“I had a great experience with the summer common app essay workshop.” M.W.: Attending Georgetown University
“Great insight into which schools were appropriate – very helpful building final list!” M.A.: Attending Marist College
“I had an amazing and productive time and really appreciated the help! The essay I wrote didn’t just feel like a college essay but something I really had fun writing. Thank you :). H.M.: Attending Towson University
“Greg was super helpful in helping me come up with a topic for my personal statement! S.L.: Attending Tufts University
“I loved the questionnaire sheet to brainstorm main essay topic… before doing that I had NO idea what to right about but I ended up pulling a few ideas from that sheet to create a central theme that I really liked. E.R. : Attending University of Michigan
“I loved how hands on the process was… I felt I was getting great quality and detailed advice. Was easy to follow through on the thorough action plan the coaches set for me. D.F. : Attending University of South Carolina
“I appreciate everything the College Coaches did for me, It was a huge step in my application process and Im very glad I did it. K.M.: Attending University of South Carolina
“Wonderful support for student and parent especially moral support. Thank you, Kathleen, Caroline, and Greg! So glad that Kate will be working with you for her college application process! R.F. : Attending UVA
“Thanks so much for all you guys did. W.C.: Attending Xavier University
How We Work
Coach, support, and encourage the student and family through the entire process.
Recommendschools best suited to the student's interests.
Create unique narratives to increase probabilities of admission.
Make the process as stress-free as possible.
Our Philosophy:
“Each youngster is different. As a coach, you get to know what they need.”
– Coach K
Why The college coaches
Because this is one game you've got to win!
Our Coaches Average 20+ Years of Experience!
Fixed Fee Service Bundles - Pay Only for What You Need
In Business Since 2000
100% 5-Star Google Reviews
Exceptional Results
Our Philosophy:
“Each youngster is different. As a coach, you get to know what they need.”
– Coach K
College Application Services
Services that are bundled as fixed fees include College Coaching (our strategic college counseling service) and Common App Essay Coaching. You may choose what your family needs: one or both. All other services billed hourly.
Competitors hide their costs; The College Coaches do not.
This bundle provides coaching through Senior year applications. Includes seven meetings, a college list, and critical resources to provide coaching throughout the season.
Three meetings and several rounds of edits. Brainstorming, a “Talking Draft”, and Collaboration on a Final Essay for the Common Application
Fixed fee based upon approximately 4 hours of service. Learn More.
Pre-Season Coaching (9th/10th)
Academic and Extracurricular Coaching
Help your student become proactive in their decision-making during 9th and 10th grades without adding additional stress. This is not about what colleges they will eventually apply to, but finding and pursuing interests and understanding the value of setting goals and planning ahead.
This bundle is for Juniors and provides coaching through Senior year applications. Includes seven meetings, a college list, and critical resources to provide coaching throughout the season.
Fixed fee based upon 12-15 hours of strategic advisory. Learn More.
For clients who have a strong draft, we provide a second opinion on the essay. Our coaches also provide expert advice and suggestions for supplemental essays which are often overlooked and uninspiring yet often the most important! Get help!
This service is billed at $275/hr. (in 15-minute increments). Learn More.
Our Summer Classes have been going strong for 14 years!
Fixed fee classes for the Common App Essay and another for the completion of the Common App (no essay). Learn More (2023 Summer classes are now enrolling).
We were very pleased with the timely and comprehensive advice and guidance provided. The customized application suggestions and financial aid negotiation tips were particularly helpful. Highly, highly recommend!
I loved the College Coaches. They are very hands-on and give advice that is not available to most applicants. Got into all my colleges with their help. The Coaches are so personable and down to earth and definitely streamlined my application process!!
Having Kathleen involved significantly reduced the stress on both our daughters and on us. Her personal knowledge of potential schools, and, more importantly, her ability to connect with our girls to bring out their best in the essay writing process, were invaluable.
Kathleen has been amazing in helping our daughter and now our son with their college process. They walked away from their first meeting with Kathleen excited about the college process. She is warm and engaging and makes your kid feel great about themselves. She also has amazing knowledge about so many different colleges. She takes the time to really get to know the student and what they are looking for. Highly recommend!
I can't say enough great things about Kathleen and The College Coaches. In a pretty saturated market and stressful process our work with Kathleen has been very personal and incredibly helpful. She is truly a gem in our village and we are lucky to have her support and guidance.
Kathleen is the "College Whisperer". We were so fortunate to have her guide our daughter through the college search and application process. She has such a knack for relating to your student and keeping this very stressful time lighter. She is a fantastic resource with solid advice on narrowing potential colleges down and finding the best match for the student. We were impressed by how much she knows about schools all over the country. Kathleen is also an ace at helping with college essays. Her guidance and feedback lets the student's voice shine. If we had another child to send to college, we would definitely team up with Kathleen and The College Coaches again but, since we don't, we'll have to settle for happily and wholeheartedly recommending their services.
Kathleen Glynn-Sparrow and The College Coaches are top notch! Navigating the daunting college search process is no easy task for parents and students. Kathleen helped us narrow down the search to a manageable sized list and provided exceptional advice to ensure we were identifying colleges that were well-suited for our son. Her feedback and guidance with the essay writing was also incredibly helpful. A five star rating doesn't do justice to the professional and personalized service we received!
The College Coaches heavily influenced my college process in the most positive way. As the oldest sibling in my family, I was the first one to apply to college, so we didn’t know a lot about the college process and it seemed very overwhelming. Mrs. Byers and Ms. Glynn Sparrow worked tirelessly with me to lay out a manageable timeline to complete the application process, and always made themselves available to answer any questions or talk through any concerns I had along the way. In addition, Mr. Schneider was amazing as I wrote my college essays, giving specific and crucial feedback both asynchronously and when we would meet live. It was so great to have someone giving feedback on my writing who not only supported me directionally and helped me pick topics to write about that would aid my application the most, but also who is so detail-oriented and could assist with grammar and word choice. I can happily say that this Fall I will be attending the perfect school for me, and I don’t think I would be here without the three of them!
The college coaches were all supportive, connected with schools, and efficient throughout the process. Ms Byers and Mr Schneider were both very helpful and experienced in tweaking the logistics of applications and essays respectively. Thank you for helping me!
Working with Kathleen was such a pleasure! She draws from a wealth of knowledge and experience and provides excellent guidance to help students target schools where they will thrive academically and socially. Her positive energy, humor and encouragement made the application process less daunting for our son. Highly recommend!
We worked with Kathleen to help us navigate the college process for two of our children. She was exceptional in helping both of them to identify schools that were a good fit, helping with their essays and supporting us through the application process. We could not be happier with her and where our kids ended up! Highly recommend The College Coaches!
Kathleen has made our son's college search process a major success. She quickly connected with him and helped him navigate all stages of this exciting and challenging process. We especially appreciate her making this important (and potentially stressful) experience fun for our son and entire family. We could not be happier with Kathleen and strongly recommend working with her!
Kathleen is excellent: thoughtful, engaging, and great with kids (and parents!) She has terrific experience and knows so much about the college application process, and really helped our family navigate through it. We couldn't have done it without her. We loved working with Kathleen and recommend her highly.
Four years ago, Ms. Sparrow assisted me in my college application process. I have just graduated from the University of Georgia and I must attribute my college acceptances to her nonstop support during those months leading up to the deadlines. She sat with me for hours drafting my essays and teaching me how to apply to these colleges in an effective way. I was so lucky to have her in the process and I truly believe without her it would have been a difficult journey. I was always told the applications were the most brutal part of junior and senior year of high school, but she changed that for me. It was a smooth process and I was excited for every meeting with her! Thank you again Ms. Sparrow for everything!
Kathleen Glynn-Sparrow was just what we needed for my son! She has great energy, was engaging, and gave us valuable tips. Thanks so much. Will applied to 5 appropriate schools for his abilities and was accepted to 4 and wait-listed at 1. He received scholarships at 3 schools. Will's final choice was Providence College, a perfect fit for him. Thanks Kathleen.
Kathleen helped our daughter through many phases of application process. All sessions were done virtually, and our daughter instantly felt comfortable with her. We always overheard laughter during their productive sessions. We highly recommend Kathleen. She is genuine, professional and clearly knowledgeable. Thanks again!
Unlike some other independent counselors, our team never pressures anyone to meet again and again or to commit to a package across services.
The founder of The College Coaches, Kathleen Glynn-Sparrow has been providing college consulting services for 25 years both at high schools in Maryland as well as through her private consulting business. She has literally written the book on college counseling and has hundreds of delighted clients. Kathleen was quoted in The New York Times in an article entitled “How to Find Trustworthy College Admissions Advice“. Kathleen has selectively added coaches to her team from MD, VA, PA, and Washington, DC.
Unlike some other independent counselors, our team never pressures anyone to meet again and again or to commit to a package across services.