My son and I started the college admissions planning process in the first half of his junior year. At first it seemed overwhelming, with so much to learn and lots of processes to navigate. A co-worker of mine mentioned they retained the services of an independent consultant to help guide and advise them through the process. My advice: do the same, and start early. My recommendation: Access Success! We purchased the Platinum Package and could not be more satisfied with Francesca's counsel and guidance. During the initial consultation meeting, we learned more about the timeline, what to expect, what to do when, and what really matters to colleges when evaluating potential candidates. During another consultation, we leveraged Francesca's expertise to narrow down the list of colleges we would further explore and ultimately apply to, and had a good sense of whether they were matches, safety or reach. My son enrolled in the SAT prep course through Access Success and boosted his score. The Boot Camp where students started working on their Common App was fantastic. Francesca also worked closely with my son on his Common App essay, as well as college-specific essays and supplemental written responses. At the end of the day, my son received early decision acceptance to his #1 choice, with scholarship! And it was a much less stressful experience for me personally! Thank you Francesca! - Heather F. (Winter 2024)
I cannot recommend Francesca and Access Success highly enough. She gives detailed, personalized guidance and expert advice on every aspect of the college admissions process, from the Common App to the college essays, to identifying, expanding, or narrowing the school selection list. We sent both of our kids to her and they left feeling confident and ahead of the curve on applications, which can be a stressful process when navigating without that kind of guidance and support. Even with knowledgeable and supportive parents, kids often need to hear from someone outside the family to get it. The real testament to the value of her bootcamp is that it is consistently the kids who have attended who recommend it to their friends and younger siblings- and they start senior year without that added pressure because everything is done! I’d give six stars if I could. Worth every penny. - Julia T. (Summer 2024)
[My daughter] has shared [that] she feels better prepared now that she has a good list [of colleges] to start with. She feels much more comfortable with the application process as a result of your support. I know she plans to be in touch for feedback on her essays. Thank you for all you have done to get her started. - Jenn R. (Summer 2023)
Our daughter just finished the Boot Camp and we felt it did a great job of getting her through a lot of the "grunt work" of filling out the main parts of the Common Application as well as the particular questions from each school on her list. She also got through many of the supplemental Common App essays and has a good idea of the topic she'll be writing about in her main Common App essay. Francesca went through her list of schools to make sure it was balanced with “reach”, “target” and “safety” schools, it was very helpful to have another set of eyes take a look at her list. She also suggested a few other schools for us to consider and familiarized our daughter with the Naviance and FastWeb websites. All in all we’re all very pleased with the Boot Camp and would highly recommend it to families who are in the process of applying for college. - Mike O. (Summer 2023)
I spoke to [my son] yesterday at the conclusion of the bootcamp and he was oozing with enthusiasm. Thank you so much for starting him on this college path and your continued support through the essay process. You made a huge impression on [him] and he is motivated to continue what you started. - Lori C. (Summer 2023)
My son ... is a rising senior. He took the College Admissions Boot Camp through Access Success and shared with us what a worthwhile two days it was - pretty amazing statement for a kid to say, especially after learning he would spend two days of his summer vacation in a workshop! With Francesca’s guidance, [my son] was able to accomplish so much. Some of what they did included, entering the schools he is applying for into the Common App, as well as Naviance. He also began the process of writing his supplemental essays, and much more. The college application process can be a stressful time for both students and parents. It is such a relief to have a program like this, to help alleviate some of the pressure and the tasks that are involved. Francesca makes it clear to the students that she is there for them, not just for the two days of Boot Camp, but whenever they have a question. - Valerie W. (Summer 2023)
Francesca and her team are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful in navigating the college process. So much has changed since we went to college and she has all the inside information and insight to help us make informed decisions. From where to apply, to how, to essay writing and test prep, 2 of my children have benefitted so far and the third has already begun the process. Highly recommend the boot camp. My teenager came back from a 2 day boot camp excited to speak to me about all he had learned and accomplished toward his applications...and he never speaks to us. And as for the SAT prep, when my 3rd could not attend the group prep sessions, they offered 1:1 prep at our convenience. Highly recommend Access Success to anyone looking at college. Vanessa G. (Summer 2023)
My son had an extremely beneficial experience with the Access Success Boot Camp. He has a clear direction for his college application process and completed the majority of what he needed to do during this boot camp time. Francesca is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. I highly recommend this boot camp to anyone applying to college! - Jen L. (Summer 2023)
I wanted to update you on [our son]. He is loving his teachers and classes at Bard so much.... He is excelling academically. Also this year they have given him a tremendous scholarship. Almost a full ride! We are thrilled for him and I just wanted to thank you for all the guidance that you offered to us. Would not have been able to do this without you. With so much gratitude!!! - Elizabeth P. (Summer 2023)
[My son] came home very excited and ready to talk about the process. Before your session it was tough to get him to do any prep work and I didn't know where to start. So glad we found this boot camp! - Meredith O. (Summer 2023)
Thank you very much for all of the help through the college application process. I learned a lot from the 2 days together [Boot Camp] ,the paper handouts, and emails and I really appreciate that. I feel more confident with the help from you. It was definitely nice being able to submit my last application, completing 12/12 applications. I’m very excited to hear back from all the schools I’ve applied to and I will definitely keep you posted (2 for 2 so far!). Thanks again. - Ryan C. (Winter 2023)
I wanted to let you know that we were very happy with College Bootcamp and appreciate all of the advice that you gave [our son]. We are especially thankful for your recommendation that he take calculus. He contacted his guidance counselor and luckily, they had one seat available. At one of the colleges [we recently visited], calculus was noted as a prerequisite for applying to the business program. If you hadn't mentioned it, he would have been out of luck. - Rebecca M. (Fall 2022)
The guidance counselors at my son's school are wonderful but have so much on their plates. It was a relief to find Francesca and well worth it to have her time and expert advice on everything from the reach, target, safety schools, to overseeing his applications and essays (lord knows he doesn't want to talk to me more than he has to...but is more than willing to chat with her), to advising parents on financial aid and, more importantly, negotiating financial aid (yes, there is wiggle room). When you consider the investment that college is, it is worth it to pay an expert like Francesca to help you understand the process and your options in order to make the right decisions. Plus, she is a pleasure to work with...reasonable, flexible, friendly. I highly recommend her and her services. - Samantha B. (Fall 2022)
When we hit an unexpected bump in our college application process, we met with Francesca Morrissey, shared our predicament, and asked for guidance. Because of her relationships with college admission reps and her familiarity with so many schools, she was able to speak to us immediately about our options and gave us a list of colleges that would match what we were looking for. Note, that almost all college application deadlines had passed at this point. She went out of her way to contact an Admissions Representative to share our story. Within a week, our daughter had spoken with the Admissions Rep, scheduled a tour, met with Admissions who expedited her application process, and received her acceptance to the school! We had found the perfect school for our daughter! Thanks to Francesca, and her expertise, we were able to resolve a very stressful situation quickly and with such positive results. We are so grateful for the services Francesca provides and recommend using her services to anyone with a high school student who plans on attending college. - Jen L. (Spring 2022)
I just want to share how happy we are with the [Small Group SAT Prep] program you offer. [Our son] says it's the fastest 5 hours ever and he really feels like he's learned so much, especially with the English portion (that is his weakness). - Vanessa G. (Winter 2022)
[Our daughter] has come home [from Small Group SAT Prep] saying how much she has learned and is feeling more confident about taking the test. - Trisha A. (Winter 2022)
Our kids are triplets and we were totally overwhelmed by the college application experience. We had heard about Francesca from other parents who had had a great experience with her. Our three did the boot camp late summer of their junior year (rising seniors) and by the time they were back at school they were fully prepared to apply. We had a number of follow up questions during the process that Francesca answered unbelievably promptly. The whole experience lifted so much stress off our shoulders. Thanks Francesca. - Dave O. (Summer 2021)