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My husband and I are SO THANKFUL for the expertise Ellen brings to the college prep and application
process. My husband and I both work full-time and keeping on top of the application deadlines can
quickly become overwhelming. Ellen developed a detailed action plan with our son that suited his
academic level taking into consideration his extra-curricular schedule. She met with our son multiple
times to understand what type of student he is, the type of college experience he is looking for
(academically and socially), and what region of the country he is interested in locating to for college.
Ellen worked with our son directly but kept us informed on next steps. Working with Ellen truly made
the college application process enjoyable for us as parents and for our son. We will for sure be using her
for our youngest son’s college prep and search!
-Jennifer, Parent

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Our daughter began working with Ellen during her junior year. At that time, the thought of adding the
college application and selection process on top of a heavy course-load and extracurriculars was
incredibly stress-inducing for all of us. From the initial consultation with Ellen, our daughter’s mind was
put at ease. Ellen simplified every component of the process into attainable goals and deadlines,
keeping her on track throughout. With Ellen quarterbacking the process from application deadlines to
editing essays to interview prep, we, as parents, were able to focus on the fun parts such as college
visits! Our daughter was accepted into several incredible universities, and she felt great about her
options when choosing her ultimate college destination. It was a great experience for our family, so
much so that we’ve already engaged Ellen to work with our sophomore son! We offer our full and
enthusiastic recommendation for Ellen’s service in navigating this overwhelming process.

Matt, Parent

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I can’t say enough great things about Ellen! From our first meeting with Ellen, she put us at ease. She created a package that worked best for us. She got to know our daughter and presented all of the best options for her. This gave us a direction that we were excited about and our daughter was eager to get started.  Ellen helped with essay prep, application deadlines, and financial aid options. Our daughter was always so happy after each meeting, knowing exactly what was expected and what needed to be completed next to stay on track. This helped us as parents so much! We were able to enjoy this process with our daughter instead of driving it. We have every intention for our younger children to work with Ellen.

-Johanna, Parent

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Mrs. Handel has been a lifesaver helping me work through the college application process. I was so overwhelmed, but she broke it down and we took it step-by-step.  She was so encouraging and helpful along the way. I started working with Mrs. Handel junior year and had no idea where I would end up in school! I am now going to Samford University and never would have known about this school in Birmingham, Alabama that catered to my major without her. Writing essays, getting teacher recs, editing my resume has been a breeze. I am the oldest child in my family and my parents and I would have been so lost without her.

-Caroline, Student

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Ellen is amazing!  We would not have gotten through these past two years without her.  Her knowledge and guidance were instrumental in helping my son discover the perfect school for him.  When he first started meeting with Ellen, he had no idea where he wanted to go to school.  Together, they came up with a list of 18-20 different schools for him to explore.  He ended up applying to 12 of the schools, Ellen helped him every step of the way; applications, essays, deadlines, and everything in between.  The entire process was seamless.  I can not sing Ellen’s praises enough….. she made the entire process smooth and enjoyable!!! 

-Amy, Parent

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We can’t say enough great things about Ellen Handel at College Confidence Consulting! The college admissions process is so different from when we went to school & we were overwhelmed. Ellen gave our daughter great school recommendations for her degree, walked her through every step & she was always available for any questions we had. She was patient & so very helpful. Ellen’s service was worth every penny & we have recommended her to all our friends. 
Lisa & Jay, Parents

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If you are a parent of a high school student you will need one person to help you and your child through the admissions process, Ellen Handel.  College Confidence Consulting made this process possible and pleasant for us.  Our daughter was starting her senior year of high school and the myriad of deadlines and things to do made it difficult for us to break down the tasks into a manageable order.  Our daughter had an interest in many colleges.  This is a good thing until you consider all that must be accomplished to apply to so many schools.  Ellen is professional, intelligent, proactive, organized, and kind.  She was able to divide the tasks, for our daughter, into chronological order so that it was much less daunting.  Additionally, she was able to understand the parents' interests (financial, geographical, etc.) and guide our daughter in a direction that was realistic and attainable, all the while leaving our daughter excited and encouraged.  Currently, our daughter has streamlined her college list, has submitted applications for Early Action and most importantly has pleasant conversations each night with us about the process. This could not have been accomplished without Ellen Handel!  Our only mistake was that we didn't begin working with Ellen sooner!"

-Marie, Parent 

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I could not have asked for a better experience with Ellen at College Confidence Consulting.  She guided both my kids through this stressful, sometimes complicated and often annoying process of identifying the right school and then preparing a solid application.  Once they had been given offers she worked closely with them to drill down and make sure they were selecting the right institution, taking everything into account.  She is patient, kind, realistic, thoughtful, and passionate about her work.  As anyone who has been through their child’s senior year will tell you, it’s a super stressful time for both the student and their parents. Getting support from a professional made this process so much more enjoyable for the whole family!

-Tammy, Parent 

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We were so overwhelmed with everything to do!  Ellen promptly set up timelines and an action plan for our son. She guided him in his course selection, setting him up for acceptance from his choice colleges.  We now take the process step-by-step and are no longer panicked when all the parents in our son's school start talking about the application process!"

-Laurie, Parent 

 

College Confidence Consulting has helped me tremendously during my application process.  From brainstorming schools that are the right fit for me to reviewing essays, I would not have been able to apply to the schools I did without the help of Mrs.Handel.

-Ashley, Student

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Although at first glance the world of college decisions is daunting, Mrs.Handel helped me figure out which school was best for me and my personal passions/career interests. She made applying to colleges feel less overwhelming with how to apply and how to stay organized with it! I am super happy with my college decision and I would not have found the right college for me if it weren't for her.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything!!

-Caroline, Student

 

Our son was struggling with the whole process; we all were.  He didn't have any idea where he wanted to apply. Ellen completed interest inventories and had many discussions with him to find out what schools would be right for him.  She put together a comprehensive list of schools that we would never have considered.  He not only discovered schools that were a perfect fit for him, but he got into his first-choice school and was not stressed during the process.  In fact, he was excited and looked forward to the opportunities in front of him.

-Tom, Parent 

 

Ellen was an absolute pleasure to work with. She provided full-service help to my daughter in the areas of essay prep, application completion, and seeking financial aid. Ellen is professional, willing to tailor a program to a family's particular needs and she genuinely cares about the students with whom she works.

When my daughter got into her First, Second, AND Third choice schools, Ellen seemed as genuinely excited as we were. I could not recommend her more highly.

Joe, Parent 

 

Ellen was so great to work with. She was a huge help and thanks to her, I'm going to my dream school next Fall! Thank you, Ellen!

Katie, Student 

 

Our daughter came home beaming after every meeting she had with Ellen, as Ellen worked with her on setting realistic goals and meeting them.  Ellen also helped keep our daughter focused on meeting college deadlines so we didn't feel like we needed to nag her to get her applications turned in.  The whole college application process became much more positive for our family when we decided to seek Ellen's assistance. I highly recommend Ellen!"

Susan, Parent

 

I could not be happier with the assistance of Mrs. Ellen Handel during the college application process! I applied to go to The University of Georgia, my dream school, and the University of North Georgia, my backup school. I met with Ellen a few times for a few months during the first semester of my senior year. She helped me when we were together and also anytime we weren’t! She was always readily available to answer any questions or concerns I had. She assisted me with my application essays and application. She helped me come up with ideas as to what topics to write about for my essays. She helped me especially with wording everything correctly on both my essays and applications. I got into my dream school, UGA, in February and I could not have done it without her help!

MaryLou, Student