Who Dana Helps

Dana works with high school students from 9th grade, current college students, transfer applicants, and graduate and professional school applicants, in the U.S. and abroad. Some students also want a college where a specific part of who they are will be supported, and those pages go into more detail.

Written by Dana Ponsky, independent college admissions counselor. Published 28 July 2026. Admissions policies change. Confirm anything time sensitive against the institution’s own published source.

By stage

  • High school students, starting as early as 9th grade
  • Current college students planning their next step
  • Transfer applicants
  • Graduate and professional school applicants
  • Families based in the United States and abroad

Where environment is part of fit

Some students are not only asking where they can get in, but where they will be supported once they arrive. These are the areas where Dana has real practice experience.

LGBTQ+ students

Finding a college where an LGBTQ+ student will thrive means looking at policy, health care and daily life, not just admissions odds. How Dana approaches campus environment.

Jewish students

Jewish life on campus varies enormously between institutions. How Dana helps families evaluate community, observance and climate as part of building a college list.

Transfer students

Transfer admission runs on its own logic: college grades lead, credits do not automatically move, and aid can look different. How Dana works with transfer applicants.

Graduate applicants

Graduate admission is program by program, not university by university. How Dana helps applicants choose programs and write personal statements that argue a case.

Applying from abroad

Applying to U.S. universities from another country adds credential translation, testing access, visas and time zones. Dana works with families in the U.S. and abroad.

Late starters

Starting in the fall of senior year is common and workable. What a compressed timeline changes, and what it does not.