STUDENT TESTIMONY

When I first met Ms. Noteboom, I was vey hesitant to ask her for help on the college process because of the long line of students she already had. I was so wrong: she always made time for me and other students, and as a first-generation student, that help was life-changing. Ms. Noteboom was there for me when I needed guidance with my college essays, local scholarships, and even to write a Letter of Recommendation for my scholarships. I wouldn’t have been able to pay for my college education if it weren’t for Ms. Noteboom. 

During the college and scholarship application process, Mrs. Noteboom provided vital information about the process, timelines, what comes after, financial aid information, and prepared us for college level classes. Without the information she provided, the application process would have been 100 times harder. I was in her Writing Lab every day for months. Her help elevated my writing by calling me out and challenging me to write beyond what I thought I could. She helped me get into Caltech, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, and multiple other schools; she helped me earn multiple scholarships. She is also an all-around powerful female role model.

Ms. Noteboom aided me greatly with my college and scholarship essays. With her advice and guidance, I wrote a great essay describing myself in two pages. She is a brilliant teacher, but also a mentor with the knowledge and information to help you plan. I was accepted to Princeton and to my dream school, with a full ride. I could only have done it with Ms. Noteboom's assistance. She is an extraordinary college consultant.

Noteboom is a no-nonsense, get-it-done motivator. She pushes students to stay organized and understand that even if there's a lot to get done, it's possible as long as you put in the work. Her editing of my college essays has been essential to a lot of changes on my supplements, and her critique of my personal statement was ruthless, but it made it at least five times better.

Senior year was full of panic, anxiety, and situations where I needed to understand a system I knew nothing about quickly and perfectly, and for every essay draft, anxious tear, and happy acceptance scream, Boom was there. Most importantly, she was there for all of us, all at once, and for every senior class for the last 20 years. Boom knows everything there is to know about college, she has seen what works and what doesn’t, and she will support every kid she can to reach their fullest potential.

Noteboom encouraged me to pursue programs I wasn’t sure were possible for me. Her encouragement made me feel brave enough to take the leap and commit to a school across the country. Also, Noteboom dropped everything she was doing to help me with a letter of recommendation last minute, because she’s amazing and she cares.