Testimonials

“Thank you for all of your hard work and support in getting Allie through this college process. It was not stressful for us and not stressful for her, and that is priceless. We couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks again.” Heather R.

“I honestly can’t say enough how much Kristen helped me with my college admission process! She laid out an incredibly detailed plan for me with step-by-step instructions on what I needed to do for the month regarding essays, college research, and even reaching out to college coaches, which was incredibly helpful.  She helped me break through struggles in my essays, and her experience with helping admit students to some of the best (if not the best) colleges in the nation really allowed me to stand out exponentially from my other applicants, which is incredibly important.  With her generous amount of help, I wasn’t rejected by any school I applied to, which made my choice to pick my dream school a possibility. I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to play college tennis in Los Angeles, and I’m even more grateful to have a person like Kristen with me every step of the way.” -Nathan M.

Kristen managed the entire process for us and allowed us to take a big step back away from having to help manage Lark’s college application process. We stayed involved and monitored Lark’s progress, but Lark and Kristen were responsible for all the deliverables. This removed a lot of the stress (from us and from Lark) from the college application process. Lark stayed on track and delivered all applications on time.

Kristen provided organizational guidance which kept Lark on track to meet all her college application deadlines. There are so many individual items to complete. In addition to SAT prep, college selection, essays, art portfolio, applications, and scholarships, Lark was volunteering, playing sports, and taking IB classes. It could have become overwhelming. Kristen was able to simplify the entire college process. Regularly scheduled meetings were an important part of staying on track.

Kristen also provided support for Lark’s 25 application essays. Her brainstorming sessions helped create several amazing essays that helped bring Lark’s passions to life. Although we opted for support on 15 essays, the remaining 10 essays were a snap because of the initial prep on the first 15 essays.

Kristen proofread Lark’s initial applications and was able to catch a few typos. She has done this some many times for so many students, and truly is an expert.

Kristen provides support for her students and provides on-going, detailed updates to the parents. She has a monthly newsletter, a summary of each student meeting, and several seminars. Kristen was very responsive to all our questions and concerns. -Karl Z.

I am so thankful for everything Kristen did for me this past year to help me prepare and apply to colleges. All the work she put in made it a less stressful and more successful process. I would not have been so prepared for applying to college and have so many options if it weren't for Kristen. She is the best! -Aislinn W.

Kristen Miller: a master organizer, a prepared advisor, and a relentless support. My junior year I had little to no knowledge of the intricate and complicated process of applying to colleges, so I was beyond lucky that Kristen was able to take me on as one of her Comprehensive Students. I knew nothing of what I wanted from a college, but after reviewing school after school, Kristen helped me to narrow down what aspects seemed to continually pique my interest and which I didn’t prefer. Not only did she help to create my list of eight schools, but she took initiative and pushed me to complete almost all of my applications before my senior year had even started. Unlike my peers, I wasn’t having to perfect my Common App essay as well as six other supplementals, all in addition to my homework load. I was able to relax as I made final edits to my applications before ultimately submitting them all within October. By relinquishing some control and trusting Kristen’s process — quite a successful process at that — I felt confident in how colleges viewed me and felt prepared enough to make my oh so important decision by May 1st. -Anna S.

I am so grateful to Kristen Miller for her guidance and support throughout the college application process. She is extremely knowledgeable, as well as patient and kind, and she helped guide my son toward schools that I never would have imagined (let alone heard of)! I especially appreciate the fact that she took time and effort to get to know my son and help him identify his values and what is important to him. A lot of emphasis was placed on selecting schools that would really be a good fit for him, which of course is important to me as his parent. I am excited to see where life takes my son, and I will always be grateful to Kristen for the invaluable part she has played in helping him get there! -Kim P.

"Kristen was the saving grace for our family. Our family was without previous experience in the new college applications and financial aid processes (30 years is a long time ago!).  Kristen worked directly with our daughter, meeting as needed to guide the selection process, applications, essays and deadlines. We, as parents also received guidance and help along the way to understand what was happening, and why and how we could impact the outcomes. In the end, our daughter was accepted to all the schools to which she applied and received rewarding merit aid to make the decision of out-of-state easier to consider. We are very pleased with the experience we had with Kristen and would recommend her services to anyone who desires support through the twists and turns of this journey. In fact, we already have recommended her and will continue to do so!" Nichole E

"The college process is time-consuming and confusing. After our first meeting with Kristen, I felt such peace knowing that she had such an awesome road map for us! It is so helpful to have someone guide us on this journey." -Cathie E.  

"Working with Kristen Miller of College Bound & Ready was a game changer. Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about the admissions process she also helped to guide Billy towards schools that fit both his learning style and personality. Her guidance in writing essays and interviewing was the most valuable service for our student: She was able to pull out the best in him and secure an acceptance letter from his top choice school. We highly recommend her and will use College Bound & Ready again with our daughter without a doubt." -Mellisa S.

"Kristen's support made all the difference. She has just the right combination of skills – so encouraging, excellent information, and keeping students on task without too much pressure. By the end, I know that (our daughter) felt really comfortable with her options and knew that everything would be just fine regardless. The whole experience was a confidence builder for her. I don’t know how we would have survived without Kristen." -Amy W.

"The college selection and application process can be really intimidating. As a parent, you want to give your kids the best possible opportunity to find the ideal college experience, but there is so much that you don’t know or understand about the current environment and processes. Kristen was invaluable to us and to our daughter in navigating this complicated landscape. She really worked to understand Aislinn, her goals and priorities (and anxieties), then guide her through the decision-making process. Kristen then mentored Aislinn through the applications and essays, keeping her on task with just the right amount of pressure. In the end, Aislinn had several great options to choose from for her college adventure. We really can’t thank Kristen enough, and highly recommend her. She truly does make you and your child College Bound and READY!" -John W.

"There are so many options and so many things to prepare and do to apply to college. Just finding the perfect school is wide open with possibilities, not to mention college essays, test preparation, the application process, financial aid and so forth. This is exactly why you need College Bound and Ready. Kristen Miller is the perfect person to help your son or daughter navigate the world of getting into college. Her organizational skills are unmatched, her knowledge of the colleges and universities in this country is extensive, and her kind, caring, and practical sense is so helpful in assisting kids to find their perfect school. As a bonus, it took about 99% of the burden off of me. I only had to participate as I was invited to and both myself and my daughter were so grateful. This is money you will not regret spending!" -Antra B

"Out of the many great reasons to work with Kristen, one of the best was that she held my daughter accountable to timelines and checklists so that I didn't have to. This freed me to have discussions with my daughter without her feeling like I was putting pressure on her, and we both knew the process was under control." -Ashley M.

"Kristen helped our son research colleges and navigate the application process. We have nothing but positive things to say about her knowledge, nurturing attitude and ability to keep our student on task. She is extremely knowledgeable about schools and was very helpful in determining ones that fit our student’s needs and wants. We highly recommend her services." -Marianne C.

”There really aren’t words to thank Kristen enough and let her know how very much we appreciate all the help she gave Ben. As a parent, it was SUCH an amazing experience to watch him get accepted to every single college he applied to!  I know that wouldn’t have happened without all her guidance, wisdom and gentle nudges!” -Bonnie N.

"Kristen is an outstanding college counselor. She was spot on getting us the help we needed. We absolutely could not have navigated this stressful college application process so successfully without her expert knowledge. She really went beyond my expectations." -Sarah A.

Wow! We've been so impressed with the process with Abby. Regardless of where she actually decides to go to school, just taking the pressure off our parent-child relationship has been completely worth it. I've been able to be involved in a pleasant, peripheral, interested way, rather than as a taskmaster, and you're so good at keeping students on track. You may know that Abby has an 8th grade sister, and she too has watched this process and been impressed with the guidance, so could you please put her on your list for the class of... 2025???
It's early, I know, but if you could save a spot for her, we're definitely in! -Elena F. (mom of 2021 graduate)