Barbara Shore, M.A.

If there is one person that I am most grateful to for helping my son prepare for both the SAT/​ACT and college applications, Barbara is the one. She was amazing at guiding and teaching my son how to write excellent essays, using enriched vocabulary, critical thinking, and overall knowledge of writing skills. Thanks to her my son got into his top college choice. Barbara is very organized and set up application deadlines way in advance of the required deadlines. I trusted Barbara and am glad that she was there with us to the end to complete the process that tends to be very stressful for all parents of graduating high school students. I will never be able to thank her enough.

Barbara was instrumental in helping our daughter navigate the college application process. Together, they created a thorough and practical plan for completing her college applications. Barbara was also able to help our daughter overcome her anxiety about writing her personal statements and the results were clear, engaging essays that gained her acceptance into numerous colleges, including Reed, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and Occidental. Having Barbara’s expert help and guidance made the college application process far less stressful for all of us and it was a relief to know that our daughter was in such good hands. My daughter is now at UC Berkeley and we’re very grateful for Barbara’s guidance in finding just the right school for her.
When it was time for our son to apply to college Barabara once again made all the difference. Our son could have coasted through his senior year like it was «no big deal», despite actually feeling unsure and a bit overwhelmed by the college selection and application process. He might not have made much effort to do what he needed to do to get where he wanted to go. That’s where Barbara came in. She knew exactly how to help him identify his strengths and simultaneously help him to push past some of his limits. It was amazing to see him come home after a session of prepping for his SAT exams, or working on his college essays, feeling upbeat and inspired. He clearly found their meetings intellectually stimulating and enjoyable. We are thrilled that our son was accepted at his first choice college and is now attending UCSC. Go Slugs!

There was no doubt Barbara would be the one I trusted to guide my daughter through the college search and preparation process. A seasoned writer, editor, tutor, parent and observer of life, Barbara’s ability to connect with young adults and to ascertain and celebrate their unique qualities and interests is what makes her work so invaluable. With Barbara’s help, my daughter was prepared at every step of the way, with powerful, creative essays under her belt before the start of her senior year in high school. And thanks to Barbara, my daughter was accepted at the college of her choice.