“We enjoyed working with Linda. She was good at communicating with both us and our daughter on the overall college application timeline.   She helped us create a diverse list of schools for our daughter to apply, guiding our daughter through the process and holding her accountable for finishing tasks in a timely manner.  Linda took the time to hear our feedback and was very honest about where she thought would be a good fit for our daughter. In the end we are very pleased with the school our daughter will be attending, which was her first choice.  I am not sure how successful our daughter would have been with the college application process without the help of Linda.”

Needham, MA dad

“Working with Linda was an excellent decision. She was able to help us with everything from scheduling to visits to financial aid, all while helping us stay focused and sane! She’s incredibly organized, diligent and knowledgeable. Her insights were invaluable. Highly recommend!”

Franklin, MA mom

“Linda came highly recommended to us and we are so glad we hired her to work with us. She eased our twin boys into the college process early. We were very prepared and were able to get all applications and paperwork in early. The meetings and process went smoothly and I really appreciate the way that Linda worked directly with the boys. Our boys had success in their college selection and application process and they did not feel the stress that many students experience throughout the process. This was due to the well-organized process that Linda put in place for them. Follow Linda’s lead and you will be pleased in the end. We had a partner every step of the way and would highly recommend Linda based on our experience!”

Westborough, MA mom

“Working with Linda was a great experience from beginning to end. She was quick to respond with on point advice when we had questions along the way. Her involvement motivated my daughter to concentrate on areas of weakness to ensure a smooth transition to college. She reviewed our daughters specific needs in detail and provided valuable insight as to factors she should consider in her choice. We are all thrilled with the results and she is off to her “right fit” college in the fall.”

Milton, MA mom

“From my perspective, your help has been invaluable!!  He does much better with other people, and keeping him on track and moving along without us having to hound him ALL the time was a godsend.  I don’t know if we would have gotten through it without that.  He needs structure and you supplied that. Basically, it has been great and we all want to thank you so much.”
–Hopkinton, MA mom

“I am extremely happy that we found Linda because she found the right college for my daughter.  Before I contracted Linda, I had already received a list of 20 from another college service that matched my daughter academically as well as taking her interests into consideration however none of the schools appealed to my daughter.  We needed a school where she would fit in socially and academically as well as offering her field for a Major and the opportunity to minor in other fields in which she was interested.  Starting out, those requirements did not appear too difficult but as time went on we were not able to find a college match.  I have to say, that Linda saved the day.  Of the 10 schools that she recommended, we visited and applied to the  two schools that were appealing to my daughter and she is starting this fall.  Thank you Linda, I really don’t know what we would have done without you.”
–Bedford, mom

“I was happily surprised by the amount of time that Linda spent researching particular schools for my daughter who has some complicated learning differences.  Not only did she research specific degrees and vocations for me, but she actually had the brilliant idea of looking up the required classes and licensing exams that would be required for a few different degree programs in the years ahead.  Her direct, honest, and thoughtful manner is very refreshing.  Her out-of-the box approach, expertise, and timely responsiveness has made all the difference in helping me to find some potential matches for my daughter.”
–Newton, MA mom and child psychologist

“Linda did a tremendous job for my son. She is extremely knowledgeable about universities and gave us much very helpful color on them. She also helped us navigate the admissions process at various schools much better than we would have managed ourselves. She thought carefully about our son and obviously takes the responsibility of helping her clients very seriously. I would unhesitatingly recommend Linda to anyone.”
–Newton, MA dad

“Dear Linda: thank you. thank you.

We so appreciate all of your help!  Thank you for bringing out her best.

Linda was organized, well prepared and was in frequent communication with our daughter. We were so glad that she was part of our college process”
–Needham, dad

“Linda did an amazing job of taking stress out of the college application process for us.  Her vast trove of information on schools gave our daughter many more choices than we had expected.  She kept Laura organized and on-schedule and focused on the important stuff.  We really feel that Laura ended up in a place that is very, very right for her.”
–Arlington, mom

“As a family new to the college process, we had so many questions and Linda was wonderful in helping us to figure it all out.  Her research on various schools was so thorough and went much deeper than anything we could have learned reading college guides or websites.  She made so many suggestions that were instrumental in helping us navigate the whole process successfully.  In the end, she identified a school that we had not considered and it turned out to be the best fit for our child.  Linda helped us to position him in the best light and he was accepted early decision in his first choice program!  Throughout the whole process, she was informative, supportive and always available to answer questions.”
–Needham, mom

“Linda’s expertise and knowledge helped my daughter and me navigate the college selection and application process thoughtfully and thoroughly. Her guidance in helping Leah to understand what would be her optimal college learning environment, through school selection and the application process allowed for decreased stress between us at home and fostered Leah’s independence as Linda and she worked on each component together. I am so pleased that this normally competitive and anxiety ridden process was kept realistic and on track culminating with Leah being accepted to her first choice school early action.”
–Newton, MA mom

“Having a child who learns differently left us with more questions regarding our daughter’s future academic options versus answers. Linda gave us answers and OPTIONS. We also loved the fact that she managed the relationship with our daughter and made her accountable while communicating with us what she sees working or not working. She took all the pressure off us and gave us options that we would have never found on our own.  Our daughter lit up at the possibilities that are open to her, which in turn has inspired her even further. It was the best decision we made for us as parents and our daughter would agree.”
–Melrose, MA mom

“Linda was a great resource in helping our daughter and us find the college with the best fit for her that would help to ensure her success. We felt that Linda’s was an important and unique approach that followed her from pre-college planning all the way through to making sure she was happy with her final decision. With Linda’s help we managed to avoid many of the pitfalls that we saw other families making – expecting the school to do it all, not discussing finances, or the ultimate expectations for college. At her urging we first talked about if our daughter actually wanted to go to college, what she wanted to get out of it, what our expectations and constraints were financially, and what aspects were most important to her – all things that later helped with the decision making process.

With Linda’s timetables, information, checklists and reminders, our daughter started the application process early and felt much less stressed than many of her peers. She received the first acceptance in her high school and was relieved to know she had options while others were juggling schoolwork and just starting this daunting process. Linda was always available to give input and valuable advice that kept us focused on what was right for our child. Through her extensive visits to many colleges, she had personal knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses for our student and the resources available to support her. There is a time when acceptances start rolling in and students are constantly comparing their choices that it is tempting to begin second guessing your decisions. Linda always brought our daughter and us back to thinking about what was right for her. We all came away feeling that we made the best choices, and that we did everything we could to set her up for success.”
–Arlington, MA mom

“We are so grateful for all you did to make the college search process such a positive experience. The idea of finding a college that would provide Jack the level of support he needed while also provide him a spirited and engaging college climate seemed daunting. Enlisting your help was invaluable. Your knowledge of hundreds of colleges combined with your keen understanding of students’ needs is remarkable!

You broke things down step by step and allowed Jack to own the process. Your monthly and often times, bi-monthly, meetings both in person and via Skype, helped keep Jack on task and provided him an opportunity to ask questions and to seek your advice when senior year responsibilities became overwhelming. Jack was receptive to your suggestions and constructive feedback — something we knew he wouldn’t readily accept from us, his parents! Truly, you were a gift to us!

You were instrumental from beginning to end! Not only did you help in the search process but you also helped immensely as he struggled to decide which college to attend once he received his multiple acceptances! You steered him away from colleges that you knew would not provide him the level of support he will need while gently guiding him toward schools that proved to be a better fit. We feel confident that Jack has enrolled in a college that will absolutely be the right fit!”
–Hopkinton, MA parents

“We decided to hire Linda because our son was having a rough junior year and we wanted to make sure that our college search was going to be targeted to his needs rather than a name brand search. He was a success story of his special needs but still needed support and a thoughtful search to make sure he could continue to thrive.

Linda broke down the process so it wasn’t overwhelming for our son or us. She talked about things that we wouldn’t have thought of and she made us think about the parts of the search process that really made for a good fit. She took the nagging job away from me and approached our son with respect. He responded well and didn’t have a problem with her telling him what to do!!!

Our son felt really comfortable with Linda and even if he pushed back a little, he was able to follow through with the tasks and really think about what he wanted and would feel comfortable with. He is very happy with his decision and looking forward to next year.

We are totally happy with our experience and would wholeheartedly recommend Linda.”
–Westborough, MA parents

“My daughter Leah was a client of yours back in 2014-2015 when she was applying to college.You helped her understand that a small school would suit her learning style and she went to Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
I’m pleased to share that she graduated a few weeks ago with a BA in Spanish.  (in 4 years).

Her college career was not without bumps along the way, but her determination, hard work and maturity led her to succeed triumphantly including 2 semesters abroad, Deans list and straight A’s in her final semester.
I share this with you as a thank you for guidance that helped to get her to the right fit school and perhaps a true success story you can share with clients if you so choose.
Wishing you the best”
– Newton mom

“We hired you to help our son with his college search b/c we wanted someone with extensive knowledge of colleges that had good academic support programs. Since Josh had Brimmer’s college counselor also working with him, he didn’t need as much support as if he went to a public school, but nonetheless, I found it extremely valuable. I loved working with Linda behind the scenes. It was great to have another perspective outside of his school. I found it extremely helpful. Josh enjoyed working with you, discussing the colleges, essay help and mock interviews. You were always very friendly nonjudgmental, and he felt very comfortable with you. As the parent, I found it to be extremely helpful, very knowledgeable and responsive to any questions I had. You made it a very smooth process!!!
We felt like we were in good hands!!”
— Wellesley mom

“We originally did a generic search for an Educational Consultant, and recognized your name when it came up, given that Chris and Jon were both in cross-country. It didn’t take long to decide to hire you after learning that you had experience working with students with challenges, and that an early start seemed appropriate for Chris.

We like the effort and depth of analysis you put into our initial meetings, which resulted in Chris getting involved in Hopkinton’s Special Olympics and following that, other volunteer work that collectively really filled out his college application. We also liked the wide variety of communication methods you used with us, including the online video meetings, regular check-ins over the phone or over Email, and even just being included on your broader informative Emails. Most helpful was your detailed knowledge of the end-to-end college process, which gave us peace of mind that no matter what we heard or learned, we could count on you to keep us from getting worried over any one thing, and focused on that which mattered most.

Chris clearly learned a lot from working with you, and like us he really appreciated that you were providing suggestions for colleges to visit based on his stated preferences, which we know took both patience and a good deal of process-of-elimination. He was very proud to have been accepted at all the colleges he applied to, but it was your guidance and experience in what to expect and that helped keep him from being overly nervous when he had that one interview that got him accepted into the Banacos Learning Disabilities program at Westfield State.

Looking back right now, with all that’s behind us and all that took place, almost feels surreal but it really was a relatively enjoyable and of course successful journey. That is very much a product of your knowledge, caring, and helpful personality and we expect many more young adults and their families will be helped as much as ourselves.”
— Hopkinton mom

“Linda Katz guided our son through the college choice and application process starting early spring of his junior year. Linda approached my son where he was and pushed him just enough that he followed her lead and he worked toward the suggested deadlines. He leaned toward schools that used the Common Application so the focus was on one essay to write. He submitted the applications in November, and he was accepted to the schools he had visited.

My son thanked us for hiring Linda when he observed how stressed his peers were over the last minute rush to apply in the winter. Linda motivated, guided and coached our son so he could present his authentic self to admissions. We were included in the process when Linda saw it was necessary and I appreciated all of the time that she spent following up with us. I would highly recommend hiring Linda for this process since she is an excellent communicator and paid very close attention to our family’s needs.”