Testimonials and Placements

See What Our Clients Are Saying!

Since the 1990s, we have been guiding students on their paths in private colleges public universities, undergraduate and graduate programs, in the US and abroad, with Fulbright awards, and into a range of professional organizations. With our personalized guidance, we have aided prospective, incoming, and continuing college students in achieving their individual academic and professional goals. Students remain at the heart of our work and we are honored to have contributed to their academic success. Check out what students and their parents have to say, and contact us today!

Annabelle A.,

University of Southern California, 2026

Julie and Sharon were incredible to work with through this difficult and long admissions process. They both helped foster my creative ideas as a film major applicant, helped to shape and build meaningful essays, and were great to have genuine conversations with and ask as many questions as possible. Being able to work with two people benefited me greatly as we were able to multitask and ultimately get more work done, while also getting multiple opinions on my work. I have now gotten into multiple of my top choices, including USC, UC Berkeley, Chapman, UCSD, LMU, etc, and I'm committed to USC! Overall, I would 100% recommend working with Best College Path to incoming seniors looking for guidance with college applications.

Riley S.,

Elon University, 2026

Going into this college process, I was absolutely terrified. I had no “dream school” and absolutely no clue what I would write about. Sharon and Julie totally changed this reality. They helped do research into what schools were right for me, even leading me to the school I will commit to. They walked me through how to get the information I wanted from each school and how to visit them with meaning. In my college journey, I ended up meeting with the head of the department at every school I applied to and spoke with them about their program. They also helped me craft an essay that felt authentic to me and all of the many supplements that came along with the applications. This scary process turned into something extremely doable and even fun. Sharon and Julie truly were everything I could ask for in a college counselor, and I can not say enough good things.

Eden I., University of Washington School of Law, 2023

I had the pleasure of being guided by Dr. Sharon Oster throughout my undergraduate education. Her impact on my success during my undergrad was nothing short of transformative.

During every advising meeting we had, Dr. Oster would take the time to open the floor to me, creating a safe space where my thoughts and opinions were not just heard, but valued. Her ability to actively listen and empathize cultivated an environment where I felt empowered to express myself freely. Not only did she offer me practical insight and an abundance of words of encouragement, but she also took an active role in my life. She spent countless hours alongside me ensuring I was upholding the standard of personal and academic excellence I set for myself in the very first meeting we had. This sometimes looked like her giving feedback on papers, recommending internship opportunities, writing letters of recommendation, and even working with a challenging difference in time-zones when I was studying abroad. She always knew how to match the amount of dedication I was willing to put forth in my college experience and when that wavered, she knew what materials to offer or what words to say to get me back on track. Her endless support and personalized guidance helped give me the tools, materials, and confidence to keep pursuing my dreams after I graduated. Dr. Oster is not just an advisor; she’s a mentor and an advocate who will play an instrumental role in shaping your journey, just like she did and is still doing in my own.

Sara M., CA

Julie helped us find the best fit for our daughter from among many different types of colleges. Julie listened to my concerns as a parent as well as my daughter’s professional aspirations – she came up with some great recommendations. Despite the great fit, things were rocky for the first year, and Julie helped us work through some of the challenges that we faced with the institution, especially regarding learning accommodations. Overall, she has been an ongoing resource as my daughter pursues her education.

Sam B., CA

Professor Townsend worked with me to make sure that I had an array of opportunities and experiences that could help give me breadth and depth in my college experience. She helped me navigate my journey as a Fulbright applicant. I still think of Professor Townsend as one of the most important voices and actors in my young adulthood. I’ve got to experience her dedication to young people at time when I needed a thoughtful counselor to help me make the most of my college years. My four years of college would have been more intimidating and less fruitful without Professor Townsend to help me open myself to the opportunities available as a student. She helped me see openings and build relationships that made all the difference at that time in my life.

Elly R., CA

Dr. Oster pushed me to become a better writer, and to see the world in a different light. She was always honest with me, giving me feedback that in the long run would help me succeed in the academic world. Because Dr. Oster has such vast knowledge of college and what it means to go to college, there could not be a better person to have on your side. Whether you are applying for college, picking your major or deciding whether or not to go to college, Professor Oster is more than qualified to help you navigate that stressful time. Not to mention that your college essay will be given feedback from a literature Professor. With Dr. Oster on your team, you not only will find your voice while writing your college essay, but you will find it has been uplifted and amplified. By choosing Dr. Sharon Oster to be a part of your community, you will be choosing someone who will put you first and demand greatness of you in the warmest way. Take it from me, a past student who looks back on her college experience and feels lucky enough to have had such a wonderful professor like Dr. Oster.

Colleges and Universities

We have guided students on their paths into and through the following colleges and universities:

American University

Amherst College

Arizona State University

Barnard College

Bowdoin College

Brown University

Butler University

California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, San Bernardino

California State University, San Marcos

Carleton University

Chapman University

Claremont Graduate University

Claremont McKenna

Columbia University

Cooper Union

DePaul University

Elon University

Emerson College

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising

Fordham University

Harvard University

Indiana University, Bloomington

Lehigh University

Loma Linda University Medical School

Loyola Marymount University

McGill University

New York Academy of Art

New York University

Northwestern University

Occidental College

Oxford University

Pennsylvania State University

Pratt Institute

Reed College

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Rice University

San Diego State University

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

School of the Pacific

Seattle University, School of Law

Stanford University

State University of New York, Buffalo

Swarthmore College

Temple University

Tufts University

Tulane University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Kansas

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

University of New Mexico

University of Oregon

University of Toronto

University of Redlands, Counseling Program

University of Redlands, School of Education

University of Southern California

University of Texas

University of Utah

University of Virginia

University of Washington

Vanderbilt University

Wesleyan University

We have guided students to these Fulbright Destinations:

France

Germany

India

Mongolia

South Africa

Spain

We have guided students into these Post-Graduate and Non-academic programs:

Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme

National Geographic, Washington, D.C.

PeaceCorps

Pratt Fine Arts Center

Teach for America

The Wright Institute