ABOUT

Heather Johnson is an educational consultant specializing in boarding school and college guidance. After identifying the specific needs of an individual student, Heather will work closely with the student and the family to guide them through the process. It is her goal to help students develop confidence in an often intimidating and uncertain process, so that they will present themselves in the best possible way.

Heather grew up in boarding schools as the daughter of faculty parents. She was educated at an independent school and went from there to Carleton College, where she received a B.A. in Religion. She then earned a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Having spent fourteen years in boarding school admission and the past few years in college placement and financial aid, Heather is well qualified to assist families in both the boarding school and college admission processes.

Heather is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the New England Association for College Admission Counseling, and the National Association of College Admission Counseling. She also has a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension.

Testimonials

"We started working with Heather in the summer before our daughter Jane's senior year at a point in time when we felt that we were behind schedule in terms of visiting colleges and, more importantly, really didn't have a clear idea of the style of college that would be a good match.

"Heather met with the three of us in an initial meeting where she encouraged Jane to talk about herself, her likes and dislikes, and colleges that had attracted her attention so far. Based on that meeting, Heather prepared a preliminary list to research and to consider visiting that included a range of reach, target and safety options. We found this very helpful because it provided us with focus and was the starting point for ongoing discussions which led to further suggestions as Jane started to better define the style and location of the college she felt most comfortable with.

"Heather was very accessible to answer any questions or concerns that we had during the process and her knowledge and experience proved invaluable to us as we negotiated the college application process for the first time.

"More importantly, she was accessible to Jane on a 24/7 basis, and they communicated every few days by telephone, email and even texting. This was very reassuring for Jane and it provided her with timely and useful guidance and advice and, on several occasions, a sounding board as she narrowed down her choices. Heather did not take over the process but she made sure that we had the information that we needed and that we were always aware of the various deadlines and, appropriately, Jane remained in charge of her own college application process.

"The process was successful in that Jane was accepted at several colleges and the college that she finally chose was one that we all feel excited about. Heather was always very helpful and supportive and we would not hesitate to recommend her to other families embarking on the college application journey."

-- Parents of a senior, class of 2009

Hiring Heather Johnson in January of our son's junior year of high school was one of the best things we have ever done. The college search process is an overwhelming one and can be very stressful. Once we decided to hire an outside consultant to help us it was important to find someone who connected and listened to Ryan, but at the same time listened to what we as parents wanted. Heather was able to do that and in the process made our college search less stressful. She zeroed in on the schools that would be a great academic and social fit for Ryan. She was a constant source of knowledge and encouragement as we navigated the entire college process. It was extremely beneficial to us to have her knowledgeable input into the many different facets of doing the applications and essays especially in a time when the college admissions is so highly selective. We feel as though Ryan was presented in the best possible way to all the schools that he applied to and we attribute that to Heather's insights into the whole process. I can't imagine having done this without her and I truly feel that she has been in our corner every step of that way cheering Ryan on. The real proof is in the fact that Ryan is seeing acceptances from some of his top choices. If you're looking for someone who will work hard for you and your student then Heather Johnson is that person.

-- Parents of a student, February, 2009

Today choosing a college and then applying is a difficult process. Heather Johnson makes the job a lot easier by guiding you with her knowledge of colleges and what is expected in the process. Heather did an outstanding job with us by getting to know our son and then advising him on his selection process. She was always available to answer questions. I would highly recommend her services.

-- Parents of a student, March, 2009

"Hiring Heather to help our daughter through the college admissions process was very beneficial. By meeting with her several times, Heather got to know her and together they selected a list of potential colleges that best fit our daughter's academic and social goals.

"She assisted her by putting together a task list which included specific admission requirements and a timetable that made the process less stressful for both our daughter and her parents. Heather's experience and knowledge of the college essay requirements and her feedback helped our daughter develop well written and interesting essays which she was proud to submit.

"Bottom line is when you think about the cost of college these days, hiring an expert like Heather is money well spent. I am confident that her skills have increased our daughter's chance of getting accepted at the colleges of her choice."

-- Parents of a senior, class of 2008

"Our relationship with Heather was extremely rewarding and enlightening. She gave prudent counsel to our high school senior, Neil, after first exploring his academic record and extracurricular activities but most importantly his personality. She provided highly individualized attention by employing both written responses to questions as well as a low key but highly informative personal interview with Neil. She took great care to include us, the parents in the process without encroaching upon Neil's own prejudices and desires.

"After evaluating all the relevant information, Heather formulated a personally tailored and realistic list of candidate schools for Neil. The list encompassed the full spectrum of choices encompassing the ‘reach’ to ‘safe’ options. Her list was very careful to incorporate the intangibles expressed by Neil, not just his raw academics and extracurricular achievements. Heather displayed excellent first hand knowledge of most of her recommended institutions which engendered confidence in her decisions. She also provided Neil with explicit instructions with respect to all facets of the application process; forms, testing, deadlines, essays etc.

"Happily Neil was accepted to Colgate, his first choice school. Heather was most pleasant and encouraging throughout the entire process, making it less of an ordeal that it might have been.

"We highly recommend Heather to any student desiring a comprehensive and personalized approach to college application."

-- Parents of a senior, class of 2008