Serves Oakley, CA
35244
Hired 14 times
3 employees
36 years in business
Not yet available
5.0
This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Venmo, and Zelle.
Credentials
Background Check
Randall Sherman
Completed on 4/1/2021
Introduction
90%+ of my College Admissions Success Team students get into their top schools, often their #1. I only accept a limited number of serious students each year (freshmen through seniors; most targeting Tier-1 colleges), so each applicant receives my maximum, personal attention to get into their schools of choice. My Expert/"Coach" Background: Ivy-League (Brown University, BA with honors), worked in Brown Admission Office all 4 years attended there; Emory Law school. 35+ years experience working with families/students cross-country & worldwide at college admissions (16 US states, Canada, UK, China, India, Korea, Singapore, others). I use writing, inside-knowledge, marketing expertise to organize students, build confidence (parents too!), amplify students' applications, activities, essays. Have interviewed, vetted for admissions, and "coached" 1000+ students while working closely with their families & Admissions. We'll work closely like teammates & have some laughs too (there's enough stress!). I've been involved in college admissions since working in the Brown Admissions Office for all four years as a student (nicknamed "Junior" by Admission Officers (AOs) for "junior AO"). I know the inside Admissions game and secrets & consult with life-long AO friends (who will review the work we do together). I've mentored/"coached" hundreds of students how to get into schools of choice (including my children, who got into their #1 schools), . I work with all types of students, who have different interests; but I specialize in serious ones targeting top tier colleges. My Process: I work closely, 1-on-1, involved in each step in the often overwhelming admission process, from the beginning through college decisions. I get to know my students very well while mentoring/"coaching" them to (i) research schools (to organize them and explore if they like each school, not just its "brand" name), (ii) write killer applications and "WOW" essays that grab AOs' attention and present personal insights & experiences that AOs value. My differences from corporate or large Admissions counselors: First, this is a labor of love; I treat & care for students as if they're my own children (who got into their #1 schools), and work closely with parents. Second, the big corporate or college counseling services offer rigid scheduling & limited input; I offer lower pricing for same expertise, proven strategies tailored to your child, and always-available personalized service. I'm a 24/7, supportive mentor/coach/big brother for the student (and parents!) to lean on & learn from. BONUS: I also stand in parents' shoes, a "buffer" to give guidance they follow without fights and lower the usual admissions parent-child "stress". And I try to keep things light, laugh; there's enough stress! Unfortunately, these days, just very good GPA & SAT/ACT scores are usually not enough. So, using my business-media-legal background, I also become intimately involved in helping students build valuable volunteer & extracurricular activities that capture AOs' attention. For essays, we'll work hard to develop their unique personal anecdotes, which AOs like & value (my specialty). We'll also engage in unique "marketing" strategy, to give AOs the best picture of who they are and why they STAND OUT from their classmates. This increases chances to "get in" to desired schools in today's competitive college environment. I look forward to a complimentary Zoom session with the family, to ask me questions, discuss your goals, concerns, etc. Together, we'll build the most impactful applications & essays so your child stands out & gets in to schools of choice. (Please see Thumbtack's parent/student reviews; I'm happy to connect you with prior clients.) Some schools recent students I've coached have gotten into: Johns Hopkins, U of Chicago/Michigan/Virginia, Cornell, Penn, Brown, NYU, Pomona, USC, UCLA, Berkeley, UCs Davis-Irvine-S.Diego-S.Barbara-Riverside, Pitzer, Scripps, LMU, Tufts, Boston U, Northeastern, Boston College, UMass-Amherst, Emerson, Colby, Wesleyan, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt, Rice, Georgia Tech, Emory, Tulane, OSU, U of Wisconsin/Miami/ Indiana/CO-Boulder, UT-Austin, Texas A&M, Purdue, Clement, Case-Western, Newhouse School (Syracuse), U of Toronto, ASU, others. * Note: I'm connected & introduced to clients from many sources, often word-of-mouth from prior families I've worked with. Entertainment/Media/Marketing Counsel. Seasoned expert with legal and business background in this area. Enjoy working with start-up or up-and-coming businesses and talent, and guiding them how to get going in the best, most efficient way, with the proper documentation, strategy, communications, relationships. I work with a variety of people who need writing help and preparation, including emails, resumes, proposals, business communications, and reports. English-as-Second Language tutor/partner. Helped many different clients (from Germany, France, Japan, China, Italy, Brazil) improve their English language and writing skills, and helped them with their everyday needs and goals. Personal tutoring to quickly learn proper grammar, pronunciation, and phrases & colloquialisms of "Americanized"English, writing for their work/school, business and educational guidance. I enjoy very much working closely one-on-one with people from other countries, business people, students, entrepreneurs, and others, to give you warm, personalized service to help gain confidence and improve your skills with: - Speaking and writing the difficult "American" English language for your particular needs. - Creating clear, excellent emails, proposals, reports, websites, etc., for your business, school, or group activities (which I will help you do) - Improving personal skills, strategy, and proposals for your business, school, media, entertainment, or talent opportunities I look forward to speaking with you about what you need and helping you succeed.
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