AP College Consulting

We loved working with Sarah.  She took the mystery out of the application process for all three of our kids, played the role of advocate steering them to the right choices for them, and allowed us to simply be advisors.  No battling over the admissions process, no nagging or cajoling, Sarah did all of that.  Three out of three were admitted to their first choice school.  Thank you, Sarah!

Stephanie R. Sacramento, CA 2024

Judith, from AP College Consulting, provided excellent service every step of the way in the college application process. She has in-depth knowledge about the application and admission requirements. She played a major role in helping our child navigate through the college application and admission, such as building a resume; creating a college list tailoring the student’s interests; essay reviews, and so forth. Her help throughout the college application process helped tremendously in alleviating the stress off of parents which allowed us as a family to navigate through the whole college application experience. She was a great resource for my family throughout the whole process. She responded promptly to texts, emails, and phone calls, communicating not just with the student but also with the parents as well to keep us informed of critical dates. She offered personalized service that tailored to the uniqueness and strengths of the student. Our child received offers from multiple colleges, many among his top choices. He undoubtedly enjoyed the first year of college. 

It was truly a great pleasure for us and our child to work with Judith. We are grateful for her help and were very pleased with the assistance she provided. She is very knowledgeable and excellent at what she does. We highly recommend her and the resources she provides. 

EJ, Sacramento 2023

The services provided by AP College Consulting are the ones that any high-school student who is getting ready for college admission should take advantage. We feel the result was a considerable increased rate of success in the admission process. The breadth of knowledge a student gains working with AP college consulting is multi-faceted, with guidance in regards to many layers that factor in into the final admission decision:

-          Guidance customized for each college the student is applying to

-          Tailored knowledge for each specialty area and major of interest

-          Assistance around essay composition, also personalized the colleges and the study fields desired

-          Resources related to scholarships and funding awareness

-          A repository of the work completed and a dashboard that keeps the student in-check with the progress completed

I know the success around my student’s admission into almost all colleges she applied to is largely attributable to the help we got from AP College Consulting. As a parent, it would have been impossible for me to encompass all the resources that are out there, and to know what each major area or college is looking for in the admission process. I wholeheartedly recommend AP College Consulting for not only their knowledge in the field, but also for the professionalism, flexibility, and the personalize service they offer.

Thanks to AP College Consulting we secured the first choice college desired.

Stefan, Davis, CA 2024

Judith Painter is a phenomenal college counselor. My daughter was accepted by one of her reach schools and we couldn’t be happier. She went above and beyond our expectations and has a deep understanding of the admissions process. Her knowledge and skills are worth every penny.

Stephanie B. Sacramento, 2022

Dear Judith,

I'd like to send a formal letter thanking you for all of your help throughout my college application process! Thank you for helping me edit countless drafts of essays, for helping me create personal deadlines and checklists while also keeping me accountable, and for frequently keeping in contact with me to offer assistance and provide answers to any questions I had. You truly made the application experience much easier and more enjoyable.

Again, thank you so much for being a wonderful college counselor; you were a great pleasure to work with!! Stay well and purell ;)

— Aleia Eagleton, San Jose, August 2021

We highly recommend Judith Painter of AP College Consulting to prospective college-bound families and students. We sought a college consultant because we realized the process was much more complex and challenging than expected. Our experience was outstanding!  

Judith helped with the different timelines of the college search and application process.  As we visited colleges, she was a great sounding board as our daughter narrowed down her decision. As it came closer to making a decision, Judith promptly responded to texts, emails, and phone calls. She was a great resource that filled the knowledge gap between our expectations and the reality of the college application process. Judith continually answered our questions and successfully helped our daughter get into all 9 colleges she applied to. The end result is our daughter will attend the college that is the best fit for her.

—K. Madruga,  Sacramento, CA May 2021

“Having Ms. Painter help our son was without a doubt one of the most important parenting choices we have made. She helped him find colleges, that we had not considered, that best matched his academic interests and his personality. She worked with him through every step of the application process, including making sure that his essay was persuasive. She kept a close eye on all the details. We highly recommend her and we will definitely be working with her for our younger son as well.”

—Glen H Sacramento, CA Summer 2021

We pulled AP College Consulting into the picture because our son was mired in the tall weeds with the first draft of his college essay and was getting frustrated. With Judith, he had the chance to confer with someone who was not a parent, something he needed. Judith coached my son respectfully, assuring he centered the essay upon his own interests, achievements, and abilities. The final product was uniquely personal and moving.

My son initially planned on applying to 9 colleges, choosing the usual range of “safe” and “reach” colleges. Judith’s guidance was centered on his learning style and social interests, which was absolutely the right way to go. She suggested a small school we had not heard of, strongly recommending it not only for its academic strength but also because the school was financially strong and we needed aid. Judith also proved to be an invaluable sounding board for my son in choosing amongst the several colleges that accepted him. Ultimately my son attended the college she had recommended, not only because of the academic fit but also because the school offered a strong financial package.

My son is halfway through his first year of college now and loves it. All students attended in person this past fall of 2020, and with extensive safety measures, it has worked out very well. I am so happy my son had the opportunity to have such a successful partnership with AP College Consulting.

—Laura P., April, 2021, Morristown NJ

“Good morning! I just wanted to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the support and amazing guidance you have provided to M. and us during this college process.” Sarah created a process and environment for our student to own the college application process which not only allowed her to build confidence but also cultivate relationships with trusted adults outside of our family. Using Sarah’s services was an investment in our daughter’s future and also protected the parent/child relationship that is so easily strained during this time in a family’s world.

—D.S, Santa Cruz, February 2021

Judith and AP College Consulting have been instrumental in my acceptance to several competitive universities, a technology grant program, and my dream school (the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) as an out-of-state student. While Judith keeps everything organized and professional, she also develops a connection with her clients. She truly invests in the application process, the development of essays, and the students’ personal growth throughout their academic journeys. Judith’s knowledge and honest critiques lead to a smooth, well-planned, and successful application season. I would highly recommend Judith and AP College Consulting to anyone searching for college admission, application, or essay development service.

—A. Myer, Pennsylvania, 2021

Sarah has been amazing to work with. She helped me build a great list of colleges to apply to, and I got into all of them. She is easy to get a hold of and is able to answer all my questions! I would highly recommend working with her

—Student, Sacramento, CA 2021

It was a real pleasure to work with Judith! She effectively and compassionately guided us through the college application process. We thoroughly enjoyed working with her and the end result is our daughter got into the top college of her choice!

—Lynn Simon, Davis, CA June 2020

I was a 2nd-year community college student while I worked with Judith. It was a great experience working with her. She really aided me in organizing everything I needed as a transfer student, from which colleges to apply to as well as what each application entailed. She factored in my academic focus and post-grad plans to help me create a college list full of colleges that supported my needs. She also helped me greatly with writing my application essays, forcing me to think deeper and really come up with lots of ideas for topics that I could write about, which really helped me to advance my essays. I was provided with application essay writing resources, as well as valuable feedback and edit suggestions that propelled my essays to the next level. Meeting with her was always comfortable and enjoyable. With help from her guidance, I was able to get into most schools I applied to, including reach schools. AP College Consulting kept me on track during the entire application process, and I appreciate the time and effort Judith put in to help me on my educational path...

—Ozair, 2020, Folsom, CA

Thank you Judith, at AP College Consulting for helping keep our daughter on track and organized throughout the college application process. There's so much information to learn and understand about all the preparation and tasks necessary to complete the process successfully. From resume writing, essay suggestions and review, to standardized testing, applications, financial aid and creating a college list, it can be overwhelming for busy students and families. AP College Consulting helped us navigate through the stress and keep it manageable. Our daughter was thrilled to be accepted to many schools to which she applied including a number of her "reach" schools. We greatly appreciated Judith's guidance, knowledgeable and flexible approach, organizational tools, helpful resources, and calm reassuring counsel.

—D. Hertz, Sacramento June, 2020

I think the part that helped me most was the essay revision aspect. I had many supplemental essays to write (as you know) and having someone easily accessible to asset in revising my essays was very very helpful. I did receive other student mentors through QuestBridge but they were very busy with their schooling so I didn't want to bother them. However, I have not felt that I was bothering Mrs. Painter at all. In fact, you were willing to help in any way you could. Mrs. Painter was awesome! Truly, you have made this whole college process one that was easy and doable. Like I said, to me the most important aspect of this whole mentorship was the essay revision and you provided that. Thank you so much! I couldn't have done any of this without you. I am forever grateful!

—Mary F. 2020, Pittsburg, PA, full scholarship via Questbridge Scholar,

Our son was admitted to the college of his choice thanks to all the help he (and we) received from Judy and Sarah at AP College Consulting. They helped him face the daunting task of completing the application process, patiently dealing with many delays until it all finally came together. Judy researched schools based on our son’s interests and made sure he met with recruiters for interviews when they came through town, and Sarah stepped in when he was deciding between two excellent schools to help him pin down the right one. They are truly focused on finding the best fit for the student, which we very much appreciate.

—Sharon Bernstein and Morris Newman, Carmichael, CA 2019

My son has worked with Judith since the middle of junior year. He is now a senior. It has been a fantastic experience. Most importantly my son enjoyed meeting with Judith and he felt responsible to her, not us, his parents. That took all the stress off of us and off my son too. I was impressed with the personal approach Judith took with my son. She really seemed to “get” him. She gave us invaluable tips and always took the time to explain things to us. She even took time to talk me down from parental panic attacks over this whole stressful process. She let Jake drive the bus, not us, but always kept us in the loop. Her guidance on Jakes essay writing was excellent. She NEVER told him what to write - only some things to think about. Jake has applied to 9 schools. He has been accepted to all so far and we are waiting to find out about 3 more before he makes any decisions. Every one of the schools has also given us some scholarship funds based on merit. I plan on hiring Judith for my daughter as well. Judith is the real deal with the highest integrity

—Lori Frankel Nalangan, March 2019. Carmichael, CA 2019

AP College Consulting has been wonderful!  From their three-day Common App workshop to their thoughtful, thorough and well-rounded essay recommendations, Judy and Sarah have helped to alleviate the inherent stress of the college application process not only for my daughter but for me as well.   I especially loved their service flexibility which afforded our family the ability to choose which services would best fit our needs.  AP College Consulting's professionalism and consistent availability throughout the application process gave my daughter the best opportunity to file compelling applications.  We thank AP College Consulting for helping our daughter get into her Early Decision choice and highly recommend their services.

—Suzanne Emam, Davis, CA February, 2019

Judy began working with our family toward the end of our son's junior year.  Though he knew he wanted to go to college, he was not motivated to make any effort toward finding a college that would be right for him. Judy was reassuring and knowledgeable. For example, she clarified the process for enrolling in community college classes while in high school when his high school guidance counselor could not. Judy stays up-to-date with the latest college information, and is skilled at doing research and data analysis.

Something that sets Judy and AP College Consulting apart is that they are committed to providing college information to the community free of charge.  There is little college information for families at our high school, and Judy gave several informative presentations.

— Julia C, Sacramento  May 2018

Judy has made the college search and application process less overwhelming for me in many ways.  She has given me tips on books to buy, websites to visit, and a timeline with tasks to complete.  She calls me regularly and gives her opinion on colleges I'm interested in.  She also does research on her own on those colleges to see if they suit my interests and would be beneficial for my future goals / career.  I'm grateful to have had this support - my parents were unable to provide the guidance needed for the college search and application process.

— Olivia W  Nebraska, October 2017

Talking to Judith was the perfect first step for my son.  She helped him get a handle on the college application process and how to think about selecting schools.  The matrix of safety, target, and reach schools she created based on his scores and academic interests really got his (and his parents) attention and made the whole thing real for us.  I highly recommend this team for you and your high-schooler.

—Donna F   Washington DC 2017