The college admissions process can be confusing, stressful, and overwhelming. It is possible to reduce students' stress, to ease the tension between parents and students, and even to make selecting and applying to colleges a rewarding experience for the entire family. I can help!

I have assisted hundreds of students with the college search and admissions process. With an M.Ed. in counseling, I worked for six years as a high school counselor in private, public, and charter schools. Because of my counseling background, I am able to help students and families with the emotional aspects of the process in addition to the academic and procedural ones. As an independent college consultant, I focus exclusively on my passion of helping students find and apply to the colleges that are right for them.

I connect with students and truly enjoy helping them plan for their lives after high school. I have visited dozens of colleges and universities throughout the U.S., where I have met with admissions officers to learn about their schools' approaches to the admissions process. I am a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

About Me

Sara Zessar, M.Ed., brings her experience as a high school counselor to the world of independent college counseling. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Sara began her career as a Teach for America teacher in St. Louis, where she taught high school English. Through this experience, Sara discovered that she had a passion for helping students prepare for post-secondary education.

Sara holds a Master’s degree in counseling from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She worked for six years as a high school counselor in private, public, and charter schools, where she helped hundreds of students with the college search and admissions process. Sara connects with students and enjoys spending time getting to know them in order to provide them with the best possible advice as they plan for their lives after high school. Because of her counseling background, she is able to help students and families with the emotional aspects of college admissions in addition to the academic and procedural ones.

As a college counselor for both schools and non-profit organizations, Sara gained the expertise to guide students in college selection and admission. For example, she created a college planning program for 9th and 10th graders to help them understand the college admissions process early in their high school years, so they could be better prepared for and have more options in higher education. She also designed and taught an ACT prep curriculum to help students succeed on standardized tests.

Sara has visited dozens of colleges throughout the United States, where she has met with admissions officers to learn about their schools’ approach to the admissions process. Additionally, she has attended many professional development workshops and conferences dedicated to college counseling.

As a member of Washington University’s Alumni and Parents Admission Program, Sara interviewed undergraduate applicants and wrote evaluative reports for the university’s admissions office. She also volunteered for College Summit, a non-profit organization focused on increasing college enrollment rates among low-income students. Sara is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and presented sessions at HECA’s 2021 and 2022 conferences. She is also a member of College Consultants of Colorado (CCC), for which she served as Chair in 2017 and was on the advisory board from 2019-2021.

Specialty Areas

Students Enrolled