technical side of college admissions so that we could, as a busy family of working professionals, spend our family time having the harder conversations about decision-making, failures, hopes, persistence, problem solving, and other more complicated issues in today's new world.