Testimonials
From Parents:
We have found the path to college complex and difficult to navigate; both for us and our student. There are so many decisions to make and so many pieces to put together. From the first admission application to the last credit hour he needs to graduate, if we make one simple mistake or one seemingly innocuous decision, it could equal, at least, an extra semester for our student and the extra expense for us. College requirements change constantly and trying to stay informed of those changes is exhausting and frustrating.Karen knows the system inside and out; from the beginning to the end. She confidently led us through this large-scale, oftentimes overwhelming process by first getting to know our student’s interests and helping him choose a major. She then used that information to help plan the college path that was most beneficial to him; time-wise, financially, and, most importantly, in the best interest of his future. She continues to make herself and her vast knowledge available to us and our student anytime we have a question or a concern. Not only has she saved us time and money, but we are confident our student will graduate successfully on time and feeling great about the choices he’s made for his future. (Debbie and Bob - Villa Park, IL)
From Students:
Working with Mrs. Daluga proved to be a great experience. The emotional and mental roller coaster that is the college admissions process was daunting at first but with her level of knowledge about a wide variety of colleges and the financial aid process my stress disappeared. Her input and advice was indispensable as well as critical in helping me focus on priorities and meet important deadlines. Specifically her guidance in the essay writing process was incredible. I found my writing improving every time I brought a draft to her. The final results were incredible. I highly recommend her to any and all future college applicants. (Samson - Lombard, IL)
Mrs. Daluga was a great person to work with. She made sure I could feel confident about my essays and really helped me to show who I was through my writing. Mrs. Daluga helped me find colleges I would be comfortable in and since she’s visited so many of the colleges she recommends she knows what she is talking about when she helps you choose where to go. She was supportive and encouraging but honest. She was really easy to talk to and talked to me honestly about my applications and admission chances. Also I have to give a lot of credit to her for helping me choose my major. I wrote an essay for her to edit and because she is so insightful and observant, she knew me quite well after meeting me only a few times and she was able to tell that it wasn’t an essay that described me honestly. She started asking me questions about myself to help me think about what I wanted to do in college and what I should write about. Mrs. Daluga really helped me figure out what I love doing and encouraged me to write about it in my essays as well as pursue it in college. Mrs. Daluga is smart and helpful and I was really fortunate to work with her. Anyone that gets the chance to work with her is lucky. (Samantha - Lombard, IL)
Mrs. Daluga was a tremendous help in the college admissions process for me! I'd recommend her because of her depth of knowledge, wisdom, and insight. She was a huge asset when it came to shaping the style and content of my essays. Whenever I asked questions about the process, my chances, or anything else, she always had an honest and informed answer. Despite the loads of essays and forms, she was always dedicated to helping me achieve my goals. But it's outside of knowing the "nuts and bolts" of the process that sets Mrs. Daluga a cut above other admissions counselors. Even though admissions cycle is one of the most stressful periods for teenagers (myself included), I always felt relaxed around Mrs. Daluga. She never put any pressure on me and I felt I could talk to her as if I were talking to one of my friends. Ultimately, I know that I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in without the help of Mrs. Daluga. (David - Lombard, IL)
I would without a doubt recommend Mrs. Daluga to another student. When starting to apply to colleges, I did not have any idea where to start and with applying to twenty different schools, this was difficult. Mrs. Daluga helped me through everything with my application process from online applications to writing essays. She also encouraged me so much throughout my college search. I now have so many different schools to choose from, and would not have been able to do it without Mrs. Daluga. (Callie - Downers Grove, IL)
Before seeing Mrs. Daluga I had four colleges on my list. After seeing her I expanded my list to nineteen possible college choices—only one of my original picks transferred over to my new and improved list. The first meeting with Mrs. Daluga I learned not only were there colleges I have never heard of, but these “hidden” universities were better equipped to meet my needs than my original four. There is nothing wrong with going to big schools. What was wrong was that I was so ignorant in my search that I did not realize that the big-named, prestigious schools I was looking at not only had poorer programs in my major, but they did not even offer half the opportunities that some of the small liberal arts schools presented. I’d recommend Mrs. Daluga to students who are not too sure about where they want to go to college. I’d recommend Mrs. Daluga to those students who do think they know where they want to go to school. Remember, I thought I knew where I wanted to go, but now I’ve decided to go a top ranked liberal arts school, rather than the large state school I was so sure of going to. Mrs. Daluga has more knowledge about the college circuit than any counselor I have ever met; she can make sure you find that school where you feel like it was made for you. I am indebted to Mrs. Daluga. If it was not for her I could be going to a big state school just because of the name, but instead I took the time, picked a school where they meet all my needs, and in addition I will get the most solid education possible. (Paul)
It seems hardly surprising that we spend so much of our young lives preparing for the future. What can be more important than planning for what you want to do with your life? How much money do I want to make? Where do I want to work? I want to be my own boss! These topics become our obsession and often times, obstacles to our success. With this said, I feel fortunate that I have worked with Mrs. Daluga. She has taken the time to assist me in choosing the perfect major and college in which I can obtain the degree to have the future I have been dreaming of. (Taryn - Villa Park, IL)
Going away to college is a little more difficult than opening a college acceptance letter and choosing a school. You need to declare a major, talk with advisers, and find a place to live. The college planning process would have been very difficult for me, and I am sure that I would have missed something along the way if it was not for Mrs. Daluga’s help. She helped me plan my classes, found me a place to live, and helped me develop a relationship with my adviser before I even left for school. After graduating high school, the last thing I wanted to do was plan my future, but Mrs. Daluga’s enthusiasm and excitement immediately changed my mind. Two years into my college experience she continues to check up on me and help me in ways that a person who is not familiar with the in's and out's of the college system could ever do. (Ryan - Villa Park, IL)
We have found the path to college complex and difficult to navigate; both for us and our student. There are so many decisions to make and so many pieces to put together. From the first admission application to the last credit hour he needs to graduate, if we make one simple mistake or one seemingly innocuous decision, it could equal, at least, an extra semester for our student and the extra expense for us. College requirements change constantly and trying to stay informed of those changes is exhausting and frustrating.Karen knows the system inside and out; from the beginning to the end. She confidently led us through this large-scale, oftentimes overwhelming process by first getting to know our student’s interests and helping him choose a major. She then used that information to help plan the college path that was most beneficial to him; time-wise, financially, and, most importantly, in the best interest of his future. She continues to make herself and her vast knowledge available to us and our student anytime we have a question or a concern. Not only has she saved us time and money, but we are confident our student will graduate successfully on time and feeling great about the choices he’s made for his future. (Debbie and Bob - Villa Park, IL)
From Students:
Working with Mrs. Daluga proved to be a great experience. The emotional and mental roller coaster that is the college admissions process was daunting at first but with her level of knowledge about a wide variety of colleges and the financial aid process my stress disappeared. Her input and advice was indispensable as well as critical in helping me focus on priorities and meet important deadlines. Specifically her guidance in the essay writing process was incredible. I found my writing improving every time I brought a draft to her. The final results were incredible. I highly recommend her to any and all future college applicants. (Samson - Lombard, IL)
Mrs. Daluga was a great person to work with. She made sure I could feel confident about my essays and really helped me to show who I was through my writing. Mrs. Daluga helped me find colleges I would be comfortable in and since she’s visited so many of the colleges she recommends she knows what she is talking about when she helps you choose where to go. She was supportive and encouraging but honest. She was really easy to talk to and talked to me honestly about my applications and admission chances. Also I have to give a lot of credit to her for helping me choose my major. I wrote an essay for her to edit and because she is so insightful and observant, she knew me quite well after meeting me only a few times and she was able to tell that it wasn’t an essay that described me honestly. She started asking me questions about myself to help me think about what I wanted to do in college and what I should write about. Mrs. Daluga really helped me figure out what I love doing and encouraged me to write about it in my essays as well as pursue it in college. Mrs. Daluga is smart and helpful and I was really fortunate to work with her. Anyone that gets the chance to work with her is lucky. (Samantha - Lombard, IL)
Mrs. Daluga was a tremendous help in the college admissions process for me! I'd recommend her because of her depth of knowledge, wisdom, and insight. She was a huge asset when it came to shaping the style and content of my essays. Whenever I asked questions about the process, my chances, or anything else, she always had an honest and informed answer. Despite the loads of essays and forms, she was always dedicated to helping me achieve my goals. But it's outside of knowing the "nuts and bolts" of the process that sets Mrs. Daluga a cut above other admissions counselors. Even though admissions cycle is one of the most stressful periods for teenagers (myself included), I always felt relaxed around Mrs. Daluga. She never put any pressure on me and I felt I could talk to her as if I were talking to one of my friends. Ultimately, I know that I wouldn't be in the position that I'm in without the help of Mrs. Daluga. (David - Lombard, IL)
I would without a doubt recommend Mrs. Daluga to another student. When starting to apply to colleges, I did not have any idea where to start and with applying to twenty different schools, this was difficult. Mrs. Daluga helped me through everything with my application process from online applications to writing essays. She also encouraged me so much throughout my college search. I now have so many different schools to choose from, and would not have been able to do it without Mrs. Daluga. (Callie - Downers Grove, IL)
Before seeing Mrs. Daluga I had four colleges on my list. After seeing her I expanded my list to nineteen possible college choices—only one of my original picks transferred over to my new and improved list. The first meeting with Mrs. Daluga I learned not only were there colleges I have never heard of, but these “hidden” universities were better equipped to meet my needs than my original four. There is nothing wrong with going to big schools. What was wrong was that I was so ignorant in my search that I did not realize that the big-named, prestigious schools I was looking at not only had poorer programs in my major, but they did not even offer half the opportunities that some of the small liberal arts schools presented. I’d recommend Mrs. Daluga to students who are not too sure about where they want to go to college. I’d recommend Mrs. Daluga to those students who do think they know where they want to go to school. Remember, I thought I knew where I wanted to go, but now I’ve decided to go a top ranked liberal arts school, rather than the large state school I was so sure of going to. Mrs. Daluga has more knowledge about the college circuit than any counselor I have ever met; she can make sure you find that school where you feel like it was made for you. I am indebted to Mrs. Daluga. If it was not for her I could be going to a big state school just because of the name, but instead I took the time, picked a school where they meet all my needs, and in addition I will get the most solid education possible. (Paul)
It seems hardly surprising that we spend so much of our young lives preparing for the future. What can be more important than planning for what you want to do with your life? How much money do I want to make? Where do I want to work? I want to be my own boss! These topics become our obsession and often times, obstacles to our success. With this said, I feel fortunate that I have worked with Mrs. Daluga. She has taken the time to assist me in choosing the perfect major and college in which I can obtain the degree to have the future I have been dreaming of. (Taryn - Villa Park, IL)
Going away to college is a little more difficult than opening a college acceptance letter and choosing a school. You need to declare a major, talk with advisers, and find a place to live. The college planning process would have been very difficult for me, and I am sure that I would have missed something along the way if it was not for Mrs. Daluga’s help. She helped me plan my classes, found me a place to live, and helped me develop a relationship with my adviser before I even left for school. After graduating high school, the last thing I wanted to do was plan my future, but Mrs. Daluga’s enthusiasm and excitement immediately changed my mind. Two years into my college experience she continues to check up on me and help me in ways that a person who is not familiar with the in's and out's of the college system could ever do. (Ryan - Villa Park, IL)
