I’d like to give a big shout out to Tatum Hutton of College Time Now in El Granada for shepherding my son through the college search process.

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Her personal and thorough approach made it not only an extensive and detailed exploration, but an adventure! I recommend her to our community without hesitation. She also provides tutoring services. Please start the college search early in the HS years. Her process and guidance have helped us as a family to consider many aspects of this education transition in a way we would not have navigated as well on our own. Thank you Tatum!

-Linda Davisson

Parent

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Things have changed significantly...Having someone who is well-versed, has expertise in the area, and has the tools to help us through the process was a game changer.

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I highly recommend College Time Now to help you prepare your college-bound young adult for the world of college applications, essays, resume preparation, and more. Tatum (owner) has many years of experience working with students from all backgrounds and stages (freshman - senior). She is able to quickly access the best way to work with your young adult to help them through the process (and also the parents). I have just one son and he's a senior athlete. I had no idea of all the things involved in the college process. Things have changed significantly since I went through it after high school. Having someone who is well-versed, has expertise in the area, and has the tools to help us through the process was a game changer. Additionally, Tatum is flexible, communicates very well, is extremely relatable, and genuinely cares. Thank you Tatum for everything you've done and continue to do.

-Levognia Carerra

Parent of student class of 2024 Colorado Springs, CO

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Tatum helped [our daughter] discover her gifts, and led her to a college that we would have never discovered or considered. 

 

Tatum gave us a push in the right direction.  The process started with a senior who could not see passed graduation.  Tatum helped her discover her gifts, lead her to a college that we would have never discovered or considered.  After our college tour, everything felt right and our daughter was confident in her path.  She also gave her the encouragement she needed to complete essays and applications. (A lot has changed since her father and I applied to colleges in the 90’s).  We look forward to using her services again for our next college-bound teen. 

-Jen M

Parent of a 2023 Graduate

 

Hiring Tatum is the best move that I have made in a long time...She is a gem! 

 

 My son started working with Tatum at the beginning of his Freshman year. From their very first tutoring session I saw that Tatum had a deep understanding of the curriculum and knew how she could tailor each lesson to engage him in the material and to make him think more deeply about it. 

  

Fast forward four years, one pandemic and one extremely challenging junior year and my son is about to graduate high school. He has been accepted in Early Decision at 8 out of 10 colleges, including his dream school and he has outperformed all expectations that were set by his teachers due to his dyslexia.  These accomplishments were not easy, but we always knew that Tatum was a consummate professional and that she understood what was being asked of him at any given time and was able to support him in a way that was perfect for him. 

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They have worked together beautifully for four years and for that reason I am singing her praises. Hiring Tatum is the best move that I have made in a long time. She is a born teacher and a gifted educator who understands what it takes to go through the college preparation and application process. She is a gem! 

-Kristin La Fontaine Fiore

Parent of Junipero Serra High School student class of 2023

 

I can’t recommend Tatum highly enough, and I will definitely hire her again to work with my other children. 

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I would love to believe otherwise, but I am pretty certain that without Tatum’s help, the college application process would have brought out the worst in my daughter and me. We both would have been anxious, she would have procrastinated, I would have nagged and given a ton of ill-informed advice, and while she probably would have gotten into some college or another, it would have been a negative and not particularly successful experience for both of us. Tatum made all the difference. Because of her excellent organizational structure, personal guidance, and wise advice, my daughter was able to develop a list of colleges perfectly tailored to her interests and goals, write excellent application essays, and feel capable and confident throughout the application process. She was delighted to be admitted to her first-choice college with a merit scholarship. I can’t recommend Tatum highly enough, and I will definitely hire her again to work with my other children. 

-Molly Oshatz

Parent of King's Academy High School Graduate Class of 2023

 

There are a lot of options out there which can be overwhelming. Tatum made it all much easier for us.

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We were really happy with Tatum's college advising for our son, especially coming off of the pandemic. The college application process was very difficult for him because of his executive processing issues. The questionnaire gave him a starting point for a list of potential schools, something he and I were not able to do together. What helped most was her pushing him to complete everything. He was more open to doing this with her rather than us. The list of colleges suggested were really good fits for him; he was accepted to most of them. The whole college application process can be very stressful; having a subject matter expert guide your child can relieve some of this. There are a lot of options out there which can be overwhelming. Tatum made it all much easier for us.

Parent of Half Moon Bay High School Graduate Class of 2021

and University of Denver Student Class of 2026

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We hired Tatum to support our daughters college application process and I can not tell you how meaningful it was to have Tatum as a part of our “team”.

It was worth every penny and in spite of the craziness of the 2021 application season, our daughter was accepted to more of her top picks than a lot of her peers. I believe this is both a reflection of the quality of Tatums professional skill set in this area, but also her support in the actual selection process. We had a beautiful balance of schools that were well within reach, a few that were “hopefuls” and a few that were “stretches”. We were all very happy with the outcome!!! Thank you Tatum!

-Alison G.

Parent of Mercy High School Graduate Class of 2021

and University of Delaware Student Class of 2025

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I was impressed by her passion in finding the right group of schools that would be the very best fit for our son.

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Tatum was referred to us by a family friend with great recommendations to assist with our son's college selection and application process. I was impressed by her passion in finding the right group of schools that would be the very best fit for our son. Tatum was very patient with guiding our son to complete strong content for his essays and applications and as a result he succeeded in being admitted to his top choice colleges and is thriving as a freshman. We are very appreciative of the work Tatum did and would recommend her to anyone who needs support in the pursuit of the college process.

-Cyndi T.

Parent of Hillsdale High School Graduate Class of 2021

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Thanks to Tatum and her team I was able to make a calm and confide  nt choice with my son's future!

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Tatum and her team were truly an answer to our prayers!

It was in November of my son's 6th grade grade year in San Mateo. We had three months to move to Sacramento so I immediately started looking for a private school for my son.

To my surprise there were over a hundred religious schools to choose from. With such an important decision it was too overwhelming a task to take on by myself and feel that I had done a thorough job.

That is when I contacted Tatum.

After speaking with her she assured me that it was doable. Tatum and her staff narrowed my search down to 20 schools which all fit my criteria. What a weight off of my shoulders!

After that I chose the school that we thought best suited our son. Tatum then did further research and agreed.

I am thrilled to report that Lucas will be starting his sophomore year this fall at Bradshaw Christian. This will be almost 4 years since he has been there and we couldn't be happier with our choice!

Thanks to Tatum and her team I was able to make a calm and confident choice with my son's future!

Our family could not have done it without her help!

-C. Smith

Parent of Bradshaw Christian Student Class of 2023

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Tatum was invaluable with her experiences and insights in helping to negotiate the intricacies of the application process and to perfect essay writings and to meet various deadlines.

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When my daughter was finishing high school at Saint Ignatius of San Francisco, Tatum was invaluable with her experiences and insights in helping to negotiate the intricacies of the application process and to perfect essay writings and to meet various deadlines. She also provided guidance with taking tests in how best to approach math and English questions and how to appropriate time for problem solving. Her expertise and familiarity with various colleges helped me and my daughter gain a better understanding of the “personalities” of different universities during the application process. Her personal anecdotes and experiences gave us an insider’s view of colleges we did not visit in person. Tatum’s guidance was most appreciated throughout the entire process of dealing with the daunting task of reviewing colleges and their programs and in trying to make the best choices for both our family and our daughter.

-Dr. Angelique Cucaro-Renault

Parent of St. Ignatious High School Graduate Class of 2019

UC Berkeley Student Class of 2022

Harvard Graduate School 2027

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Thanks to Tatum, our daughter stayed organized and on task throughout a very challenging process.

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Thanks to Tatum, our daughter stayed organized and on task throughout a very challenging process. She applied to more than a dozen universities with unique requirements and deadlines for each. She helped our daughter set up an organizational system and stick to it. She reviewed each essay and helped her edit without doing it for her of course. Our daughter received competent and exceptional assistance. They developed a rapport that allowed for true and authentic discernment for future goals. Ultimately our daughter was accepted to more than a few of her top choices and we couldn’t be happier.

-Leslie K.

Parent of Half Moon Bay High School Graduate Class of 2019

and UC Davis Student Class of 2023

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[Tatum] is a strong ally for the college admission process, and makes this challenging right of passage so much easier for all involved.

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Having tutored my son for over five years, Tatum was the obvious choice for assisting us with the college application process.  With Tatum's expertise, time, and patience, she worked tirelessly to make the admission process understandable and easy.  Tatum worked to understand our son's personality and learning styles to explore universities better suited for him.  With the selection narrowed down, she worked with our budget for his best options, then assisted with all pieces of the application process.  Tatum patiently edited numerous sample essays needed for admission requirements.  In addition, she consulted with all of us to make sure documentation for our son's learning accommodations was completed.
Because of Tatum's extensive knowledge and expertise, this entire process went so smoothly and with very little stress. With Tatum's assistance, my son is in his first semester at a California State University.  He could not be happier with his choice, and feels he would not be where he is today without Tatum's guidance.
I cannot recommend Tatum's services highly enough.  She is a strong ally for the college admission process, and makes this challenging right of passage so much easier for all involved.

-LeAnn K.

Parent of Half Moon Bay High School Graduate Class of 2017

and California State University Chico Student Class of 2021

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The college admissions process is challenging but you can count on Tatum and College Time Now to walk beside you through the entire process.

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Tatum Hutton is an extraordinary education consultant that I can recommend without reservation. I first met her when I was an undergraduate at Harvard University. She was the smartest woman in my Calculus class. She tutored me through the class and we became close friends. When it was time to send my daughter to college you would think I would have called her right up, but no, I thought I knew it all. After all, I had attended an Ivy League College! No, I wasted precious time floundering around before engaging the full services of College Time Now. She did an amazing job of partnering with my daughter to first broaden and later narrow her list of colleges, plan successful college visits, complete compelling essays and prepare for relaxed interviews. My daughter applied to a select group of top colleges nationwide and while she was not admitted to every single one, she had many excellent schools to choose from and is excited about her choice. The college admissions process is challenging but you can count on Tatum and College Time Now to walk beside you through the entire process.

- Lisa W.
Parent of Babson College Graduate Class of 2020
 

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The one on one attention Tatum was able to give was extremely helpful...

We used Tatum to help both our kids prepare for HSPT exams and would gladly recommend her to others. The one on one attention Tatum was able to give was extremely helpful as it allowed the time to be spent on my children’s specific areas of need. My kids did great on their exams and were admitted to both high schools where they applied. We also recently used Tatum to provide some early college counseling for my oldest child. Kids don’t always want to listen to their parents, so it was great to have a resource like Tatum. Tatum spent an evening with my daughter and me covering all kinds of important college prep things to be thinking about during high school. My daughter came out of that meeting with a clearer understanding of her options and a road map for her remaining high school years.

- Kate B.
Parent, 2015

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Hiring Tatum to help me with my daughter's college applications was one of the wisest decisions I have made.

I engaged Tatum's services to help my daughter in her prep for the MCAT. In her first attempt at the MCAT, my daughter got a decent score in Biological Sciences but an average score in Physical Sciences and a low score in Verbal. I realized that my daughter needed a personal 1-1 help with prepping for MCAT. Tatum's positive energy and specialized training helped my daughter develop newer strategies to tackle the tough exam that the MCAT is. She also needed to ensure that the Bio and Physical Sciences were not neglected. Tatum with abundance of patience and positive outlook helped my daughter believe in herself and her capabilities. In her second attempt at the MCAT, my daughter got a score that was 5 points more than her first attempt. She not only got a decent score in Verbal but also maintained or bettered her scores in Bio and Physical Sciences. Another positive feedback about Tatum being that Tatum spent extra time with my daughter explaining various other aspects about Medical School applications which was above and beyond our agreement/understanding. Tatum did not stick by the clock and was willing to answer the 100s of questions we had as parents of a prospective Medical student and I am very grateful to her for that. I would whole heartedly recommend Tatum's tutoring services to any prospective MCAT student.

- G. M.
Parent, 2014

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The choice has been fabulous, and I know he never would have considered this school if not for the assistance he received from Tatum.

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We are happy to highly recommend Tatum Hutton as a College Prep Coach. We hired Tatum when our son, Aaron, was starting to make decisions about where he wanted to go to college. This was a great decision. Tatum is very organized, thorough and knowledgeable about the college application process as well as various colleges around the country. At the beginning of the process, she interviewed Aaron several times, and had him fill out an extensive questionnaire. This gave her some ideas about different schools, which she discussed in-depth with both my son and ourselves. She then prepared a very detailed book highlighting approximately 50 colleges, complete with statistics, pictures, student comments, and a wealth of information. From this book, Aaron narrowed his selection to 10-12 schools. Tatum then assisted Aaron with the application process, discussing and editing various drafts of the essays that he wrote. In the end, Aaron chose to attend the University of Michigan. The choice has been fabulous, and I know he never would have considered this school if not for the assistance he received from Tatum.

- D. Cahen
Parent of Hillsdale H.S. graduate, 2013

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Tatum is exceptionally personable, and truly works to understand the individual.

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I just returned from my daughter’s college orientation and it seems the right time to reflect on how she got there. My daughter is a hard-working student with very good grades, but her standard test taking ability rarely reflects her abilities. She took the SAT class with a local ‘expert’ and learned all the SAT ‘tricks’, and did the prep she was asked to do. Yet, her SAT score was disappointing and she knew it would make getting into a desirable school difficult, if not impossible. We found Tatum and thought we would give it a try. From the first meeting, Tatum earned my daughter¹s trust and successfully over the next 6 weeks inspired my daughter to follow her guidance and instruction. Tatum is exceptionally personable, and truly works to understand the individual. She builds self-esteem while building ability. Under Tatum's direction, my daughter increased her SAT score by 150+ points! In 6 week, with that confidence and ‘can do’ success, my daughter is headed to the COLLEGE OF HER CHOICE to start her career. Since our experience, we have recommended Tatum to a friend to work with their son who is struggling with community college courses. They are thrilled with the results as well. Tatum is truly a gift, and I cannot give her a stronger recommendation.

- Suzanne D.
Parent of HMBHS graduate, 2013

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Tatum spent countless hours providing feedback on essays until they were finely honed.

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Tatum was a huge help for my son when he applied to transfer from a junior college to a four year university. She helped him choose a full range of colleges and he was accepted to the majority of them. He is excited to be going to Rhode Island at the end of this month to start school at Brown University. Tatum spent countless hours providing feedback on essays until they were finely honed.

- Elizabeth A.
Parent, 2012

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Tatum worked so well with our daughter that she was able to get into a top tier school.

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In the beginning of the movie Mary Poppins, the Banks children write a description of their perfect nanny and lo and behold, Mary Poppins came to there rescue. That's how we feel about Tatum and College Time Now! Tatum worked so well with our daughter that she was able to get into a top tier school. Tatum helped our daughter understand her learning differences and showed her how to use it to her advantage with her college essays. Our daughter increased her SAT scores by more than was ever hoped for. Tutoring was a priority for us, but not so much for our daughter, but once Tatum started working with her, her attitude changed immediately. This was certainly the BEST value for our money. I HIGHLY recommend Tutor Time Now or College Time Now for any student, but especially those with learning differences.

- Sam L.
Parent, 2011

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