Applying to college doesn’t have to be stressful.
Dana Ponsky, Your Guide to College
Dana Ponsky is an independent college admissions counselor with more than 20 years of experience. She guides students and families through every step of the process, from building a college list to submitting a standout application, working with students from 9th grade through graduate school in the U.S. and abroad. Every student works directly with Dana.
Schedule a 15 minute call- 20+ years guiding students and families
- 86 colleges students have been admitted to past 5 years
- 1:1 every student works directly with Dana never handed to an associate
Meet Dana
Dana Ponsky guides students in college admissions by simplifying the process of choosing and getting into their top colleges and graduate programs. She works with students as early as 9th grade through college graduation, and supports the whole family through the process, not just the applicant.
Dana's background in college and graduate school admissions counseling, career counseling, and student development spans over 20 years, at both the high school and collegiate level. She works with high school students, college students, and families based in the U.S. and abroad, giving them the tools to build a strong application and, more importantly, what they need for long term success in college and beyond.
Dana's approach to college admissions: the C.A.M.P.U.S. framework
Clarity
You always know where you stand and what happens next. Dana tracks every deadline and next step, so families can spend their attention on the decisions that actually matter.
Authentic
Every student is different, so every plan is different. Dana looks for the angle that shows a student at their strongest, in their own voice rather than a template.
Match
Dana's working knowledge of thousands of colleges, combined with a student's interests, character and goals, produces a list built on fit rather than rankings.
Personal
Dana values each person for who they are and what they hope to accomplish. In person or virtually, in the United States or abroad, she challenges and supports students to be the best version of themselves.
Unhurried
There is a structure, and it tells you what happens this month and what can wait until next. Deadlines stop arriving as surprises, so the work gets done at a pace that feels calm instead of frantic.
Strategic
Where to apply, when to apply and how to present. Dana has guided students into 86 colleges over the past 5 years, plus top medical, law, MBA and graduate programs.
Questions Families Ask First
When should we start working with a college counselor?
Many families start as early as 9th grade, which leaves time to plan a course schedule, think through testing, and explore interests before the application season arrives. Juniors, seniors, transfer applicants and graduate school applicants can all start whenever they reach out.
How is this different from my school counselor?
School counselors often carry hundreds of students and many responsibilities beyond college advising. Dana works with a small number of families at a time, so every student works directly with her and gets a plan built around their own timeline.
What does the first call cost?
Nothing. The first call is 15 minutes, free, and carries no obligation. It exists so both sides can work out whether this is a good fit.
What families say
There’s no one I trust more with college admissions!
I had the pleasure of having Ms. Ponsky work with two of my daughters in the college application process. As foreigners, we didn’t understand how it all worked, and with her guidance and knowledge the process was smooth and very successful for everybody.
Applying to college was not a calm time in my life, and without Dana Ponsky I probably would have exploded. She kept me on top of deadlines, and her honesty brought me down to earth. She made me feel confident that I was doing my best, and that if I didn’t get in, it would be okay. In the end I ended up exactly where I wanted to be.
A track record you can check
Over the past 5 years, Dana's students have been admitted to 86 colleges and universities, from large state schools to highly selective institutions. See where they got in.
See the acceptance list