College Zoom - Santa Monica, California

Sophia Bazini

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with College Zoom. I am currently a senior in high school and will be attending UC Berkeley this coming fall. I had the privilege of struggling to make a decision between other colleges I was accepted to such as NYU, Boston University, Northeastern, Carnegie Mellon, UCSD and many more.

This year, the college process was definitely one of the hardest, and many of my peers, were not accepted into any of their top choices, match schools, and for some, even safeties! I don't believe this is because of what they did in high school, as many of them had more impressive grades and extracurriculars than me. I think I was accepted to these colleges because College Zoom helped me accurately frame my application and story to my colleges. They had specialists for each application process, including essay writing, the activity list, and even advice on how to strengthen my current extracurricular activities before I started writing applications (love you Aisa). They also made sure I stayed on top of work through emails and meetings, and I did not suffer the last minute procrastination of college applications that I totally would have without them. I was definitely worried I wouldn't be able to show my voice as a person in my applications, and college zoom helped convey my personality to the admissions officers.

Could not recommend them and their method enough, 1000% worth it.

Eva Reis

The College Zoom Team are literally angels on earth; they work miracles!!

I am a transfer student from a midwestern public state school that is now attending the University of Pennsylvania (an Ivy league)! When I came to College Zoom, I felt like a lost case. I had previously been rejected from my dream schools, so I had settled on attending my hometown university for two years with the goal of working hard enough to try again as a Junior transfer applicant. Additionally, I had a lot of high intensity hardships to unpack that I was very nervous about sharing in my essays. College Zoom helped me craft my experiences and personal adversities into an application that demonstrated my perseverance while highlighting my commitment to community impact throughout these struggles. Though I had been rejected from the University of Pennsylvania as a high school applicant (when I applied with no help, significantly lowering my chances to be admitted in the future), I was accepted with a lower than 4% chance as a transfer student! I was also accepted to New York University, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Boston University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Fashion Institute of Technology!

Overall, I would not change my experience applying to universities as a transfer student in the slightest because College Zoom was there to support me through the entirety of the process. Though I started working with them merely weeks before my first application was due, the team stepped up to help immediately, meeting with me within 48 hours of my first consultation request. They emailed me back immediately when I messaged them undignified hours of the night as I stressed over last minute concerns, providing personalized & proactive input throughout my application. Further, they provided a safe space for me to share my personal traumas in order to effectively express my experiences in essay format. I want to especially thank Griffin Damron, Wendy Liu, David Reynaldo, Jackson Burgess, and Aisa Castro for their diligence and kindness throughout this process. I do not believe I would have been so successful as a transfer applicant without their support. I would choose College Zoom again in a heartbeat.

L T

As a low-income student from a competitive high school within the Bay Area, trusting College Zoom with the college process has been one of the best decisions I have made for my future. With their help I ended up being accepted into all 3 of my top choices: USC, Claremont Mckenna, and UCLA. I was the only one to be admitted EA from my school into USC. Furthermore I was accepted into a program in Marshall with a below 5% acceptance rate (WBB) + earned the Presidential Scholarship.

Now, I had consulted with many other consultants before choosing College Zoom and out of all of them, College Zoom is the only one that was genuine. For example, many consulting firms skew their success rates by persuading students to make more 'accessible' schools their top choice. David and Jackson never did this with me. I came into the process wanting the three schools above, and they supported me through and through. Even when I felt as though I could not compete with those around me and that the odds of acceptance were stacked against me, they encouraged me take risks and showed me how to skillfully do so. I nearly did not apply to WBB out of fear of rejection into both the program and USC in general, but it was David and Jackson that pushed me to take the step towards my dreams. The applications they have helped me crafted are a true representation of who I am, and it will forever be something I am proud of. College Zoom does not try to gain acceptance by changing any of their students or through the use of any loopholes or depending on any brand names etc etc. The only thing College Zoom does is help their clients reach their own maximum potential.

Especially with college being so competitive now, I have noticed how many of my peers' consultants charged them 2x or 3x the price of College Zoom while not investing into them half as much as College Zoom did with me. Many of my peers that had other consultants dreaded their counselor meetings and sadly many did not end up with the results they had hoped for. While working with David and Jackson, I felt and saw that they cared for my future AND my well-being as much as my parents did; this is very rare in this industry.

The uniqueness of College Zoom's methods is what used to scare me (at one point I almost made the mistake of not choosing them because I was blinded by other firms that were more 'stats driven'), but now that I have been through the process my only regret is not starting my process with College Zoom earlier. If I had College Zoom's mentorship earlier on, I believe my high school experience would have been less confusing and stressful. Before College Zoom, I was a carbon copy of a stereotypical high achieving Bay Area student — spreading myself so thin trying to do everything those around me were. Although I do have gratitude for the lessons I learned from the chaos, I am sadden that I had wasted nearly half my high school career doing things only for the sake of an application that actually turn out to be ineffective. Only College Zoom made me realize this and showed me how I could use my energy and time doing much more rewarding and enjoyable activities. My efforts most definitely would have been placed elsewhere and I would have had more time to enjoy my beginning years of high school if I had College Zoom's mentorship earlier on. When I trusted College Zoom, I found that the college process truly does not have to be a draining and difficult journey.

I came out of this process as an individual who now understands that a title or brand name is not what makes you stand out. Instead, it's how you lean into your uniqueness and use lateral thinking to make an impact that will drive you to success. Only at College Zoom was I taught this lesson, and it will be one that I will carry on with me at USC and beyond!

Alexandra Lal

As a graduating senior who started college zoom as a junior, I can say that they helped me tremendously throughout the whole process with finding schools, and bringing my application to the next level with things I would've never thought about if they hadn't taught me. I got into all my top schools and didn't get one rejection (just waitlist) from my highest reach schools. I think this company is an excellent option to go with.

Henry Hobin

I started working with David and the rest of the College Zoom teach my sophomore year of high school. They helped me build some incredible applications. I got into my first choice school on Early Action: Georgetown University. College zoom really helped me use my strengths to initiate many projects and get super involved in my school. Without David's creativity and leadership skills I don't think I would have stood a chance at getting into Georgetown. If you are currently looking for a college counselor please look no further. This team is by far the best you are going to find.

elsie elias

Early on in my son’s high school journey I realized that in order to increase his chances of getting admitted to a great college I would have to enlist consultants that can help guide us through the process. My husband and I are both graduate students but have been out of the realm of college applications for some time. I did some research and interviewed 3 consulting companies. In my initial conversation with College Zoom, I realized David was extremely knowledgeable and understood the admissions process. He was a straight shooter and laid out a blueprint of what their program is all about and identified what colleges are looking for in their candidates. He was genuine and candid in his approach and it really stuck with me.

We signed up with College Zoom while my son was in 10th grade and identified which colleges we were interested in (UCs with Berkeley and UCLA in the forefront). During the process they initially uncovered his interests and field of study, then they transitioned to optimizing his skillset, extracurricular activities, community service etc.

The process was intense but we had full confidence in the program. My son was admitted to 4 UCs and at the forefront was UC Berkeley! His admission to Berkeley was one of the proudest moments of our lives. My husband and I are extremely proud of the leadership skills our son has acquired and what the future holds.

Navan Kothari

I really enjoyed the College Zoom experience! Coming into this, I was a current Georgia Tech freshman who was trying to transfer to USC (Southern California) or Georgetown University. My biggest worry was in understanding what do these colleges look for in transfer students. I wanted to gain insight on how to position myself as appealing transfer applicant.

I chose College Zoom because of the success they have had in the past, specifically with some California colleges. During the application process, they were up front and open and what I liked most about them was that it didn't feel like they were just doing it for me. They guided me through the process but at the end of the day, it came down to me. They were thorough in their explanation and their templates help you get an understanding of how every piece of your application will fit together. This goes from recs, to extracurriculars, to resume and the essays. That part was really impactful!

Then came the day when I got my decision. I got into USC--my number 1 choice. However, in the second semester I spent at GT, I spent the time to get more involved in the college. I got internships and study/semester abroad and positions in clubs and really made the most of it. I came into my application process wanting to transfer and left it having grown and impacted my community. I have now decided to stay at Georgia Tech. As a potential transfer, remember to still make the most of where you are from!

Thank you College Zoom! 10/10 experience.

Opal Nope

David and his team were an absolute wonder to work with! Without their help, I doubt I would have been accepted to Columbia University with a likely letter and special Scholars honors.

I primarily sought a college counselor due to the fact that I had little idea of where to start with college applications. I didn't know how to begin formulating my Common Application, main essay, supplemental essays, and more. David and his team helped me organize and showcase all parts of my application in the best light possible.

What especially stood out to me about David and his team was how dedicated and caring they were. Even when I had last minute deadlines, they would be there to help polish up my submissions. Additionally, they understand the entire college application process so thoroughly! The tips about little details in the Common Application definitely strengthened my submission.

I highly recommend College Zoom, and urge families to start working with them as early in the application process as possible.