Celtic College Consultants

"As our family prepared to send our first child to college, Katherine helped us to unravel the mysteries of college entry. Like any valued professional services provider, she defines duties and timelines for both herself and her client from the outset, making sure that the student, her parents, and Katherine all have a time-sensitive list of action items toward meeting a successful outcome. Our child ended up at a great school and field of study that she feels are made for her. If your family needs a college advisor who is well-informed and who calls it as she sees it, then I recommend you hire Katherine O'Brien."

T.H., Rancho Bernardo, CA

To interested parents and students:

Our family has been using Celtic College Consultants' services… and are quite happy with the service and care we've received. Katherine has helped us stay focused on the process of finding the right school, meeting the entrance requirements, and beginning to pull together the financial aid package we will need.

We have really been getting our money's worth.

B. E.
El Cajon, CA

It is priceless to have someone other than me advising the girls - my kids hear the parent's voice from Peanuts (wha wha wha) when I speak. The other week I had a meltdown worrying about one of my daughters and the possibility of her EVER being successful. Katherine's response was "how soon can you get her here?". After Aimee met with her she was a different person.

The school counselors are not in touch with how things have changed... The budget crisis and other things have turned the world upside down. My girls could go to SDSU and take 6 years to get through, or they could go to a private college with deep pockets and get a better education for less money out of pocket and sooner. My twins are very different and she gets that - she is putting together completely different paths for each of them, so she doesn't have just one way of approaching college. She is very adept at sensing the differences in what they need to be successful.

S.L.
San Diego, CA

We use Katherine as a consultant for several reasons. The first is I don't have the time to manage all the details of college admissions - what tests to take, when to take them; what programs to look at that match my son's interests; how to proceed with financial aid applications. She knows all the deadlines and timetables and will research which colleges are worth looking at. She will also research programs at schools we want her to look at. She meets with my son routinely to review his admissions process, which motivates him to get the admissions work done....In my world as a physician, I have learned to leave the specialty work to those who know it best and let them do their jobs. ...I am pleased Katherine takes the initiative and is very proactive with my son. She is a go getter.

Dr. N.L.,
Rancho Bernardo, CA

I appreciate all your guidance and advice. You really have helped us in this. You have benefited us and will benefit many others. There are so many nooks and crannies that we didn’t even know about. It is a minefield out there and Katherine knows the ropes. I wanted someone who knew the ropes to go to bat for me. Some of us cannot see what to look for or is available. It has changed so much since we went to college.

The high school counselors are outdated. The notes from your workshops helped me more than anything I heard from all the school workshops we attended!

A.H.
San Diego, CA

Katherine has some excellent insights and was very good about keeping our toes to the fire, assuring that we got things done in a timely manner. There are so many ways that parents can stumble...;she's an excellent trail guide....This is not for the faint of heart, however. If you want someone by your side, I would recommend her to help with every child. I would wholeheartedly recommend Katherine's services.

Mrs. H.,
San Diego, CA

“Katherine is doing a great job! We hope others latch onto this. Having struggled with various high school counselors (for our four oldest daughters) who knew little or nothing, it is so refreshing to deal with someone who is plugged in and knows the strategies. We sing your praises whenever we can.”

W.F.
Poway, CA