Jain College Consulting - Palo Alto, California

Eric Lane

We proposed that our son work with Jyoti to help him in the college application process. Jyoti has worked diligently and professionally to keep our son on task and focused on the key deliverables required for timely application. She was flexible with her schedule and organized a team approach that kept everyone rowing in the same direction, even through some rough water. Regardless of the results of his applications (which we currently await), we know that Jyoti helped our son perform his best and submit his best effort for which we are very grateful. Thank you, Jyoti!

Sanjeev Kumar

We worked with Jyoti on college counseling for our son, who is headed to college this fall (Fall 2020). We also have an elder son who finished his undergraduate studies last year (Spring 2019).

Jyoti worked with our son to understand his personality, academic interests and extra-curricular activities in depth. This formed the basis for her research on different schools for him. She also educated us (parents) on the whole application process, required financial commitments, and what to expect at each stage of this process. Jyoti's suggestions on the reach, target and safety categories of schools were on the mark, including some that we were not aware of, but which in the end turned out to be an excellent fit.

For the applications, Jyoti was guiding our son regularly on his main and supplemental essays. She would first brainstorm the topic and relevant ideas about each essay before my son wrote the first draft. She guided him to think for himself and maintained "a healthy distance" such that his voice clearly came out through the essays. She also showed us how to track each and every deliverable that is part of each school's application. Jyoti also gave us tips on what to do / look-out for when visiting prospective schools. Finally, her inputs on selecting the final school amongst the ones our son got admitted to were invaluable.

Having worked with different college advisors, the striking aspect of Jyoti's work is her focus on understanding the student's personality and on the student in all aspects of the application process. Because of her efforts, our son ended up receiving admission to a larger number of schools, as well as to his dream school! We are quite thankful to have worked with her during the last year or so.

Valerie Nichols

Jyoti was the best! She helped my son write a college essay for a particular college he wanted to get into. She had the best insights on how to improve his essay and her suggestions were very very good, allowing my son to write a really great essay that he was proud of, in his own voice. In addition, she was very supportive, encouraging, and beyond helpful, making the process that much easier. She was just what my son needed, and I highly recommend her!

Jacqueline R. Orrell

Working with Jyoti was even better than expected. She helped our son through all the college application rabbit holes with tireless patience and support. She promised me she'd get him "to the finish line" and did, with flying colors. He was accepted to nine of his eleven choices. Jyoti's amazing. Worth every penny!

Jane Johnson

My son wrote his essay for a scholarship which I thought was pretty good. Then we asked Jyoti for help and I'm so glad we did. I was amazed at the insights she had to really make his essay personal. She spent a lot of time helping him dig deep so that his essay really reflected who my son is. The difference between the "before Jyoti's help essay" and "after Jyoti's help essay" was beyond compare. She was even able to combine her perfect grammar with my son's writing style so that it still maintained his voice. Working with her has been such a pleasure. She is kind, caring, patient, and encouraging. She was able to get the best out of my son because he saw that she was genuinely interested in him and helping him reach his goals. Her passion for helping others really shines through. I wish I could give her 10 stars.

Sujaya Mayya

Jyothi is an exceptional college consultant. She helped my son by engaging on a weekly basis with college research and planning in a structured manner. She helped identify a balanced college list and a solid application plan, taking advantage of both rolling and early action.

She provides good support for parents as well with any concerns or questions. She is very approachable. I remember first thing she got me started was some parent resources to understand how the college application system works, and what to expect which helps to have the right mindset for a parent to support the student during the stressful period of college application process.

Vishaal Jagannadhan

As a high school senior, I went to Jyoti to finalize my college list and for feedback on essays. In terms of the college list, Jyoti’s services were invaluable. Many applicants, including myself, often undervalue the process of creating a list of colleges that fit a student’s academic, social, and extracurricular needs--but the various personality-based surveys and response questions she posed me, in combination with close analysis of my activities and academics, helped me consolidate an optimal list of schools. I honestly believe that the amount of effort Jyoti put into helping me create a list has allowed me to learn more about myself in the process.
In terms of essays, Jyoti truly understands what colleges are looking for. Each of her edits constantly pushed me to add more depth into the values I tried to display in my essays--all while turning them into structured, cohesive works that I could be proud of. In fact, out of the many competitive and top-tier colleges I have heard back from so far, I have not been rejected from a single one--a true testament to Jyoti’s skill as a college counselor.
As a person, Jyoti is one of the most encouraging and kindest counselors I know. She genuinely cares about each student she works with and uses her perpetual optimism, energy, and creativity to really take the stress off the application process. I recommend her 100%.

Bryan Tomlinson

Jyoti is a wonderful and compassionate counselor. I am a college advisor at a non-profit in San Jose that serves first-generation and low-income students, supporting them towards four-year universities. I have invited Jyoti to work with our students on several occasions, both in a one-on-one and workshop settings. Each time, she demonstrates deep understanding of student challenges while pushing them to meet high expectations. Jyoti is a naturally inquisitive person, which lends itself to relationship building but also makes Jyoti a lifelong learner, an extremely important trait in a field where knowledge (about colleges, admissions processes, and students) is almost endless and constantly changing.

Jyoti is masterful at encouraging students to add depth and honesty to their essays. She helps students adopt the structure that colleges expect, but doesn't sacrifice authenticity for uniformity. She is skilled at helping students convey their desired message, and in their own voice. More than anything, Jyoti is personable and kind. She cares deeply about her students, and leverages her immense empathy and ingenuity to help students cut through the hype and apply to a list of colleges that will fit their academic and social needs.