Upward Path Institute - Palo Alto (CA)

5 /5 Jessica: I worked with Mr. Dunn through Upward Path for over a year for senior college applications. I am always amazed by how knowledgeable Mr. Dunn is on all sorts of colleges. He really knows how to tailor the college counseling experience to each individual students, and he wholeheartedly understands every single students situations. Mr. Dunn is very encouraging, and he never puts you down even if you attempt to ED/REA into a school that is very, very unlikely (I tried REA Stanford; I didnt get in). Mr. Dunn always makes time to edit my essays/meet with me no matter how busy is. Overall, Mr. Dunn is a stellar college counselor, and I 100% recommend him!

5 /5 Michael Shim: We utilized Upward Path to help my twin daughters navigate the competitive college application process. There was a local college admissions counselor they met with frequently (online) and a separate common application essay writing coach who was very helpful. In the end, their advice and support was invaluable. I would say the overarching advice I would give to parents entering this process is to encourage your kids to take as many AP classes as they can reasonably accomodate, because GPA in the end is probably the biggest initial screening factor that colleges seem to be using, though they will all tell you they take a "holistic" approach to admissions.

5 /5 Vishnu Varma: Upward Path proved to be a trusted partner in our daughters journey to one of her top choice colleges. Key is to get started early (sophomore) and then UPI is very flexible when it comes to various programs and counselors that it offers. They also do an excellent job keeping the parents up to date of the childs progress! Strongly recommended!

4 /5 Rishika Rastogi: I found Upward Path Institute to be a helpful resource during my college application process - they provided structured guidance, especially with organizing deadlines and refining my essays. The one-on-one advising helped me stay on track and feel more confident in my applications. While the experience depends on how much effort you put in, I felt supported and appreciated having a clear plan to follow.

5 /5 a p: I had a great experience with my coach Hilary Recknor. Not only did she give me advice on the applications overall, she provided great essay help and would always give precise feedback including help with formatting, brainstorming, and examples that would take me essays to the next level. She made sure I stayed on track and made my application process seamless and smooth. I am truly grateful for her support and highly recommend Upward Path to anyone seeking a dedicated and supportive coach.