What They Are Saying

Kathy was invaluable in helping me find my voice and create compelling applications that were authentic to me and my passions and interests. It was extremely easy to communicate with her and she was always very quick to give effective feedback. With Kathy’s guidance, I was admitted into many of the most selective universities, including 4 of the top 10. I appreciate Kathy’s kindness and positive mindset which made this sometimes very stressful application process much less overwhelming and instead, very manageable. 

Alia, Class of 2024

After briefly working with another college counselor who seemed more interested in promoting her business on socials, we were referred to Kathy by one of our son’s former teachers. From the first phone call, we knew we had found the perfect counselor. Kathy spent time with our son and suggested wonderful colleges not on his radar. She made a daunting experience anything but. 

Kathy’s not only hands-on and strategic, but’s she’s incredibly professional. If you need someone who knows the ins-and-outs of applying to college, Kathy’s your counselor! 

Martina C. Parent of student Class 2024

The college application process has changed quite a bit over the years and when it came time for our daughter to start applying, we felt extremely intimidated. We knew our daughter needed an experienced advisor who could help get her on the right track. Kathy Ratajczak’s college admissions consulting came highly recommended and when we spoke with her we felt she was a perfect fit. Her exceptional guidance and deep understanding of the intricacies involved in college admissions was instrumental in navigating this challenging journey. Kathy was more than just an advisor; she became a mentor and a guiding light for our daughter, helping her to identify her strengths and how best to present them in her applications.

Her ability to connect on a personal level, combined with a professional approach, made all the difference. She was always available to answer questions, provide feedback and helpful tips, and offer the moral support that our daughter needed to stay motivated and confident. Thanks to Kathy’s expertise and dedication, our daughter was accepted into her top-choice college, as well as their prestigious school of business. We are profoundly thankful for Kathy’s invaluable contribution to this significant milestone in our daughter's life and cannot recommend her highly enough to other families embarking on the college admissions journey. 

Thanks again Kathy!

Misha (Proud Parent, Class 2024)

Kathy is amazing about understanding the college landscape.  Based on your child’s wants, desires, grades, campus life, school size and more, Kathy will start off the process with assessing your child, followed by guidance and suggestions of schools that would be a fit.  This is a momentous task as there are so many colleges to choose from, it can be overwhelming.  Kathy is great to begin using in Freshman/Sophomore year as this is when she can offer your child suggestions on what’s important besides just grades, such as sports, joining club, SAT/ACT scores, or extracurriculars.  Not only is her knowledge so valuable but the time we saved in navigating the whole process relieved stress and it was great to just have a plan to execute.

Certainly a highlight of what Kathy offers as part of her service is help with essay process.  It’s not just an essay, this piece of the college application process is paramount.  

Hiring Kathy really did make a difference in our journey and we are thankful for all of her help with this process!  

Jeannie (Parent/2024)

We can not thank Kathy enough for all the support and much-needed comfort throughout the entire college application process. From the beginning to the end she helped our daughter by guiding her through everything from choosing the right schools for her, meeting application deadlines, and most importantly relieving unnecessary stress. Because our daughter Mia was interested in the very specific major right in the beginning, Kathy was able to assist her with the most incredible amount of research, and ultimately suggest what high school classes would fit our daughter’s interest, summer opportunities, and volunteering options, etc. These days, there is a lot more to college admissions than GPA and SAT scores and we often hear how most colleges use a ‘holistic’ admissions process - this is exactly when Kathy’s expertise was so valuable to us. With Kathy’s help, our daughter was excepted into 9 out of 13 Colleges she applied to. It is important to mention that most of these Colleges Mia applied to were not only extremely selective but also the Direct Admissions into BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) programs were at the top 10 ranked in the US, only choosing between 80 to about 120 students per year. Mia was also awarded a significant amount of merit scholarships from each university, totaling at about 520K. Some of the public out of state Colleges offered Mia in state tuition!!! We are so grateful for everything Kathy has done for our family. We will never forget her kind words, encouraging and reassuring sessions with Mia, whether it was done in person or on zoom. 

Marina & Ron

Your guidance, insight, knowledge and support were invaluable in Vincent's college application process!

With our sincere heart, we thank you for your help guiding Vincent through the college application and are especially grateful for all the time you took in making sure each and every application was the best it could be.

Vincent is beyond happy to be accepted into the colleges on his list. But he has made his decision and is thrilled to be attending University of Arizona. We are so proud of him and happy with is decision too!! Our son would not be on this path without you, and we are very fortunate to have had your help.

Without a doubt, we would highly recommend your services to anyone needing help with the college application process.

Erika and Doug

We loved Kathy from the moment that she walked into our house at our initial meeting. She is always very poised and professional. She was available for us at every twist and turn during the college application process. She provided great insights in preparing the college “list” and selecting colleges. She prepared our daughter for her interviews by conducting a mock interview and giving her so many useful pointers that we are sure she will use in her future job interviews. We shared with her all of our thoughts, worries, concerns and she helped us with her advice, calm voice and positive outlook. When we look back at where we started, we feel that Kathy was instrumental in navigating us in the correct direction and as a result, our daughter will be attending a university where she will grow and thrive in the field of her interest. Kathy, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

Proud UC Berkeley Parents

In search of a college counselor for our daughter, Jamie, my husband and I were looking for someone to keep her organized and in charge of the entire process from beginning to end. Kathy Ratajczak was just our person! After several interviews, she presented us with a plan that included a series of steps that Jamie went thru during her high school career that eventually led her to her acceptance at the University of Miami!

Her patience, timeliness to deadlines and ability to motivate Jamie all lead to a very positive experience that we are so grateful for. Kathy helped in planning out her education path from sophomore to senior year and encouraged Jamie to work her hardest to obtain the academic success that she so eagerly wanted to achieve!

We can't thank her enough and the academic scholarship was icing on the cake!

Amy and Norm

Not knowing much about the college admission process, Kathy was a wealth of knowledge and provided a clear cut plan for improving my son’s chances of admissions to his top college choices. She helped with choosing the right schools with the “right fit,” as well as helping my son create an amazing resume and essays that helped highlight his unique qualities and strengths. Over all, Kathy empowered us with the inside knowledge and actionable advice to help us navigate the process of applying to colleges and making it 
a lot less stressful.

Thank you Kathy!

Mom of a 2016 grad who was accepted to the Air Force Academy

Kathy, we wanted to thank you for all of the invaluable support and advice you have given our daughter over the past two years. Partnering with you felt like we had a dedicated advocate for our daughter guiding her through the overwhelming college application process. Our daughter was accepted to one of her top choice colleges thanks to your detail to attention and amazing insight into college admissions! We appreciate all of your help.

UCLA Parent

Kathy, I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I felt so out of my element with the college process when we first met and having you with us, along the way made it less stressful and more understandable. I knew you had our backs and hopefully, I wouldn’t miss anything too important. So, thank you for helping us and being there when I needed questions answerd or just giving some sage advice!

Mom, Sue