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Testimonials
Steve
"Like the lions outside the NY Public
Library, Patience and Fortitude has again paid off. Thank you so
much for guiding me through the college process. I could not
imagine doing it without you. Thank you again!" Student
class of 2011
"I just want to thank you once again for
the amount of crucial help and guidance you gave me. I will
never forget it!" Thank you! Student class of 2011
"You have hopefully heard it directly
from officially-the-happpiest-girl-in-the-world! Many, many
thanks for your skillful steering and patience towards daughter
and mother. I look forward to celebrating this success with you
in person when you are next in London." Parent, class of 2011
"I was in a challenging college admissions situation and felt
bewildered, almost like I "didn't know what I didn't know". I
was in a position where I didn't have anyone available to guide
me through the process. I wasn't sure what to expect when Steve
agreed to take me on. I was starting completely from scratch,
not knowing what I wanted to study, where, when, or at what kind
of school. Steve took the time to learn about my goals,
interests and personality, and then used his encyclopedic
knowledge of academia to locate the top 5 options for me. He
walked me through the entire process, advising me on not only
high-level strategy but even on fonts and communication timing.
Even when I suffered some setbacks, Steve's constant
encouragement and optimism pushed me forward. Now, because of
his attention to detail and careful planning, I've just been
accepted to Columbia University. I couldn't have done it without
Steve and Edvice." --Student, Class of 2009
"Steve LeMenager
made all the difference for both of our children during the
college admissions process. He focused on the strengths of
each child and provided invaluable guidance that only years of
experience could provide. As concerned parents, we appreciated
Steve's depth of knowledge, sensitivity and strong communication
skills. He gave us much needed peace of mind and wonderful
results!"
--Parent, Classes of 2008, 2006
"Our son’s senior year was a challenging time for us. As the
reality of his moving away from home and going off to college
neared, communication with him became more and more strained. I
know he wanted to assert his independence but I didn’t think he
had enough one-on-one adult guidance from his school to really
master the college application process by himself. What we
needed was a knowledgeable and dedicated adult – and not his
parent - to help our son to organize his choices and track his
progress through the months leading up to his application
deadlines.
Steve’s services provided just that. Our son immediately liked
Steve and respected his vast expertise as a college counselor.
The two of them met and communicated regularly. Steve guided our
son through the process with skill and understanding. It was
clear that he had years of experience and the right manner to
talk easily with 17-18 year olds. Steve helped our son to refine
his choices, worked with him on his essays, and skillfully
reminded him as all deadlines approached. Steve’s services
worked both to help our son apply to and get in to the right
college for him, and also to get through a difficult time in our
parent/child relationship."
--Parent, Classes of 2009, 2007
"As a family, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to
have had the opportunity to work with Steve LeMenager on
the college admissions process. His unique perspective and
mastery of the selective college admissions process was
invaluable. Steve developed a rapport with our daughters that
was very helpful in identifying the right colleges for them. He
took the time to understand who they were and where they wanted
to be in the future. Once they decided on what schools to
apply to, Steve was actively involved and instrumental in
guiding our family through the Byzantine college admissions
process.
While both of our daughters were accepted to their first choice
through the early decision process (both Ivy League schools),
Steve had formulated a very thoughtful back up plan for the
other schools of interest. Through his wisdom and guidance,
Steve significantly reduced the stress of a very complex and
dynamic process. We are deeply grateful for his help."
--Parent, Classes of 2008, 2006
"Steve,thanks for meeting with us. You've really been a god send
!!!!!!!!"
--Parent, Class of 2008
Testimonials
Ted
"Ted worked with my son (and us) on
his college placement. We represented a real challenge to Ted
and Edvice: we were starting the process very late, our son had
a non-traditional high school experience (no grades, multiple
locations and types of classes and no SAT scores). After meeting
our son, Ted rose to the occasion and worked diligently with us,
our son, his teachers and all of his contacts to help our son
find the right school fit, open doors and present himself. Our
son is off to a fabulous school in California in the fall -- the
perfect mix of traditional and individualized, self-directed
curriculum in the perfect location!!! We never could have been
so successful without Ted." --Parent,
Class of 2011
"Ted
deVillafanca brings humor, compassion and understanding to a
process which at best requires a great deal of self-reflection
on the part of teenagers and their parents, and which at its
worst can entail a significant amount of disappointment and
rejection. His unparalleled commitment to finding the right
"fit" for each student with whom he works is both awe and trust
inspiring for his clients and for the many college admissions
representatives with whom he has forged close relationships over
the course of his 25-year career. Both times that we worked
with Ted he was able to make use of his encyclopedic knowledge
of colleges and their admissions staffs and philosophies in
order to steer our daughters toward schools that would most
value their strengths, and both times our daughters emerged from
the process feeling good about themselves and thrilled with its
outcome." -- Parent, Class of 2010
"Ted advised our son for junior and senior year: He handled our
son's adolescent teenage years very well. When he applied to
college, Ted shepherded our entire family through the complex
admissions process with great insight. He spent considerable
time answering our questions throughout the process and was
instrumental in a significant outcome for our son who was
accepted at Wake Forest University. Note that he was not at the
top of his class at a most selective independent
school. However, he benefited from Ted's excellent perspective
on the fit and the attributes that would enable him to gain
admission. I would recommend Ted to any family seeking the
right school for their child and the encouragement to reach for
what they want while also pursuing a realistic outcome."
--
Parent, Class of 2009
"If there is anything my parents and I were positive about when
starting the college process, it was that it is overwhelming.
There is a tremendous amount of information, hundreds of schools
to choose from, and a complicated application process. I did not
know where to start. Ted immediately quelled all of our
anxieties. After taking the time to understand who I am not only
as a student but as a person as well, he organized an approach,
seeking to combine my personal desires with the reality of the
process. From the beginning to the end, Ted essentially held our
hands, making us feel confident that the end result would be
promising. He spent countless hours talking to me about where I
was going to apply, helping me write my essays by brainstorming
topics and revising each of them, and making sure I made all of
my deadlines. Ted is not just a college counselor. In
fact, I never felt as if he was helping me because it was his
job. Reminiscent of an older brother, Ted takes you under his
wing, genuinely caring about your successes and failures.
Looking back at the process as an incoming freshman in the Class
of 2014 at Duke University, I can say confidently that Ted
simplified one of the most overwhelming and critical decisions
families make in their lifetime." -- Student, class of 2010
"After my son was admitted to college, we
met the Admissions Officer who reviewed his application. In our
conversation, she said something that in our hearts we knew all
along: No one works harder for their students than Ted. We saw
his tireless effort on behalf of our son. He understood our son
(even when we didn’t seem to). His diligence, creativity and
responsiveness helped bring clarity to what at times was an
overwhelming process all delivered with his wonderful blend of
humor and sincerity." Parent class of 2010
Working with Mr. deVillafranca, "dV",
throughout my college application process was one of the
greatest experiences of my high school career. I began the
process very frazzled and worried about all the schools out
there and ended up applying to and getting into my dream school
- the one that was the perfect fit for me! dV opened my eyes to
schools that offered what I wanted to study even though they did
not fit my initial idea of what I wanted in a school (i.e. size,
weather). At first I was very reluctant to visit but I ended up
falling in love with the school! Mr. deVillafranca was not only
my college counselor and advisor, but he became my friend and is
my mentor. Student, class of 2010
“With three children having benefited from
the counsel of Ted, I honestly believe I
learned more about my children and their readiness for college
through the college search
process than I thought possible. Whether it is Ted’s willingness
(and uncanny ability) to
ask your child a question you could never ask (and get an answer
you never could!) or his
fundamentally decent nature which creates a deep trust between
your child and Ted, rest
assured that Ted is relentless in finding the right match for
your child…and you.”
“ I never got the sense that by entrusting
my child’s college search to Ted that I was
abdicating anything – rather, I got the distinct sense that I
was giving my child a great gift
– the counsel of a person, who in this particular assignment,
cared as deeply about my
child as I did.”
Ted de Villafranca is the best college
counselor that we have had the pleasure of working with. He
understands and cares for the student extremely well,
academically, culturally and emotionally, and knows where they
will 'fit.' Importantly, he also supports the student and
encourages them to reach for a college that may not have been an
obvious target. Equally as important, he has excellent and deep
relationships with college admission officers, and he
understands well what they are looking for – and then he is able
to make the match both thoughtfully and strategically. Finally,
Ted is a rare find in that, together with his detailed and
lengthy experience with US high schools and colleges, he has
close and familiar ties with Canadian high schools and their
grading standards. This sense of both was critical to our son's
success. Parent of Toronto student.
I would highly recommend Ted (or dV as the
kids call him) to any family who is interested in their child
attending a US college. He is simply the best person to help
your child gain admission to a US college or boarding school.
Ted, you have been one of the
best consultants I’ve worked with this year – your “kid
knowledge” and clear perspective of what really matters when
choosing a boarding school is irreplaceable. Families that
work with you are definitely lucky! -- Selective Prep
School Admission Officer
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