Reviews
“Working with Barbara throughout the college application process felt less like checking boxes and more like building a story I was proud to tell. She quickly understood how my logical, engineering-focused mindset worked in regards to crafting essays, but what impressed me most was how naturally she pushed me to explore the creative side of my writing. Her questions made me reflect, and her edits always made my ideas sharper without ever changing my voice. More than anything, Barbara took the time to know me, not just my resume. I could not have asked for a better mentor and partner throughout this journey.”
Zane, student
“As an immigrant, I have never gone through college application process myself. So, when my son was about to apply for college, I felt clueless. It seemed like an impossible task to figure out the ins and outs of the whole process and pick out the right colleges from a sea of schools. I knew I needed help. Ms. Barbara came in highly recommended. She spent the time to talk to my son, to understand his needs, interests, and his future plans. Then she made her school recommendations, guided us through the whole process, and helped with essays. My son just got accepted to a top-tier university with scholarships. It has been a wonderful journey, and we couldn’t have done it without Ms. Barbara.”
Julie, parent
“When I started working with you with the first of four kids, I didn’t know what I was getting into but knew that I didn’t have the experience to even start the process of making a college list. By the fourth kid, I was very aware of what I was getting into and still knew I needed help since the rules and expectations had changed drastically by the time the fourth kid began the college search.
“You helped make a college list of not only academic safety/match/reach schools, but also financial safety/match/reach schools. When you gave essay advice, you were good at giving criticism that didn’t sound too critical. And you were sincere in your encouragement and praise. I knew that you were personally invested in each of my kids and hoped for the best outcome for them. It was always a relief to know that we would get realistic advice about what to expect through the process and then as we waited for decisions.”
Laura, parent
“Thank you for your genuine interest in my student as an individual and for working toward finding a school that would truly be a good match for her. Your opinions and guidance, coming from a place of such expertise and experience, were tremendously helpful and reassuring. You exceeded our expectations, and we are so pleased with this service that we’ve recommended it to friends.”
Emily, parent
“I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your incredible assistance with my daughter! The outcome was absolutely fantastic, far surpassing our expectations given the current state of college admissions. But what truly matters is the smooth process you guided us through. Your expertise, wisdom, and patience were invaluable. It’s evident that you formed a strong connection and built trust with my daughter, which significantly reduced her stress levels in managing all the decisions and applications.”
Nathaniel, parent
“Again, thank you SO much for all your help throughout this entire process. I owe so much to you! I am so happy with the results and I am sure I would not be here without your dedication (especially when I could not write a single essay) from the very beginning. You made the process much more clear and had successful tips for my essays and the application itself. You were both to the point and willing to spend a lot of one on one time with me. If you didn’t think a school was a good fit, you would say it (which saved a lot of time in the long run). My common app essay was an especially long process, and you were very patient the whole time. I’m so glad I got to work with you!”
Anne, student
“Barbara’s knowledge of the college admission process is reason enough to work with her. She helped me make sure that each application I sent out represented my passions, interests, and strengths and that every essay I wrote was just right for each school’s admissions office. What truly made Barbara a crucial part of my college application process, however, was her ability to make me feel confident at every step of the process. She is patient, dedicated, and funny, and I could not have gotten through this process without her. I am extremely satisfied with my admission offers and ultimate decision (which she helped me arrive at, as well). Thank you Barbara!!”
Dashmi, student
“I enormously appreciate all the work you did with our daughter over the last few years. She has grown so much through the process – all of the writing she did with you, the thought she put into expressing her interests, achievements, and potential career aspirations, and the interviewing. Working with you was priceless! She is now prepared to approach people with confidence, whether that means reaching out to professors, pursuing internships, or building her network – all skills she will require to build her career. Getting into such an amazing college that offers her so many opportunities closely aligned with her interests is, in some ways just a bonus. Thank you so much for all your wisdom, kindness, patience, and support.”
Stephanie, parent
“Barbara Hettle helped open new opportunities for my daughter. Never having applied to college myself, I was eager to find expert help for my daughter. Barbara provided expert advice, both insightful and patient, that kept us organized and gave us strategies and options. She explained the process to me, helping me to understand how to keep organized with documents and deadlines. My daughter received admissions offers from many schools, and Barbara kept my daughter striving for more by guiding her with honors college and scholarship applications. We found Barbara easy to work with. She explored numerous options available to my daughter, always providing us with choices on how to proceed. Her portal was an excellent tool for tracking colleges and doing research. As she is an expert in planning, Barbara helped my daughter arrange her curriculum to be a better college applicant. All of these helped to take the chaos out of the application process and put us, both me and my daughter, at ease.”
Katharine, parent
“I was very intimidated by the process before we started working with Hettle College Consulting five years ago—for our older student. This is a worthwhile service and couldn’t be better. The feedback and review of the student’s application and essays were especially helpful.”
Lara, parent
“Barbara is who you want. She knows the application process inside and out; she knows the colleges and universities backwards and forwards. She is a steady and reliable guide through the shifting landscape of college admissions. We could not be more grateful for her help and reassurance during this crazy and difficult year!”
Amy, parent
“I came to Barbara as a 25 year old mature student with a past negative experience in university and having left academia in the first year of undergrad at age 18. I was very overwhelmed by everything involved in going back and getting my education, including a lot of anxiety and insecurity due to my past academic struggles. I reached out to Barbara and found that I was able to be completely honest about my fears and conflicted feelings about returning to school. Barbara took so much of the weight off my shoulders by breaking the process down into manageable chunks and putting things into a perspective that helped me to think positively about my opportunities rather than approaching the situation feeling so afraid and overwhelmed. She had a very calming and practical approach to the work she did with me while also being empathetic and sensitive to my individual situation and personality. I’m now in the middle of my first year at a much better school than I would have ever even thought to apply for, and I don’t think I would have been able to make this happen or approach my new academic life with the right mindset if it were not for Barbara’s sound guidance and encouragement. I absolutely recommend working with her!”
Helena, student
“Working with you was a delight, Barbara, so much so that we were excited to work with you again with our second kid. You have such a deep knowledge of the schools, and such an interest in getting to know our kids as people. You helped us figure out the right fit for each kid, as opposed to the right fit on paper or by parent perception. We really appreciate that you understood our kids’ goals and needs. We also appreciated that you gave extra help and support when one of our kids faced health challenges during the process. You made a stressful and challenging process so much more manageable. Thank you!”
Andrea, parent
“Thank you, Barbara, for all your support, wisdom and steady guidance during the college admissions cycle. A year ago, we walked out of our daughter’s school counselor’s office with little to no hope that she would be admitted to any of her first or even second-choice schools. Yet, despite the setbacks resulting from her illness during sophomore year, she had incredible options once all the decisions finally rolled out. I know her essays played a huge role in her success, and we are so grateful to you for helping to make that happen.”
Maureen, parent