"I had the most amazing experience working with Stephanie and could not recommend her more! Before this year, I knew little about the college application process and I was very nervous to begin. Stephanie made the whole process so comfortable and easy for both me and my parents. She was always available when I needed her help and truly cares about me and my future. Even though applying for colleges can be overwhelming, Stephanie relieved so much of the stress."

"We had a tremendous experience with The College Jump Start. One of the concerns my wife and I had was that we would "miss something" when it came time for our son to apply to college. This was our first experience with the process so we needed clarity and direction. Stephanie Vitanzo at The College Jump Start was exactly what we were hoping to find. She worked with my son weekly to help him choose the type of colleges that he wanted to attend and then made sure he met all the application deadlines. In their sessions, she helped him craft an effective and powerful essay. And through it all, she kept my wife and I apprised of how the process was going with detailed session notes. If anything was amiss, she would let us know so that we could get things back on track. One of the most important things she provides is the emotional support parents and children need during this stressful time. There are so many questions, and often times confusion, during the process. As a family, tensions can get high as we try to navigate it all. Having someone like Stephanie there to help guide us was so important. She was always there for us when we had random questions--with a text/call, even on weekends. I can't recommend her enough to parents who are considering a college advisor. Oh, and our son got into his first choice university!"

"We thought Stephanie was terrific. She was so incredibly helpful. Right from the beginning she kept our daughter on track and was so patient with my husband and me. We honestly did not know where to begin it had been so long since our college days. And things have really changed. Stephanie was extremely organized and offered so much feedback about the process, including letting us know when our daughter needed a little “push”! Just the process of coming up with a list of colleges and why she wanted to go to the ones she chose was really daunting. Stephanie worked through it with our daughter and the two of them ultimately applied to with our blessing. Stephanie’s step by step approach and detail work was so important to our daughter’s ultimate success-including the way she felt at the end of the process. She went from having so much anxiety about college, to feeling confident and good about herself for having gone through the work with Stephanie. Our daughter was accepted to all of the target schools she applied to including her top choice! Stephanie has also been an excellent resource for us in moving towards trying to figure out the finances. She was fun to work with and my daughter adores her. We would recommend her 100%!!"

"We cannot thank Stephanie enough for jumping in on such short notice and helping our daughter out. She was an integral part of getting her "unstuck". The services that Stephanie provided are invaluable to the parent, but more importantly to the student embarking on the college process. Stephane was instrumental in focusing my highschool senior and providing guidance with regard to the essay process."

"I recently worked with Stephanie during my college application process and she was such a great help to me. She worked with me on my applications and college research and was extremely helpful in identifying the college that was my best fit. She made this process less stressful and a whole lot more enjoyable!"

“The dreaded college process… It is so difficult to navigate, but Stephanie made the experience smooth, less stressful and organized. Not only did Stephanie take the time to truly get to know my student, but was so easy to talk to and available whenever we had questions. Stephanie was positive, engaging and empathized with our struggles. Her communication skills are unprecedented and most importantly she listened. Stephanie never made us feel like our questions were foolish and explained everything so clearly and fully. Stephanie guided my student to finding his ideal school, helped him create a solid resume, and kept him organized with his applications. Stephanie made sure all essay questions were complete and made sure they were answered at the best of his ability. She gave useful and thoughtful suggestions and guidance. Stephanie also instilled confidence in my student, empowering him to contact schools that he was interested in to ask further questions or advice. She was honest and kind when we sat down to determine what schools my student qualified for and we created a reach, safety and target school list. Our family was also dealing with some extenuating circumstances that made our financial aid process a bit more complicated and Stephanie was there to make calls for us and find out what we had to do to make sure all paperwork was filed correctly. The list of things Stephanie provided to us and helped us with could go on and on.Stephanie knows what she is doing and it is quite obvious she is an expert in the field. Without hesitation, I would highly recommend Stephanie and her services. It lifted such a burden from our family’s shoulders knowing that we had Stephanie on our side helping to lead us through this ever changing, extremely complicated process. She was a pleasure to work and we couldn’t have done it without her.”

"Stephanie is what every family needs when going through this exciting and stressful process. First and foremost- she understand the kids/young adults and builds a trusting rapport. She helps them to see who they are and where they might have success- often very out of the box thinking which is great! Second- and just as important- she preserves your relationship with your college bound child so that you the parent are not reminding, tracking , worrying etc. As a parent you are able to know what’s going on with her detailed notes and she’s very accessible for quick check ins and meetings. I feel like my student gained a third parent/cheerleader in this process and she has many options already! Thank you Stephanie!"

"My son worked with Stephanie in the fall of 2022. Our experience with her was outstanding. Stephanie is highly skilled, responsive and affable. An added bonus is her wonderful sense of humor! She played a critical role in my son's college application. We highly recommend her!"New List Item

"Stephanie is an absolute rock star of a counselor. Professional, inclusive, and always eager to have a positive impact on someone's day, her expertise is vast and her ability to establish a quality rapport with anyone, young and old alike, is impressive to say the least. Her interpersonal skills are impeccable, and she is always thinking two or three steps ahead to accomplish a goal or foresee potential challenges in the road. I cannot help but give Stephanie a huge shout-out and commend her for her fantastic work!"

"Stephanie has been brilliant, she started working with my son just over eight weeks ago and immediately started understanding where he could improve on his vocabulary and grammar. Going through various applications Stephanie also assisted with how to answer and understand questions but at the same time setting assignments for my son to self complete. Stephanie is easy to work with and always follows up after each session."

"I recall when we met Stephanie that we were so worried about the college process for our daughter and how it would play out! We have come a long way from where we were last summer. Stephanie has given us tremendous support and guidance and did a lot to calm our nerves. Stephanie is responsive and really gets it. Thank you for your patience in answering all our questions."

”Stephanie is such a wonderful, talented and insightful person. With her vast experience in Higher Education and College Student Affairs, she has a wealth of knowledge to offer rising college students. I have experience working with Stephanie as her colleague and friend, and I am confident that she will help you get on the track to college that's right for you! ”