Full of personality, always supportive, and possessing an incredible sense of humor, Garth provides unique and personal guidance through college applications. He helped me write essays bursting with my personality, select colleges that fit me best, and most importantly, he helped me discover who I am. He knew me so well that I often forgot he had other students! Garth is not just an incredible college counselor, but in his own words, a “coach for life”. Even after high school, he still remains one of my closest friends.

When I first met Garth, we didn’t talk about college at all. Yes, I was told beforehand that I would be meeting a renowned “college admissions counselor,” so college should matter a lot, right? In our hour-and-half-long conversation in a quaint coffee shop in the heart of Beijing, the topics ranged from our communal love for science-fiction to conservationism to geopolitical tensions caused by regional climate differences. I walked out that coffee shop, not a bit more knowledgeable about what personalities or activities that Harvard or Yale wanted, but a better understanding of how the Mediterranean weather affected the Palestine-Israeli conflict. And yes, that I desperately wanted to have Garth as my genuine friend.

Garth has become much more than a college counselor to me. He pushed me outside of my comfort zone, where I had the opportunity to experience and learn things I never expected to. He also helped me when I was struggling. He shared insightful advice and personal experiences that helped me move forward when I felt stuck and unmotivated. Most importantly, Garth pushed me to become a better writer. I had never written anything as good as my Common App before – the final result honestly shocked me in terms of storytelling and messaging. I have gotten amazing comments from everyone who has read it, and I truly believe that my college essays are what set me apart in the application process. 

Garth is genuinely passionate and excited about helping his students. His willingness to go the extra mile, such as finding additional resources for you, or making edits on your essay in between weekly meetings, exemplifies how much he truly cares about your success. His attitude toward college admissions is also refreshingly healthy, considering how toxic it can be for stressed-out high schoolers. This is shown in how he doesn’t merely help with the essay writing process or making sure you meet deadlines—instead, he inspires you to think about the questions that actually matter.

I’m constantly inspired by Garth’s enthusiasm for learning and growth. Garth is incredibly knowledgeable about the college application process, and he helped me tremendously with navigating through the process while mitigating any of my anxiety. But some of my favorite moments in our calls were when we’d discuss books (he has endless reading recommendations by the way), YouTube videos, or current events because I’d get to listen to his sage wisdom.

In the end, college applications became something more than just simple essays sent to colleges. They became more than just something that I had to get over with. They felt transformative. They became something that represented me and felt proud of. Garth made that possible.

What truly makes Garth stand out is his emphasis on the student’s personal growth and wellbeing. Through the application process, Garth constantly encourages the student in critical thinking and self reflection; on top of helping the student mentally navigate the daunting admissions scene with his knowledge and insights from years of experience.

Funny, brutally honest, caring—Garth is not just a college counselor, he’s more like a mentor and a friend. Working with him throughout high school, I not only received guidance on college search, ways to explore different areas through activities & passion projects, and essays, but also guidance on the mindset that I have towards school, college, life, friends, etc. With the help of Garth, I learned so much about engineering, how to be proactive, how to organize work, and most importantly, myself. I’m so so lucky to be able to work with him during high school and I encourage you to do the same. He made me the most confident, diligent, reflective version of myself and I’m forever grateful. 

Garth is surely among the most influential people in my life. In fact, when parents or students ask me for advice regarding the college process, the main tip I have is to work with him. Not any other college counselor. Garth. 

Mr. Robertson started out as my college counselor and eventually became an inspiration and a valuable friend. He certainly does way more than what’s on his “job description.”

Acceptance into the school of my dreams, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, would not have been possible without the care and guidance of Mr. Robertson. Mr. Robertson goes far above and beyond the average college application professional; he both edited my essay and also drove me to be a better writer. 

Above all else, working with Mr. Garth Robertson has paid dividends. It was Mr. Robertson’s guidance that helped me realize and utilize my deeper talents in order to attain my goal of acceptance at Harvard. I would confidently recommend Mr. Robertson’s services to all high schoolers who are serious about attending top notch schools.

Garth is a great advisor, editor, and sounding board. He helps put the abstract values and ideas you have into real words. He guides in the analysis of ideas but never takes the words out of your mouth. His grammar and syntax is superb, and he’s very logical in approach. That makes him easy to follow and a pleasure to work with.

Mr. Robertson truly cares for the well-being of all his students. Whenever you need his assistance, he is there ready to give his advice or lend a helping hand. I truly enjoyed working with Mr. Robertson and cannot thank him enough for all the effort and hours of hard work he put into helping me achieve my goals!

There’s a level of specificity and care that Garth puts into each of his relationships which simply cannot be replicated. Garth’s guidance in my application essays stretched to me, the nuances of my personality, and everything beyond academics and extra-curriculars that I initially found so difficult to put on paper. It’s incredibly difficult for me to imagine a college counselor genuinely craving to understand a client as well as Garth understood me, so consider this a testimony for a close friend.

If you haven’t met Garth yet, man, your life is missing the greatest person ever. Like his favorite word, Garth is awesome. He gives incredibly creative ideas and will work so patiently and thoroughly with you, you feel like you’re his only student. Anyone who has the opportunity to receive his guidance is one of the luckiest students ever.

What sets Mr. Robertson apart from the usual teacher is his genuine commitment to the success of his students. I could always count on Mr. Robertson to help me transform the mediocre to marvelous, even during last-minute rushes before deadlines. His upbeat personality and fantastic sense of humor also grounded me through difficult, SAT-filled times. I can confidently say that Mr. Robertson’s amazing guidance has played a huge role in bringing me to where I am now.

Under Mr. Robertson’s guidance, I pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible, and learned to utilize my internal drive to search out opportunities that not only made me a stand out applicant, but also helped me find and further explore important interests and hobbies. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know Mr. Robertson — he is one of the people I look up to the most, and he has become an irreplaceable friend. 

For anyone who knows Garth, he is amiable, personable, and extremely hardworking. Above all, he is realistic and honest. No words can express how thankful I am for Garth’s mentor-ship. He has truly changed my life. I highly recommend his services to anyone who many benefit from that extra boost to reach their dream college—I certainly did.