Our Services

Sara Lacombe is a true professional. She is knowledgable, empathic, provides sound guidance and - in my instance - generated insightful comments that directly aided my job search. When our time together was over, I left with a new value proposition, fresh ideas for roles I might pursue, and several examples of current job postings that were within my grasp. I highly recommend Sara for career direction coaching!

The College Coaches are the real deal. Working with them made the college search and application process so much less daunting. We felt we had a good plan for every step and my son was really engaged with them and the process. He just started his freshman year at his #1 choice, and I don't think we would have managed the process as smoothly and successfully without Kathleen and her team. Thank you!

I have known Kathleen and her family for years. We used to be colleagues. She opened College Coaches, and our daughter was accepted into 90% of the schools she applied to.

Ginny was simply amazing. She guided our son through the process, set achievable goals, and provided valuable support. It wasn't just about filling out applications; Ginny took the time to get to know our son and help him figure out where the next part of his journey will begin. Thank you, Ginny and GO VOLS!

Kathleen was a great coach! She connected with our son quickly, understood his character and gave advices which fit him. This though process wouldn't be so smooth without Kathleen.

Very helpful in explaining key details.

Kathleen and her team are true professionals! They have decades of experience helping students navigate the college application and admissions process. In addition to their deep knowledge, they are genuinely enjoyable and positive people to work with. This is a huge plus, as applying to college can be a stressful time for families, and Kathleen and her team excel at lowering that stress!

Kathleen is amazing! She's very personable and genuinly connects with her clients and their families.

I worked with Ginny at The College Coaches during my college application process, and honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through it without her! At the start, I thought this whole process was going to be stressful and confusing (which it kind of is), but Ginny made it feel a lot more manageable. She didn’t just look at me as another application. She took the time to get to know me, like what I enjoy, what classes I like, what I do outside of school, and even just who I am as a person. That made everything we worked on feel real and not forced. The essay part was probably the biggest surprise. I thought it was going to be painful, but Ginny somehow made it… not terrible. We did a lot of brainstorming, and instead of trying to make me sound like every other applicant, she helped me figure out what makes me different. She always said it’s not about fitting in, it’s about standing out, and that stuck with me. She also helped me connect ideas across my main essay and supplementals, so everything felt consistent without sounding repetitive. Ginny helped me build my college list based on my major, GPA and SAT score, with a mix of reach, target, and safety schools. I also took an SAT prep course during the process, and my score improved a lot, which helped open more doors. In the end, I applied to 11 schools and got accepted at 10. Ginny encouraged me to go after additional opportunities, and I ended up getting into the honors program at the school I’ll be attending. The best part was that Ginny wasn’t done when decisions started coming in. She kept checking in with me, talking through my options, and helping me figure out what I actually wanted. I went into the process thinking I already knew where I was going, but I ended up choosing a different school, and I’m really glad I kept an open mind. Ginny was a huge part of this whole process. She pushed me when I needed it, kept things relaxed when I was stressed, and somehow made something that’s usually overwhelming feel pretty manageable. She also put up with my sense of humor, which probably deserves its own five stars. I’d definitely recommend Ginny and The College Coaches to anyone going through this process. I’ll be reaching out to her again when it’s time for grad school. Thanks, Ginny!

Great folks to help set us up for success

We had a great experience working with Kathleen. She was very helpful through the application and decision process. Kathleen was very positive and reassuring, and our son ended up getting offers from his top two choices!

We had a terrific experience working with The College Coaches during the 2024-2025 school year! My daughter is now in her first year at her top choice college and loving it! We purchased The College Coaches' Season Pass package in my daughter's junior year of high school, when she was just beginning to think about her college journey. Over the next 9 months, my daughter was coached one-on-one by Kathleen Sparrow through all phases of the road-to-college journey. Kathleen immediately connected with my daughter and conveyed that she "got" her personality and desires for her college experience. Kathleen constantly focused on my kid's particular strengths and boosted her confidence. Kathleen understood my anxieties as a parent and helped me to relax and support my daughter without over-controlling every step of the process. As I often told Kathleen, my daughter and I left every coaching session feeling renewed and more relaxed, which was incredibly helpful given the ultra-competitive, high pressure environment of our Northern Virginia community. I'd also like to give a shout out to Becky Bowlby, who Kathleen referred me to for a conversation about financial matters pertaining to college. Becky was great to talk to and knowledgeable about college financing. As a final component of the Season Pass package, my daughter met with Sara Lacombe to discuss her possible college major and career interests. Sara asked great questions, reflected back what my daughter shared with her, and "elevated" the themes she heard from my daughter in a way that really captured my daughter's sense of her unique purpose. Finally, I want to thank George Sparrow for our many communications over the time we worked with The College Coaches. He was unfailingly responsive, kind and helpful in addressing scheduling matters and questions I had along the way. My daughter and I highly recommend The College Coaches for their expertise and support on the college journey!