I truly don’t know what I would have done without Elena. A family friend recommended her to us during my sophomore year, and I couldn’t be more grateful that they did. My family and I were completely lost when it came to the college application process, but Elena walked us through every step with incredible knowledge, patience, and care. She helped me focus and shape my interests in a way that made sense for me — not just to impress colleges, but also to grow as a person. She guided me toward schools that were the right fit and made sure I was doing everything I could to become a strong applicant. Thanks to her help, I felt confident in my applications. Her partner Dan was also amazing: even with limited time, he helped me raise my SAT score to the level which I originally would think possible. Beyond the logistics and deadlines, Elena was a crucial source of support during the most stressful part of my high school career. I absolutely recommend Elena to anyone navigating college admissions. She definitely made all the difference for me, and I’m incredibly thankful to have had her in my corner.

Working with Elena was one of the most grounding parts of my college application process. She brings a thoughtful, patient approach and draws on her background in psychology to understand each applicant as a whole person. Elena helped me shape my essays and overall application with intention, thinking critically about each response (even if I was tempted to settle). She was always willing to revisit ideas until they genuinely reflected my voice. The college admissions process can be incredibly stressful, and Elena was not only a knowledgeable guide but also a reassuring presence throughout. I also want to highlight Dan Block, an outstanding SAT preparation specialist. His clear teaching and strategic guidance was unparalleled and essential to my success on the exam.

Thank you for shepherding us through this messy process and for helping  us stay sane. We learned a lot about ourselves and about our son through  the journey, and are very grateful for that. There are so many good things to say about working with you. Your  insights, advice, suggestions were spot on. You kept it real, but were  always positive and helped our son stay positive. You let him know that the  decisions were his to make, and even respected his decision not to apply  ED (we were a bit nervous). Above all, however, what we are most grateful for is that you gave him the  confidence to be himself and to truly speak in the first person regarding his  goals and interests, all of which will continue to serve him well! His essays  were so authentically him! We are confident that Columbia is a good fit for him and look forward to this  next adventure. We will stay in touch. Thank you for everything, Elena!

As someone who was incredibly uninformed of the entire college application process, Elena completely guided me through everything. She provided ample resources for me, be it by having professionals review my essays or by personally helping me brainstorm interests and activities for the Common App. Her scheduling helped keep me on track, and took away a lot of the stress I would have felt had I gone through this process alone. I felt that every essay review by her writing coach left my supplementals stronger, and felt very comfortable talking to her about any concerns or comments on my work. While studying for the SAT, I also was guided through this process by her colleague Dan. He provided excellent tutoring and raised my first practice score by 170 points! He made it very easy to understand the different techniques used on these types of tests, and also helped me not fall behind with my review. Overall I would—and have—recommended their services to my friends going through this process, since they truly helped me achieve the results and get into my dream colleges.

Elena was truly the best in my college application process. She helped me get organized, stay on track, and bring out the best version of myself on paper. Her guidance with writing and editing my essays made me a much stronger writer, and she knew exactly how to shape my Common App into something compelling. I genuinely don’t think I would’ve gotten into Cornell without her help. She made the process less stressful and so much more rewarding. I’m incredibly grateful for her support every step of the way

Elena Polenova proved exceptionally helpful to me and my son as the latter was considering his university application process from the UK high school to the US colleges. Her experience and understanding of the process helped guide us to various summer programs which helped shape my son in making a better university decision. She also advised on how he should best channel his personality and experiences to stand out in his university essays. I strongly recommend Elena and her team to anyone considering a university application - and to get involved with them as soon as possible in this process.

I cannot say enough good things about Elena. My son was accepted at seven of the eight schools to which he applied and there is no question Elena played an essential role in that success. Throughout the process of working with Henry, Elena became a close friend and someone I admire deeply. It’s hard to imagine a more skilled and sensitive guide through such an angst-ridden journey. She helped keep both my son, my wife, and I sane. Working with her unquestionably avoided a lot of tension in our household. Time and time again, Elena managed to walk the line with Henry of being encouraging and helpful while also upholding accountability. She is highly emotionally intelligent, and was really focused on learning all she could about who Henry is as a student and a person, and then using that understanding to help him reach his own conclusion about what was the right school for him and the best way of getting in there. Elena was easy to reach via email, text or phone, and found time for us whenever we needed it. She also does the little things that can make a big difference in the process—finding out which schools have strong programs in a given interest, digging up helpful website links, tracking down the right people to contact in a department, relevant testimonials, etc. The little things that actually made a difference in my son’s decision making process. We really miss being in touch with her!

Deepest gratitude to Elena and her team, for the incredible time and dedication she devoted to understanding our son’s goals and interests, as well as for the invaluable advice she offered throughout this journey. Her expertise, thoughtful guidance at every step, and support with application materials, essay reviews, and overall strategy were instrumental in helping our son make well-informed decisions. We are truly grateful for Elena’s professionalism and patience, which made the entire process much smoother for our family. We’re thrilled about what lies ahead for our son. As a result of Elena and her team’s exceptional support, our son was accepted to Oxford, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, UCLA, Johns Hopkins and several other outstanding universities. Elena’s extra-mile commitment, particularly in refining his essays, played a crucial role in his success—and his earning a prestigious scholarship. It’s been a long journey, but the outcome has been incredibly rewarding. Elena has been a truly remarkable mentor, and her impact on our son’s achievements is immeasurable. From the bottom of our hearts, we are grateful to Elena for everything!

When I first started the college admissions process, I didn’t know where to start. Everything was so overwhelming, and although I knew that I wanted to find a college I loved, I didn’t know how to. From my first meeting with Elena, all that changed. Elena helped me create a clear plan to get through the next six months of work. She linked me with an excellent SAT tutor (who helped raise my score 120 points), recommended colleges she knew I would love, explained the behind-the-scenes of the college admissions process, turned my ideas from rough ideas to polished finished products, and encouraged me the  whole time. Elena is an excellent professional, and shared her years of  experience with the sole intention of finding my best-fit college. As a person,  Elena is funny, no-nonsense, and incredibly kind. I couldn’t be more happy with  my decision to reach out to her. Next year, I will attend Middlebury College. I  am so excited! I couldn’t have done it without Elena. I cannot recommend her  more highly. I wish you the best in your application process!

I don’t know what I would have done without Elena and her expertise!  She helped with the college application process beyond anything I  expected. Her advice, input and knowledge was amazing and so much  appreciated. I am so grateful she was part of it. It really takes the stress  away from the child and the family during the college application process.  You enjoy the experience of finding the perfect college for your child. I have referred her to my friends and I will absolutely use her for my next  child.

I can not speak highly enough about my experience with Elena. I was initially so nervous about the college application process, but with her abundant knowledge, resources, and support, all my worries disappeared. She supported me in every aspect of the college process, whether that was mental support, guidance and advice when exploring my options, or answering any and all of my questions at a moment's notice. She was brutally honest with me about everything, and in turn I could be honest and comfortable with her. Elena was more than a resource. She was a friend and an amazing support system during a stressful and uncertain time. She was always honest with me about everything, and in turn I  could be honest and comfortable with her.I especially appreciated that Elena's main focus is finding a college where her students will be happy. She doesn't base her recommendations on any ranking or online list. She truly cares about finding the perfect fit for her students, and wishes for their happiness, success, and well-being above anything else. She takes the time to connect with her students on a personal level, and it makes all the difference. Overall, Elena connected me with resources and opportunities that I never would have had access to prior to applying to college. In addition, during the actual application process, she treated each and every application with so much thought, time, and effort. Elena approaches the college application process with such passion, love, humor, and a genuine care for her students. I couldn't be more grateful for her help, and I would highly recommend her to all.

Our experience working with Elena over the course of three years  and culminating in our son getting multiple college offers,  including many with significant financial packages, was nothing  short of extraordinary. The genuine care with which she undertook every interaction resulted in a trusted relationship  between her and our son, which meant that when it came time to  write and submit applications, our involvement was minimal. That  meant that our son felt truly empowered in the process, which  helped prepare him for the rigor of university life. We started working with Elena during the summer of freshman  year. She both supported his interests and helped guide him  towards extracurricular activities that would serve to enrich his education, making him a better candidate for college admissions. When it came time to take standardized tests, her  test prep partner Dan was simply extraordinary, helping our son  raise his already high score to amazing on the SAT. More  importantly, throughout the process, my son was empowered to  be not just an active participant, but to take ownership of his  education. We have already recommended her to numerous  families, and in each case the results have been similarly  remarkable. Elena doesn't just help a kid get into college; Elena  ensures that a child is well matched with his choices, that the  child is engaged and actively participating, resulting in a very  positive college admissions process.

Elena was the most important piece to my admission process. As the oldest  child in my family, I was very naive about the process and would have become  lost in the essays and communications with all of the universities. Her great  experience in this field is an incredible asset. With Elena's commitment to me  and my goals, she developed into not only a mentor but honestly a friend,  with whom I could talk freely, and for whom I had and will have a continuous  respect and gratitude. I can not speak any more highly of Elena, nor thank her  enough for everything she has done.

Elena has been our college counseling ‘guardian angel’ since she first started  working with my daughter on her college search last year. Elena walked with  us on a complicated journey over many months as we navigated each step.  She advised us on every aspect of our search, including on college options,  testing strategies, applications, visits, and interviews. Elena is always patient, generous with her time, extremely knowledgeable, and caring. She is also wonderfully straightforward and direct, and her approach is exactly what we needed to help our daughter choose the best college for her. As a result of Elena’s hard work with our family, our daughter gained admission to several extremely competitive colleges, including her top choice. Thank you, Elena!!!

I highly recommend Dr. Elena Polenova to families and students, who are thinking about college admission, are going to start the process, or are in the process. I have experience with other providers and she stands out because of her genuine care for kids, for their success and well -being. She goes out of her way to find the best opportunities for increasing college acceptance chances and she has an extensive network that enables her to do that. She can relate to both teenagers and parents, to people of different cultural and economic backgrounds. Her experience, intelligence, knowledge, integrity, and warmth help to remove a lot of stress from the process.

Elena was by my side through every step of the college application process. She was always respectful of my own wishes and did thorough research to find schools that would be a good fit for me. She also has an amazing network of editors and matched me up with one that clicked with my writing style and took my essays to the next level. She is one of the most caring people I know, and I don't know if I would be at CMU today without her guidance!

Elena is not only highly professional herself. Everybody she works with is exceptional. Dan tutors SAT as nobody else can! He helped me to increase my scores by 250 points! Her copy editor was thorough yet respectful for my personal style. I could not be happier with this team!

I am happy there is a place where I can share how great Dr. Elena Polenova was for us. She provided invaluable advice to us starting when we were deciding on a boarding high school for my daughter. Elena continued helping us all the way through college applications. She helped orient us through schools and majors and then took everything steps further as she helped my daughter with perfecting her applications so she could represent her best self that we saw in her. Elena is very supportive and truly understands both family needs and child's interests and strengths. My daughter is a happy sophomore now at NYU!

Elena’s advice was invaluable throughout the process. Her recommendations on building relations with favorite schools definitely strengthen our daughter’s chances. Her guidance was particularly important when it came to choosing a school for Early Decision . She even helped us to negotiate a financial aid award. Thank you!

Elena is not just very knowledgeable. What sets her apart is her love and understanding of teenagers and her rapport with them. Her guidance helps young people to discover themselves, their strengths, and increase their confidence. She is equally attentive and respectful to family goals and dreams. With her guidance my son was able to make decisions which landed him in his first-choice school.