Laurie was extremely helpful in assisting me through the completion of the many tasks associated with my college applications. During the process of applying to twelve schools, I always felt confident that, with Laurie’s guidance, everything would be submitted ahead of schedule and to the very best of my ability. I’ve ended up at a school that is perfect for me and I thank Laurie for helping me make my dreams come true!
William H, Dartmouth
As any high school student would admit, applying to college isn’t easy. With new ways to submit your application and different requirements requested by each school, it can be hard to keep up. Personally, being the oldest child, my parents didn’t have a clue what to do when it came to college applications. That’s where Laurie came in. With her expertise and years of experience, Laurie made the application process simple. She helped organize everything into a binder and went through my “To Do List” with me at each meeting to make sure I knew my responsibilities. If I ever had a question, Laurie would always answer my call and give me a quick response. If I asked her a question that pertained to a specific school, her extensive connections with college counselors around the country gave me confidence that I was receiving a reliable response. Laurie was always encouraging with each of my decisions, and she provided tips on what admission officers are really looking for in an applicant. With Laurie’s guidance, I was able to soar through the application process with ease, always one step ahead of my classmates. Now, thanks to Laurie, I will be attending my top school UCLA. I cannot thank Laurie enough for everything she has done. I know that I will be sure to keep in touch as I go onto college because she was such a huge part of my getting there. Go Bruins!
Julia K, UCLA
Hiring Laurie to help guide me through the college admissions process was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’m the oldest child in my family, so the intricate web of standardized tests, application essays, interviews, and resumes characteristic of the college admissions process was way out of my parents and my comfort zone. Laurie’s meticulous organization and contagious positivity alleviated all of our worries. From the beginning, I felt safe entrusting Laurie with assisting me in achieving my greatest dream- attending a prestigious university that would provide me the necessary opportunities to eventually become a skilled, knowledgeable, compassionate doctor. With Laurie’s help I was able to write application essays that fully expressed my individuality, to confidently approach interviews, and to navigate the complicated standardized testing requirements that vary widely based on school. Laurie always would say to me that the hardest part of my process would be choosing which school I would attend. I thought this was ridiculous because I was applying to primarily private schools with acceptance rates below 20% and would be ecstatic to attend any of one of them. However, to my surprise, Laurie was right. I was offered admission at Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Duke among others. With Laurie’s help I was able to assess my options and select the program that was best for me. I can’t thank her enough for helping to make my dreams a reality in the fall at Duke. GO BLUE DEVILS!!
Katie M. Duke University
I couldn’t have completed the daunting task of applying to college without Mrs. Starks’ patience and experience. My parents and I are very grateful for the personalized direction, which ultimately lead to a smooth submission of all application materials way ahead of schedule. I am happy to be attending the school of my dreams!
Allie W, University of North Carolina
It’s no secret that the college application process is daunting. From scholarship applications to writing supplements, getting ready for freshman year isn’t easy. Mrs. Starks, however, was the ideal person to help me through it. My parents both work, and I have a full-time schedule, so being able to have an independent advisor, who could help navigate through all the steps leading up to and after a deadline, was imperative. Mrs. Starks got me on the right track and made me aware of so many things, including SAT Subject Tests and other colleges and universities, that I wouldn’t have even considered had it been just me and my parents. Mrs. Starks was a great tool for everything from essay revisions to the actual applications themselves, and she was always a text, email, or phone call away. As one of her only long-distance students, I can say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Starks and know that I will keep in-touch after college starts in the fall. If you want someone who takes the time to get to know each student on a personal level and provides a level-headed approach, Mrs. Starks is your choice. Words can’t emphasize enough my gratitude for her assistance and support throughout these past two years. Thank you, Mrs. Starks, and hook ‘em, Horns!
Liam V. UT Austin, Plan II and Honors Engineering
Without Mrs. Starks' patience and help, the college application process would have been much more stressful. Helping me write multiple essays and better my résumé, her guidance guaranteed that I would have all of my applications in by scholarship deadlines, which clearly paid off. As a Presidential Scholar in the Thematic Option Program at the University of Southern California, I know that without her I would not be in this great of a position at as wonderful of a school. Thanks so much Laurie, and fight on!
Philipp H. University of Southern California
Laurie was key to my success in my college application process. She kept me on time, focused, and gave incredible advice from her wealth of knowledge on the subject. Boston College was completely off my radar when I started this process. I am so happy with my work with Laurie. Laurie provided me with the best options to pick from, schools that had both the education and lifestyle that I was searching for.
Richard J, Boston College
Starks College Connection is wonderful! Mrs. Starks walked me through the entire college application process, from ACT/SAT prep all the way to holding my hand when I sent my applications! I was especially impressed with the list of colleges that she generated according to my interests, and her thorough knowledge of each college. She made the whole college application process much easier and much less intimidating. Thank you Mrs. Starks! Sic’ Em Bears!!
Caroline C, Baylor
If I had not worked with Mrs. Starks I would have never found “Oxy”. Working with Mrs. Starks was an engaging experience that really changed my views concerning the college process. I’m sure my college experience will be amazing because Occidental is such a great fit for my personality. Her experience allowed me to then build a KILLER application that assured my acceptance to Oxy. Thanks Laurie!
Robert J, Occidental
Mrs. Starks was an invaluable resource throughout my entire college application process. She has an incredible amount of knowledge and experience and helped me in all aspects of the application process. Mrs. Starks first helped me narrow down my list of colleges to apply to and later provided expert advice as I filled out each application. The most tedious part of applying to colleges is writing application essays, and Mrs. Starks was reliable and organized as she helped me develop and revise my essays. Mrs. Starks was always a quick phone call away whenever I had a question, and she was especially helpful as she prepared me for many nerve-wracking college interviews.
In the end, I received the Forty Acres Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship program at my dream school - The University of Texas at Austin. I am absolutely certain that I could not have reached my college admissions goals without the wonderful help of Mrs. Starks. She made my dreams come true!
Chandler G. University of Texas
Mrs. Starks was such a great help with everything in the college process. She was an invaluable resource in recommending what classes to take to enhance my college applications. She always made herself available to answer any questions, and trust me - I had a lot! Mrs. Starks helped me broaden my horizons about my college choices and has an infinite amount of knowledge about colleges. Working with Mrs. Starks resulted in me having realistic expectations about which colleges to apply to, and now, because of all of her help and guidance, I will be attending the college of my dreams.
Clara B-L, Boston University
Mrs. Starks helped me so much with all of my college applications and helped me put together a great resume highlighting all of my accomplishments. I would have never found the college that I will be attending without her guidance and I feel like it will be the perfect fit for me. I seriously could not have done it without her!
Kelly C, Purdue
Thank you so much for all the guidance and insight you have given me in the college decision-making process. It has been a huge help, in keeping me on task and focused to apply right when the applications opened up. Because of you I was able to have fun during my senior year and not worry about deadlines and applying to colleges, especially during soccer season! Once again thank you so much!
Nathan D, Texas A&M
Being able to draw on Laurieʼs expertise and wealth of knowledge made planning for the college application process so much smoother for us as a family. Her in depth understanding and perspective about resumes, essays, standardized testing, college applications, colleges and the college system (and so much more) instilled a confidence in us all. Laurie invested time in getting to know our daughter personally, which meant she was able to offer appropriate and relevant advice about “best fit” colleges. The complexities of the college decision process was simplified by Laurieʼs organized approach and easy communication. This undoubtedly helped our daughter stay focused and on target for college applications. We cannot thank Laurie enough for the guidance, support and encouragement she gave to our daughter to ensure she had excellent options and choices in the college decision-making process.
Jackie B-L.
Laurie is absolutely the most positive, organized person I have ever known! She responded immediately when I had questions and makes sure everything goes smoothly, including looking over all essays and applications, before they go to the colleges, for typos and omissions. But possibly the most useful thing that Laurie provided us with was a mediator. This was an emotional time and we felt it was very important for the decision to be our daughter’s. Having someone knowledgeable in the picture, that was not my husband or I, was invaluable and took much stress away from our last year with our daughter. I know we would have both been remembered as nags if not for Laurie – AND our daughter adores Laurie even more today – because she did not know Laurie was doing it!
Jill Z.
Laurie was so helpful to my son! She kept him on track with the entire application process, which was significant because he applied to several schools and many of the applications required additional essays, forms, etc. She helped prepare him for interviews so that he was able to walk in feeling comfortable and confident. And most importantly, she helped him analyze exactly what he wanted in a college, and find the best alternatives to meet his needs. Our family was grateful that she encouraged him to look outside the box he had imagined for himself. He ended up being accepted to and attending an excellent school which he would not even have considered without Laurie, and he is very happy there. We are so pleased that we have already recommended SCC to many other families we know.
Lisa S.
We appreciated all of the help and support we received from Laurie on the college selection and application process. If we had not connected with Laurie, we probably would never have looked at Purdue and would have missed out on a great opportunity and wonderful fit for my daughter.
Kathryn C.
