Colledge

I am a mother of 4 children, and one of the smartest decisions I have made as a parent was to have Colledge be an integral part of our college admissions journey. When my oldest son and I first sat down with Jenny, we immediately felt as if we had uncovered the best kept secret in Pasadena. The feeling of having ex-​admission officers and outstanding essay specialists being on our side can be compared to having a Superbowl team prepping you for game day. With that being said, I felt like the luckiest parent to have come across them.
Jenny, Arman and Kelsey walked with us hand-​in-​hand as my son began to work through the overwhelming process. I’m sure there may be other college advisors out there, but I am certain none will compare with Colledge’s responsiveness to questions, structure and expertise in their guidance. From one parent to another… you will find yourself having a panic attack about something that comes up during the process, as it happened to me late one night when something popped into my head. I recall sending Jenny and her team an email at 2am. Later that morning I had a response from all, with a reassuring knowledgeable answer that put me at ease. That is an invaluable asset when nerves may be getting the best of you.
Another added benefit of Colledge was that my son grew and matured during the process. His writing skills sharpened. His ability to express himself became polished. His sense of responsibility for his destiny awakened. We are now in the process of hearing back from the colleges and universities my son has applied to. But believe me when I say it is such a great feeling to know that you have done everything you could possibly do for your child by enlisting Colledge. I hesistate to think where we would have been if we had not used them. I will be certain to turn to Colledge for my other 3 children!!!

My daughter was admitted to her first choice college of her dreams. Jenny and the Colledge team guided every step of her journey there — the search to find a perfect college match and navigating the application process. Here are just a few of the highlights of our experience with Colledge:
1. Jenny’s knowledge and experience as a former college admissions counselor created a comforting sense of trust in her advice. Knowing we could rely on Jenny’s wise counsel allowed us to avoid entering the fear and frenzy of seeking opinions from everyone and helped us feel calm and confident.
2. Jenny and her team guided my daughter to develop a theme and a narrative about herself and her future vision. We now see how this is central to the entire college application process.
3. Jenny is delightful, warm and understanding. Both my daughter and I found it very easy to talk candidly and directly with Jenny. And, she is refreshingly candid and direct right back.
4. Jenny’s advice and guidance on timing and timelines — when to take tests, when to tour colleges, when to submit your applications… was very helpful to us as first-​timers.
5. The essay writing coaching provided by College and the Essay Writing Boot Camps are excellent. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the writing coaches as well as their very high ethical standards. They do not and will not write your child’s essay. They guide and support students to craft and tell their own stories in their own words.
6. Jenny is highly responsive. The communication among Colledge, the student and parents is excellent.
7. Finally, Jenny really took the time and interest to know, see and name my daughters unique strengths. This touched my heart.
I never expected to feel this way, but I can actually say I enjoyed this 2-​year odyssey with my daughter and College. Thanks to Jenny and her team at Colledge, we avoided lots of the anxiety and pressure that accompanies this process.

I can’t say enough about our experience with Jenny and her team in working with our daughter on the college application process. As this was our first pass at getting a kid into college and we were a little behind schedule when we commenced this process, Jenny was instrumental in getting us up to speed, developing a plan and reassuring us that we would be just fine!
Jenny and the rest of the Colledge team excelled at…
Communication — Email communication is concise and informative. Further, we never felt we were out of communication, nor drowning in unnecessary correspondence.
Computer Interface — The website and dashboard utilized is fantastic. It is highly functional, user friendly and contains informative links that were often used.
Calendar and planning — A macro calendar was developed quickly, giving a clear overview of timelines, deadlines and time management needs. Email updates regarding key dates, meeting content etc. were received regularly, keeping the plan on track.
Strategy — There is a lot more to this process then knowing what to do when. Understanding the admissions process and the unique preferences /​requirements of the target schools was huge. Further, having a strategy for early versus regular applications was equally important. Jenny’s strength in this area was one of many difference makers.
Essay Bootcamp — The essays are critical and the difference between our daughter’s early essays and those she ultimately submitted was night and day. Essay bootcamps are held regularly and were a great help in getting the essays to the finished product. Jenny and her team will not write these essays; rather they provide the tools and guidance to maximize the potential of the essay writer.
Availability — I remain amazed at just how much time our daughter was able spend with the Colledge team. Whether regularly scheduled meetings, planned group sessions, boot camps, «office hours» or the occasional 5 alarm fire — Jenny and her team were always available. Jenny only takes on a certain number of students at a time, ensuring that availabllity remains dependable.
Results — Our daughter has not heard from all of her schools yet but has been accepted at all schools applied to thus far — leaving us very optimistic for the remaining applications.
The Colledge team knows their stuff! There are a lot of options out there but in our opinion, no need to look any further!

Colledge took the stress out of applying for college. Jenny and her staff have a terrific program which not only helps your student stay on top of applications, but also guides your student in learning what is the best college match for them. All without mom and dad looking over the shoulder and tracking deadlines. Part of this process is helping your child learn about themselves; which our daughter really did. All so positive.
Here are some great things about Jenny and her team.
Super organized: I already said this. They have a web-​based interface which is very engaging for younger folks.
On top of deadlines: Our daughter’s common app was pretty much finished before she started her senior year; awesome!
Academic guidance: Jenny understands college admissions and was able to advise our daughter about what classes to take senior year;
Open minded: The Ivy League was not an option for our girl. That didn’t bother Jenny in the least. She recognized our daughter’s considerable academic strengths and helped her find a terrific fit. You do not have to be a super star 4.99 999 student for Jenny to love and appreciate you!
Great listener: Jenny listened to our daughter and to us; seemingly endlessly — and incorporated our opinions into the plan
Brave: Jenny suggested options we would not have considered and also encouraged our daughter to be herself in her applications.
Results: Our daughter was admitted to almost every school to which she applied and is attending a wonderful university in August.
Kind: Jenny gets it. She knows this is stressful and hard and all her staff do. Our daughter always wanted to work for Jenny and came home with a smile on her face.
Resource-​rich: there were more options than we could take advantage of.
I can’t say enough good things. Our daughter is going to a great college with a merit scholarship. Wow!

If you have a motivated, ambitious senior, then I definitely recommend they work with Ms. Umhofer. My daughter was able to learn some valuable tools to help her maneuver the application process. She had the opportunity to fine tune her college essays while having the support and critical eye of a former Admissions counselor. Ultimately she was accepted at several schools in the top 25 of the nation (rated by US World & News Report.) We are more than satisfied with the help received from the ever supportive Ms. Umhofer, thank you!