Navigating College Admissions

Calmly. Confidently. Kindly.  

Helping families calmly, confidently, and kindly navigate college admissions.

At Grateful College Counseling, we help you:

Find a great fit college - academically, socially, and financially

Navigate the application process with lower stress

Preserve your relationship with your child

Practice kindness as an admission advantage

Stay current with college admission trends


Kindness is a pillar of our practice

According to data from the NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling), the most important factor in admissions after grades and course rigor is character.

One of the key attributes of character is kindness—a trait viewed as essential among admissions professionals. Not only is kindness an important life skill on its own, it is becoming an “it factor” in the admissions world.

It is so important that Harvard University Graduate School of Education created the Making Caring Common Project, part of a broad movement toward prioritizing kindness and character in the admissions process.

”I’ve Always Seen Kindness as an Essential Ingredient.”

Lee Coffin, Dartmouth Dean of Admissions (2024)

Why I started Grateful College Counseling:

I got into educational consulting because of my experiences with my own kids. My daughter went to a regional magnet school—they actually had a spreadsheet with past students’ grades, test scores, and college acceptances, so you could see exactly what worked. It made a big difference. My son, meanwhile, was at a big public high school where counselors were responsible for around 500 students each. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but there just wasn’t enough time for the kind of individual support that matters. Plenty of our friends have seen the same thing. Too many students end up at colleges that don’t match their potential. That’s exactly what I want to change.

Testimonials

  • We are incredibly grateful for the guidance and support our son received from Jake with Grateful College Counseling throughout the college application process. Jake's patience, deep knowledge of the admissions landscape, and invaluable insider tips really gave him a tremendous boost. Jake helped us stay organized, meet deadlines, and confidently navigate each section of the application.

    S. P.

  • We cannot thank Jake Pasternak and his team at Grateful College Counseling enough for the work they did helping us navigate the college application process. From our first meeting with Jake, it was clear that his knowledge, expertise, and understanding of the process's complexities were second to none. He listened to us, but more importantly, he listened to our son. He met with him, both in person and virtually, as he transitioned from looking exclusively at D1 or D3 soccer schools to choosing a school solely for academics. Additionally, he helped our son find schools that support students with learning differences. With Jake’s guidance, our son received acceptances to his top-choice colleges, even earning several scholarships. We cannot imagine how we would have handled the intricacies of the process on our own.

    K.B.

Join us for one of our upcoming FREE in-person college admissions presentations!

At the Weinstein JCC in Richmond, VA

Wednesday, October 15th from 6pm to 7pm

Wednesday, November 19th from 6pm to 7pm