Why Choose Us?

Typically, current college admissions counselors are former high school counselors. Judy McNeely's background and professional practice are broader than this more narrow background. She has more than 27 years of experience helping students get accepted into colleges.

Judy has the ability to really connect with students. Her passion for teaching and helping sutdents is evident in everything she does. By actually working with high schoolers all school year, she has an understanding of the pressures placed on students.

Judy is adept at helping students organize their materials both for college admissions and for classroom work. Her own lifelong lesson has been to master breaking big projects into small pieces as reflected in Judy’s new book 25 Months Until College. This competence is crucial in helping today’s busy - and often overwhelmed - high school students and parents.

Judy meets with many collect admissions officers each year and visits numerous campuses. The information she gains is relevant to your student, not stale from experience that occurred years ago. She finds out the current reasons for admissions decisions to accept or reject students.

Years of teaching high school English honed Judy’s editing abilities, and she uses that expertise in helping students with application essays. Judy has also been a scorer for the SAT I Essay and knows how a student can write a high scoring, timed essay. She converts what she learned into her SAT/ACT Essay Workshops, sharing crucial tips. Even if a student takes a full SAT I prep course, this targeted workshop is very valuable. These workshops are included in the program cost.

Finally, Judy does a great job of matching students with the full range of private and public colleges. This is reflected in how infrequently College Pathfinders students transfer from the college they attended initially. There is a right college for every student, and finding the best college fit possible is critical for achieving academic success.
 

Who Is Judy McNeely?

Judy McNeely has 27 years of classroom experience in Washington and California schools. She has taught high school English, French, Spanish and Library Media.

Judy has been an independent college counselor since 1982. She holds a BA in English from Stanford University, a Master of Library Science from UCLA, and has received additional training in college admissions.

In addition, Judy is an active member of national professional associations such as the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC), and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA).