"Deborah Shames is the best! Extremely knowledgeable, she really knows her schools and her students and how to make the best fit. Kids love her and parents can relax a bit in this arduous process. I have recommended her to other parents and kids and she always hits a home run!"
FP, (Parent) Hoboken, NJ
"Deb helped me find the perfect college for my academic needs and social interests. She also gave me excellent advice for getting accepted."
JG (student) Hillsdale, NJ
"Deborah truly helped me get through what I consider the most difficult time in my life. My dream school, Ithaca College, had deferred me after I had applied early decision. I was afraid I would have nowhere to go. But Deborah didn’t lose faith in my achievements or me. She encouraged me to apply to other schools on my list while encouraging me not to lose hope. To my delight, I was soon accepted to five other schools and ultimately, Ithaca accepted me in April! "
SR (student) Rivervale, NJ
"Deb's help throughout the admission process was invaluable. She is an essential resource for students seeking admission into competitive colleges."
EG (parent) Hillsdale, NJ
"My husband and I hired Deb Shames to work with our son in the winter of his junior year of high school. We felt that we would need additional guidance in not only selecting schools for him to apply to, but in navigating the whole admissions process. During our initial meetings with Deb, she took a great deal of time getting to know not only our son, but us as well. Deb created a kind of “team approach” to admissions for our family, with each of us knowing our role, deadlines etc.. This approach helped to ease our anxiety about the process and broke it down into manageable steps for us.
Deb and our son developed a realistic, manageable list of schools for our son to consider based on his particular preferences and needs. Her help in organizing the processing of the applications and editing essays was invaluable. Our son responded well to Deb's suggestions and comments.
Our son decided to apply to a school in the early decision pool, and Deb was right there with us every step of the way, including calling me the night before decisions were announced to give a pep talk! Deb really cares about the families she works with, and it is evident in her work.
We would highly recommend Deb Shames as a counselor to assist in the entire college preparation and application process."
EFL/RJL (parents) Wyckoff, NJ
