One of my biggest struggles throughout the college application process was knowing where I stood. One day I wanted to apply to Harvard, and the next to schools I'd never even heard of. Throughout the process, Nick went beyond the role of a college counselor—he was a friend. He constantly reassured me that I could get into top institutions, and he was right! Without him, I absolutely would not have been able to get into my dream school.

What I particularly liked about Nick's approach to the college application process was that he is both efficient and creative. At every meeting, I would come to him with about ten colleges to go over—that's a 40-page document—and somehow, he got through it in an hour every single time, while still giving useful feedback.

Additionally, his feedback helped me bring my personal statement to the next level. The original draft I was going to submit was based on a metaphor—the advice he gave is something I still remember to this day: "If you can write the same plot without the metaphor, scrap it." After that, all of my essays—not just the personal statement—became so much more efficient and clear.

Throughout the entire college application process, Nick was simultaneously kind, flexible, and made the process fun. I strongly recommend that anyone reading this hire Nick Soper as their college counselor.

As a senior in high school, I applied to a few of my top choices for college and was disappointed to be waitlisted to almost all of them. I was applying blindly, without any real notion of how to create a successful application. I made the decision to take a gap year and apply again to my top choice, Northwestern, in the Early Decision pool. This time around, I worked with Nick as my mentor and learned invaluable insight into how to craft a cohesive application that let my personality and passions shine. With Nick's guidance, I submitted an application that I felt confident reflected my true capabilities and achievements, and our work together culminated in an acceptance to my dream school! I am extremely grateful to Nick for his input and support that undoubtedly changed the outcome of my application.

At the beginning of my college process, I was nervous and scared. I didn't know how to approach my application and was struggling to try to find ideas to write about. After meeting with Nick for the first time, I already felt like I was in a better place. With his guidance and support, I became confident in my writing and formulation of essay ideas. Having Nick by my side helped me in so many ways and I couldn't not be more appreciative and thankful for all of our sessions. I strongly recommend Nick for anyone looking for a strong supportive mentor and counselor. Thank you so much, Nick!

It's no secret that applying for college is a stressful process. I had so many questions to ask and so many deadlines to keep track of, as well as figuring out what the best path for my future was. That's where Nick came in. He understood all the worries running through my head, and helped me plan my approach to the entire process step by step. He provided many useful resources that I would've never know about, as well as providing his own input and wisdom, the most valuable resource of them all.

I went from not knowing where I wanted to go or what I wanted to study to confidently setting my sights on studying mechanical engineering and applying to a set list of colleges, each of which appealed to me for unique reasons which Nick illuminated. Throughout the application process, Nick was very accessible and encouraging. Sometimes I'd have a quick question and I'd send him a text, and he'd always respond efficiently, helping push me along the process even outside of our weekly meetings. Even when my college list was longer than he'd originally recommended, he didn't discourage me. He said that if I put in the work, he'd put in the work as well, and together we worked through all my applications, and even had time to add an extra!

With every application, Nick helped me present myself as the strongest applicant I could be. He'd inquire into my day to day life, and I'd share stories with him that would sometimes be the start of a new idea for an essay, which strengthened both my application and Nick's connection with me, allowing us to continue to work better and better together as time progressed. Thanks to Nick's guidance and support, I'll be attending one of my dream schools in the fall. He truly was an outstanding mentor for my application process.

Throughout my enduringly challenging and often bewildering college application process, Nick’s guidance was like my compass. Not only did Nick help me unscramble my thoughts, values and life goals into a cohesive set of applications that I felt proud of but also helped me grow as a writer. I am beyond grateful that I had Nick in my corner to keep me realistic yet still encouraging me to aim high in all of my endeavors. Now, I’m headed to my dream school and I couldn’t have done it without him.

I dreaded applying to college, and as time marched on and the summer of 11th grade came to an end, I knew I had to get to work. I found that Nick made a huge difference in how I felt about the application process. The security of knowing that my work was of the highest quality that I was capable of producing made things less intimidating, and gave me confidence when submitting each essay, writing prompt, and supplemental requirement. Nick was my mentor, colleague, and friend throughout. He fostered a comfortable and creative environment that allowed my best ideas to shine through, and helped contribute to my thoughts and ideas like a partner. Further, alongside all of the guidance, Nick provided the constant support that I, like most kids going through this daunting process, needed. Completing my college applications was an incredibly stressful time in my life. Knowing that Nick was in my corner to help keep me on track every step of the way turned out to be a crucial factor in my success. I can confidently say that I do not believe I would have gotten into my dream school and dream program without him. Thank you again, Nick!

When I first came to Nick, I told him that I had no idea what part of the country I wanted to go to, what size school I wanted, or what I wanted to study. I was later proven that Nick was the perfect college counselor for somebody like me. He took me through a series of personality tests and insightful conversations that allowed me to envision a college experience. He was instantly relatable and validated every college-related fear I had. He took me through the process I had been dreading one step at a time, making it both manageable and enjoyable. He helped me understand the value in my own experiences, and he gave me the confidence to brag about myself for application purposes. He was always very helpful and happy to answer any questions I had. It was an honor to work with Nick and I strongly recommend him for anyone looking for a stress-reduced way to apply to college.

My college application process was intense and stressful. As a prospective Bachelor of Music in Composition, I had to balance school grades, college essays, auditions, interviews, and a deluge of other moving parts. Throughout all this chaos, Nick provided a great sense of clarity. Regardless of how much I procrastinated the week before a lesson, Nick was able to help me progress and push onward. His assistance not only drastically improved my essays, but greatly heightened the level of my writing as a whole.

I was nervous about applying to colleges. I remember it being a stressful time for both of my sisters, and I dreaded the day I would have to begin my first essay. It was a hectic time for me. I was taking on multiple jobs and AP classes and learning various instruments for a project I was working on. Nick helped calm my nerves during this time, and I can't thank him enough for that. He reassured me of my writing abilities while keeping me on track to meet deadlines. He gave me countless valuable pieces of advice during every one of our meetings, and he helped me understand what colleges expected for specific essays. Most importantly, Nick spent time getting to know me, which allowed him to assist me with all my writing, especially the personal essays. I can not recommend working with Nick enough to anyone about to apply to colleges. You will be more confident while writing, and the entire experience will be far more enjoyable.

It's safe to say, I had no idea what to expect when applying to college. The essays, statements, and materials I needed to complete each application was overwhelming in number and different than anything I had ever done in school. "Call Nick" was the response my parents gave often when I was stuck not knowing what to write or how to write it. And I did call, often, and Nick was always there to help me. While he guided me to understand what each school was looking for, he stayed with me throughout the entire process. He did not just "tell" me what to do. He worked with me on ideas and structure and even the details down to sentences and paragraphs.

I applied to 11 schools (top universities such as UCLA, USC, NYU, etc.) and was only rejected by one. I never imagined I could do so well during one of the most competitive college application years in history. Making it even more miraculous was the fact that I was applying to majors in these schools that only accepted 30-40 students out of thousands.

While it was not an easy process, I can confidently say that I would not be where I am (committing to UCLA, my dream school) without Nick's help. He takes pride in his work and carved out time for me when I needed it most. He was a friend who cared about my goals and aspirations just as I did. Nick understood every step of the uncharted territory that is college applications. I truly can't thank him enough or recommend him more highly.

When I started my college application process, I frankly had no clue what I was doing. The labyrinthine applications system combined with deadlines, a general lack of understanding of the university system, and a rapidly increasing workload from school resulted in me reaching out to Nick for help. The resources at his disposal and insight he had made navigating the college system much more manageable. When it came to writing the copious amounts of essays required for my applications, his help proved invaluable. I had trouble speaking candidly about my experiences, so another pair of eyes over everything was extremely valuable. He has an uncanny knack for finding the perfect phrasing for whatever sentiment I was trying to convey. He was able to blend personal experience with information that colleges and universities wanted to hear to synthesize essays that were a cut above anything I ever would have been able to write alone. His candor was refreshing, providing me with direct feedback, insight I needed to hear, and setting realistic expectations and goals necessary for success while remaining unwaveringly supportive along the way. I cannot recommend working with Nick enough and can’t even begin to express the value of his help in my educational journey.

I was first referred to Nick by a relative of mine. While at first I was reluctant to having outside help in my personal process of applying for colleges, especially at such an early time (before junior year), after meeting with him, my fear and nervousness of getting ready to apply for colleges began to turn into ease and preparedness. Nick’s writing coaching was my biggest savior when it came to fitting the stories of my life into words limits of 650, all the way down to 250. While I had many resources around me to ask advice for my PIQ’s and supplements, Nick was the only one who I could trust. Although I dreaded opening the file to see all the comments on my writing, slowly fixing each of them eventually led me to submitting all my applications with confidence. I cannot thank Nick enough for everything he has done for me, assisting me in my writing and being someone to always turn to whenever I had questions during this tough process. Time flew by so fast, and I’m excited to show him how far I’ll go in the coming years at UC Irvine.

I dreaded the beginning of my senior year–starting the daunting college applications was stressful. Nick was able to draw out a solid plan for all of my applications which significantly lowered my stress. His upbeat and easygoing attitude was enough to keep me motivated to finish my college applications. Throughout this process, Nick taught me not only to write killer essays but also taught me a lot about myself. Nick allows you to express your ideas and interests without judgment and guides you to translate them into concise and intriguing essays. His ideas, website, schedule, etc., are entirely tailored to you, which makes the process much more enjoyable and easy. I was able to fly through the process and even got into one of my top schools! Thank you so much for everything, Nick!