​Testimonials

​​The following is a sampling of letters and messages from satisfied applicants and parents.

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"We are so grateful for Judith’s support throughout the college application process. We initially felt overwhelmed and anxious but with Judith’s guidance and support, she made the experience so much easier. Her involvement allowed us to be supportive parents and she established a relationship with our son so that he felt empowered to take responsibility and engage in the process. She is a very calm, caring and patient professional. Her organizational skills and expertise are top notch. We are thrilled with the results, our son was accepted into many wonderful colleges and excited to embark on a new adventure in the Fall.” 
Trina, Oakland, CA (son attending UCLA)

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"Working with Judith Friscia was a game-changer for my daughter and me. Her expertise and dedication were instrumental in guiding us through the challenging task of exploring schools and finding the perfect fit. Her in-depth knowledge of the college landscape helped us navigate the overwhelming options and ultimately led us to the doors of New York University (N.Y.U.).

Despite the doubts expressed by many about my daughter's chances of admission to N.Y.U., Judith remained unwavering in her support and commitment. She meticulously ensured that every aspect of the application process was flawlessly executed, leaving no stone unturned. Her attention to detail and thoroughness in crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' was truly impressive.

Thanks to Judith's guidance and expertise, what was once deemed a reach became a reality.

We're grateful for Judith's guidance, professionalism, and unwavering belief in our daughter's potential. Her expertise and relentless efforts truly made a difference in our college admissions journey. We wholeheartedly recommend Judith Friscia and Positive Outcome: For Admissions Success to anyone seeking personalized, reliable, and effective college advising services."​

--Turney--Dix Hills, NY (daughter attending New York University (NYU))

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"Judith worked with both of our kids who have very different personalities, interests, and goals for college. She tailored her approach perfectly, and kept them on track every step of the way. She was available to us as well to answer questions along the way and to ease any concerns we had. We’d highly recommend Judith if you’re looking to streamline the college admissions process and remove some of the tension that inevitably comes from this exciting yet daunting time."

--Susan, San Francisco, CA (son attending Northwestern University/daughter attending Gonzaga University)

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"Judith is the best college counselor you could hope for.  She is collaborative, attentive, and has a depth of expertise that is unmatched.  She guided my daughter to a top UC which was our goal, and we are all so pleased with the outcome.  The college admissions process can seem daunting, but with Judith's help you and your child will meet the challenge with confidence and knowledge every step of the way."

​​--Jack, Alameda, CA (daughter attending UC Irvine)

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" I give Judith the highest recommendation. The school our child decided to attend was way different from our original expectations. We were state school kinda folk - "more affordable," "more accessible," closer to home. Working with Judith, our child discovered a much wider range of possibilities. I am impressed with her broad knowledge of the variety and peculiarities of colleges both nationally and internationally. I am thankful she taught us not to rule out schools because we believed them to be too expensive or too exclusive. Judith tailored her approach to our child's style and ambition. I appreciate how she guided him and coached him to manage his own search, building his confidence that he can take care of himself in the big world of college. More than once she bolstered my faith in his maturity and capabilities. She also knew when to tell us to give our child a nudge or more vigorous reminder of an approaching deadline. Almost all communications were directly with our child via email in which we were cc'd to keep us informed.  I was surprised that our child ended up applying to approximately 12-15 schools. But in hindsight that helped him feel he had done an exhaustive search and had covered all the options. All in all, we are extremely satisfied with the results and so grateful for Judith's thoughtful, structured and enthusiastic guidance."

--Byron, Oakland, CA (son attending Amherst College)

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"As it came time for my high schoolers to apply to college, Judith Friscia came into our lives - highly recommended by a trusted family advisor. In addition to her extensive credentials and valuable experience (and being a parent herself,) I knew immediately that she has the organization, patience, perseverance and sense of humor, to get my two kids into the colleges of their choice. Both my son and my daughter took to her right away as she gave them confidence in how to navigate the paths with less stress (both for me and for my children.) Judith was tremendously supportive of us all. My kids received solid strategic advice from her, including college selection, scholarships and adhering to deadlines, and I as a parent was never in the dark. Years later, when my daughter was ready to make a move to transfer to an even more challenging school, she was right there to coach her through the process. She is now a transfer student at the university of her choice. - We are grateful and are all staying in touch."
--Patricia, Sonoma, CA (son attending USC/daughter attending Sarah Lawrence College)

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"After having experienced the college application process with our oldest (without hiring someone to help), we were not looking forward to going through it again a year later with our second child.  I screened several individuals/companies on the phone as a first step. After spending just a few minutes on the phone with Judith I had a strong feeling she would be the one for us. Mostly, she was kind. There was no strong sales pitch, she just clearly and confidently stated what she could do, told me a bit about her background, and asked a lot of questions about our child (which surprisingly, not everyone does).
What Judith did for us:
* She helped our child put together an extensive list of possible schools after reviewing her test scores and grades, and most importantly, listening carefully to what our child wanted in a school.
* She gave very clear instructions as to what was expected from our child, with due-dates for each item (this resulted in a very calm application process as all items were in early and our child started receiving acceptances before many of her peers even finished the application process).
​​* She was available by phone/email/text throughout the entire process, and answered all our questions quickly and clearly.
* She was calm, honest, funny and knowledgeable throughout the entire process making applying to college much less stressful.
Our daughter is leaving in a few weeks to start college at one of her top choices, after having been accepted almost everywhere she applied!"
--Lea, Boston, MA (daughter attending Syracuse University)

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"Working with Judith made the whole application experience so much easier. Having that extra pair of eyes really helped me to focus on the essentials, and spend less time worrying about the little details that are so easy to get caught up in. She makes an incredible effort to tailor the experience to your strengths, while also helping you in areas you may not be as confident in. I can say without a doubt that I would not be where I am in college if it weren't for Judith's help.

--Max , San Diego, CA (attending UC San Diego)​

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""We couldn't be more grateful for or impressed by Judith's insight and support throughout our son's college application process.  The fact that he is now celebrating his Early Decision acceptance to a T20 school is certainly evidence of Judith's skills and abilities as a college consultant.  In addition, the full breadth and depth of what Judith offered turned what could have been a daunting application process into an opportunity for self-discovery and growth.  
Her responsiveness, depth of knowledge, clarity, and ingenuity make her an absolute joy to work with as a parent.  Moreover, her commitment to empowering each student-client to fully engage in their college search and own their application process is what makes Judith a standout in her field.  With Judith's patience, encouragement and individually curated lists of college options, our son learned how to set and execute college search goals for himself, trust his judgment, and apply to colleges that he knew would help him grow and thrive.  He heads off to Emory University in the fall confident, excited, and ready for the next chapter of his life.  We have Judith to thank for that."

--Justine, San Francisco, CA (son attending Emory University)

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"Judith has been one of my most valuable support systems through the four years of academic counseling that I have known her.  I am most drawn to Judith’s support because of her understanding of each individual and the confidence this brings to her [students/clients]. I benefited tremendously from her vast knowledge and expertise of domestic and international colleges and universities, including now, as a third-year college student. Her able support of me- particularly as an out-of-state student- has had a large influence on me beyond the classroom as well. She has helped me navigate applying to colleges, and later apply as a transfer to US and UK colleges. Judith makes herself personally available to her students and very easily, I have come to find her an invaluable part to my transitions from high school, college, to early adult years."
--Anya, New York, NY (attending Sarah Lawrence College)

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"We hired Judith to take our daughter through the college admissions process, to allow for harmony in the household and someone besides the parents to have her be accountable to.  Judith was so MUCH more than just a counselor!  She started the positive relationship in a skilled and experienced way, charming our daughter. She held her to high standards, and gently pushed her when needed.  She introduced schools we never would have considered.  She was very organized and focused on our daughter, but always subtly kept us in the loop. She coached our daughter to showcase her best self to the admissions committees.  In the end, our daughter was accepted to a number of great schools, including a very selective one.  In the end the process was positive, smooth, and worth every penny."

​--Victoria, Berkeley, CA (daughter attending Olin College of Engineering)

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"I am so grateful to have been able to use Judith from Positive Outcome for both my son and daughter. My son is now a very happy sophomore in his first choice college majoring in aerospace engineering and my daughter is a high school Senior excited to see which schools she will get into in 2021 (she is applying both in the US and overseas as an art major). Applying to college is absolutely no joke - it's a very complex and time consuming undertaking. Having Judith's calm demeanor and expertise not only helped my kids with their applications but also with which classes to take in high school, which colleges might be best suited for them and their major of choice, and how to decipher acceptance/scholarship offers. My children are very different from each other - both in their interests and their grades - and Judith worked with both easily and was very knowledgeable about the different colleges and majors that might work for them. Judith helped instill a confidence in my kids during this arduous process and, although there were naturally stressful moments, Judith was a calming force throughout. It is not an understatement when I say it was worth every penny to hire Judith and Positive Outcome. In fact, based on my experience many of my friends have used her services too - and all have been very happy with the experience."

--Erin, San Francisco, CA (son attending University of Colorado, Boulder/daughter attending University of Edinburgh Napier)

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"Judith quickly established a rapport with our daugher and helped her identify schools she was excited about. Judith's guidance helped her feel confident and empowered in the application process, and her system of milestones and check-ins broke it down into a manageable series of steps. We all appreciated Judith's energy, positivity and humor throughout the process and couldn't be happier with the outcome."

--Christie, Berkeley, CA (daughter attending Carleton College)

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"What can I say about Judith and Positive Outcome?  Well it was positively the best decision we could have made for our daughter and family to navigate the incredibly complex college selection landscape!  We did not even know where to begin and my daughter felt like she didn't even have a chance because she didn't have a 4.0 and perfect test scores, she was discouraged before even starting the search. Judith quickly got to know our student and she was genuinely interested and excited to hear about our daughter's passions. Because of this, Judith really got her to open up and explore ideas for the essays and personal statements.  After every meeting with Judith, our daughter felt more and more confident and even started getting excited about her options!
Judith is extremely organized and knows all of the ins and outs of the college admissions process, I was pleasantly surprised by how deeply familiar she was with so many colleges across the country, she could answer almost all specific questions off the top of her head. If she didn't know the answer, she would quickly research and get back to us. Judith manages everything with the student, as a parent I only had to get involved when I wanted to, Judith empowers the students to own the process and be accountable and it worked!  I'm happy to say our daughter got into most of the schools she applied to and we can't be happier with the college she has decided to attend.  Thank you, Judith!"
--Aimee, So. San Francisco, CA (daughter attending St. Mary's College)

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​"I've used Judith's admissions expertise twice. I was accepted into my first-choice university as an undergrad with a $50,000 yearly presidential scholarship and recently for my law school applications. Judith has a talent for getting you to bring out the most interesting aspects of your story and this is why my essays reflected all of my positive attributes. She got me to reflect and really draw from the strongest parts of my experience--to show I was a leader, not just say that I was one.  I am currently waiting for law school acceptances without stress, knowing I sent in my best application materials."

--Jennifer,  Davis, CA (Mount Holyoke College-undergraduate/UC Davis School of Law)

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"No matter the program you're applying to, undergraduate and post-graduate applications can be daunting. Although I had already been through the application process for undergraduate universities, I found myself encountering difficulties writing my personal statement when I began applying to law schools. Working efficiently and thoroughly, Judith helped me immensely with my personal statement. She was frank and honest in her suggestions while also being encouraging and positive. When I was done with the essay, I found that it was not only much stronger than the draft I had started with, but also did a better job presenting who I am and why I would be a strong candidate for each of the schools to which I applied.  If you are at all anxious about your applications or if you think there is any room to improve them, I would highly recommend Positive Outcome to you. Thanks to Judith's help, I was accepted to my first choice school with a significant scholarship offer to boot!"

​--Penn, San Francisco, CA (UC Berkeley School of Law)