Jodi Walder
Independent Educational Consultant Jodi is the founder and owner of College Admission Coach℠. She puts her drama degree from UC Irvine to good use, as she is overly dramatic when explaining why it is important to find a right-match college. She received her college counseling certification from UCLA, and since 2005, she has helped over 1000 students navigate the college admissions process and unabashedly admits that she is an application essay geek, since she loves a good story. During reading season, Jodi has worked as an application reader for a highly-selective east coast college. Jodi belongs to the following professional associations for college counselors: PNACAC (Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling), HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and PACCC (Portland Area College Counselors Consortium). She visits at least 25 colleges per year, collecting pennants everywhere, but only buying additional swag if the school color is purple. When she is not working with College Admission Coach℠ students, Jodi can be found hiking through the Columbia Gorge, keeping up with the reading for her two book groups, dancing in her living room, improvising healthy recipes or hanging with College Admission Cat Sherwood (as in: I "Sure Would" like to get into X College). [email protected] (503) 720-7114 Virtual or in-person in SW Portland, OR or Camas, WA |
Hi Jodi! I wanted to write as I approach graduation because you were such an influential person in my college journey. As a high schooler I was so unsure that I would be able to succeed at this school, however I am now about graduate summa cum laude with honors and distinction in biology. I got to play four years of softball, conduct independent research, and meet amazing people during my time at this school, and I have loved every second. I have a wonderfully supportive family, but you were really the first person in my life to push me to challenge myself, to convince me that I'm smart enough to do hard things, and to encourage me to dream big. You were the first person to ever tell me that I could be a doctor if I wanted to. And I decided I did want to be! Thanks in large part to your motivation and support, I will be attending Keck Medical School at USC this August to become a pediatric oncologist (hopefully). I can't fully express my gratitude, but please know your words meant a lot to me.
-Stephanie, student |
"Our daughter applied to three excellent schools with high entrance expectations. Not only was she accepted to all three, but they all made substantial merit-scholarship offers. Through your essay coaching she learned writing tips that will help her throughout college. I look forward to working with you again Jodi, when our other daughter is ready to apply to the colleges of her choice."
- Tim, parent I have to thank you, Jodi, for the privilege of how I get to spend my next four years, and my opportunities after that. I didn’t make anything easy, but you somehow still managed to push me ahead, putting me in a place where I finished all my college searching, essays and applications far sooner and with greater quality than the rest of my classmates. I was introduced to colleges I had never heard of, I was given access to professional-level editing and any questions I had was always answered. Thank you so much for what you have done for me. -Grant, student |