DEC NETWORK®

Acceptances & Testimonials

“I am truly grateful for your genuine commitment and enthusiasm working with me and all of your clients. It is amazing seeing that everything we worked so hard on together finally paid off. And I am forever thankful for the bond we share 🙂 other than my parents, you were my biggest supporter and really made me understand the value of my achievements as a student and a person.”

“I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your invaluable assistance over the past four years.  It seems like it was only yesterday that we all sat down with you for the first time!  Your thoughtful, calm, and reassuring counsel has served us so very well, and helped make it possible for my son to secure admission to the school he identified as his first choice.”

“Our experience with Debbie Davis was one of total satisfaction. Debbie is truly a professional in every sense. She spent hours explaining to us every facet of the college search. Her attention to detail, her positive and enthusiastic personality, and her accurate knowledge of her business is impressive. Reference books to purchase, identifying appropriate schools to visit, preparing my child for personal interviews with admission counselors, are only a small part of her professional curriculum. We cannot thank Debbie enough for guiding our child and us through one of the most important exercises in her life, and teaching her the importance of preparation. Many thanks also for your warm personal focus and outstanding professionalism.”

“I wanted to drop you a note of thanks. Your ample expertise, diligent support, consistent follow-through, and careful attention to our son’s individual profile, style, strengths, and needs were pivotal to keeping progress on track. So often, the answer to our musings about the best next step, the right strategy, the optimal way to manage an obstacle, and the most effective way to move a 17-year old through this long and complex process was…ask Debbie Davis. I am very confident in his bright future and want you to know that you have our gratitude for your part in supporting his success.”

“The absolute best thing about Debbie Davis was that she kept me organized and on track with my college forms, essays and applications. I was on top of my college work at all times. My essays were completed months before their deadline. She saved me from any unnecessary stress in my senior year. Thank you, Mrs. Davis- my senior year has been amazing!”

“You are truly the best and most supportive career and college mentor out there. Every single involvement with our kids is the most positive and supportive possible- you help me be a better parent.”

“Debbie Davis was exceptionally helpful to me in my college search process. From the moment I stepped into her home and shook hands with her, I could tell it was going to be a very positive experience. However, I never could have imagined how positive and helpful my experience with her would be. She made me feel like the most important client of hers despite having other students in the same position as me. She was someone I immediately knew I could tell my entire past to, which in turn helped me write such a strong college essay. Every time I was in her office working on a certain part of my college portfolio, I felt very prepared and positive that having her, as my college advisor was one of the best decisions my family and I have made. I went into the process confused and worried about my future and came out prepared and accepted into college. I don’t have enough good things to say about her and the way she approaches her business but I will say that I wish everyone who is going through the college process could have Mrs. Davis as their college advisor.”

“Debbie Davis is a highly organized and knowledgeable professional who actually makes the college search/application process a pleasurable experience for both students and parents. Debbie’s upbeat and encouraging manner combined with her thorough analysis of the student and her knowledge of the schools results in a list of college choices that are the best “fits.” From there, Debbie keeps students on track with a timeline, application and essay review and helpful tips all along the way. The final result for my daughter — a clean sweep of acceptances from every college she applied to! I highly recommend Debbie as an excellent ally in the college search and application process.”

“Hey Ms. Davis, I got into college with a Presidential Scholarship last night! I hear about the Honors program and the 5 year MBA in March. Thanks so much for everything you did for me. I really appreciate it.”

“I can’t really say anything more than thank you although it can’t begin to express how I really feel. You helped us all when we were most vulnerable and fragile, and gave us some structure to stand on when it felt like the earth was dropping away. How you have accomplished being so kind and encouraging while being so realistic is a phenomenon I have set as an inspiration to achieve. One of my favorite sayings is “to leave the world a better place” and you are doing that every day, with an effect on generations to come. And, simply, you are really, really, really good at what you do!”

“We had the great pleasure of working with John Gray to place both of our children in high schools. John was always a gentleman, an excellent listener and both positive and realistic. His calm and reassuring way with students and their parents is such a gift. Finding schools that were a good fit for our children was John’s goal, and his knowledge of the schools was first rate. John was always accessible, and he prepared our children well for their interviews. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the results!”

“I have to tell you, working with you has been so inspiring. I’m transitioning back into the working world (I am interviewing now) and watching your energy and how you run your business makes me so excited to jump back in. Thanks again for all of your compassion with the kids, your enthusiasm, and expertise.”

“John Gray guided us through getting all three of our children into secondary school. Each time he patiently went through an overview of the process, explaining what the schools were looking for and how our children fit into the big picture. Then he helped us explore their options based on their personalities, grades and extracurricular interests. He also explained to the kids what they needed to do to take ownership of the process. Overall, John was incredibly thorough and helped to manage our expectations during what could have been a stressful process. In all three cases, we were thrilled with the results. John’s expertise and his reputation among the schools are unequaled!”

“Identifying secondary schools that would be the “right fit” for our son seemed daunting to us as parents. There were many, many options, and it became difficult trying to narrow the choices to just a few. At our first meeting with John it became clear that he had already taken the time to get to know our son as a student, as an athlete and member of the school community. Combining what he knew about Wit and his in depth knowledge of the secondary school market place allowed us to quickly narrow the field. He was immensely helpful throughout the application process and thanks to him, what we thought was going to be an arduous task became an enjoyable learning experience for all of us.”

“We were so fortunate to work with John in the application process to secondary schools. From start to finish, all facets of John’s work, from his superior counseling skills to his keen insight into secondary schools, were the best that we could ask for. He spent so much time to get to know our son well, which was important to us in achieving our goals. John was available and flexible in his schedule, always going the extra mile. He took the time to be involved and to listen, providing sound guidance at any time we had questions or needed direction. John always had a wealth of information and experience to draw upon in adeptly handling any issue. His nurturing and motivating style is also a plus.”

“John’s expertise with secondary schools is unmatched. He knows the schools intimately and as a result, we could always depend on John’s wise and accurate counsel. John was praised time and again by officials at secondary schools during our interviews. John’s skills, attributes and reputation were invaluable to us during the process. We could not have been happier with the results.”

“John’s compassion and knowledge were of enormous help in guiding our daughter and us through the school application process. The availability and patience of John helped us at those anxious times when we were feeling helpless and discouraged. The outcome was terrific and John played an important role in this. Thanks John.”

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“Now that this process has come to a close, I find it hard to thoroughly express my words of gratitude. Although I had already sent my first child off to college with the help of another college counselor, there is absolutely no comparison to the guidance, the time, and the dedication you showed us. From the initial personality assessment, the college list, the endless hours of brainstorming essay ideas, through the complete review of the Common Application and all the supplements, you helped us remain focused and encouraged. I truly felt that you treated my daughter as your own child, ascertaining every step of the way what the right course of action would be for her and where she would be happiest. You kept us on target with your outstanding organizational skills at the same time keeping us excited every step of the way. I truly do not think I have ever met a more positive and enthusiastic person! Something that at first seemed daunting gradually unfolded into a fun adventure. We are left with wonderful memories and a very exciting future; our sincerest thanks.”

“I was just accepted and the coach said I can play for them! Thank you so much for all of your help during this process. You were an integral part of my college applications and you really helped to keep me focused and keep my work up to par! Thanks again, Debbie.”

“You are such a cheery and positive spirit–just what we needed! You have made all of my sons recognize their potential and believe in it themselves! What a gift you are. Thanks for all the encouragement and guidance. We look forward to continuing this journey with you.”

“Hopefully, I can get my HUGE thank you across. The Spirit, Integrity and Leadership Scholarship from the DEC Network truly meant a lot to me!”

“I committed to college today! The campus was absolutely gorgeous, the dorms were incredibly impressive, I love the atmosphere and environment of the school and was just overwhelmed with everything they offered. Thank you so much for all of the help you’ve been over the past year. I’m so happy with where I’m ending up and really appreciate everything you’ve done.”

“We cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are to you for your insight, direction, advice, wisdom, guidance and patience in helping us sort through this complicated process. It’s indescribably gratifying to see our daughter so happy and excited about her path ahead. Thanks to you, she’s emerged from the process with some really great choices which speak to her strengths and talents. We are so thrilled to know she will embrace this next phase of her life with confidence and a truly grounded perspective of who she is as a student as well as an individual. And, along the way, it’s been lovely to witness the relationship our daughter has developed with you. As you hopefully know, she has the utmost respect for you not only as an invaluable mentor but also as a trusted friend who really “gets” her.”

“On behalf of your fellow IECA members, I’d like you to know how very appreciative we are of the contribution that you made to our conference program. The session provided important information to those attending, and you raised new and useful perspectives for your audience to consider. Conferences like ours rely on the type of expertise and willingness to share that you have demonstrated so admirably.”

“Thank you for all you do for our family. Your support, professionalism, positive attitude and many, many hours of work have helped us all so much. Your efforts will continue to make such a difference in our lives for a long, long time.”

“I really enjoyed your presentation. I have two daughters, too (a senior at RHS and one already in college) and the info you gave was more valuable than anything I’ve heard before!”

“You listened, customized your responses to meet my needs and checked in with me to make sure that you understood what I was saying and that I understood what you were suggesting. You made a chore and fear of the unknown into something positive. Although you may often work with young people just entering into the work force, I can definitely state that the expertise and skills you provide are applicable for someone such as me who was starting over and perhaps a bit more fearful knowing some of the challenges that were ahead.”

“A huge thank you for your ongoing support and dedication as it has been so reassuring to have your support and advice along the way. Our son really respects and values your opinions, and you have been so good about empowering him and making the final decision his own. He is thrilled about his offer which he accepted yesterday; his top choice. I want you to know how grateful we are to you. You have been a crucial part of our boys’ lives and we are very appreciative of your talents and dedication.”

“As a transfer student, I was not looking forward to going through the application process a second time. Debbie Davis made the experience not only bearable, but also enjoyable. She kept me organized and on track so I could juggle the demands of college alongside the stress of applying to schools. With the help of Debbie, I was able to narrow down a college list that included schools I hadn’t thought of applying to before, draft sincere college essays that were representative of my life experiences and plans, and, ultimately, get into my dream school. I am happier than ever with my college choice, and that is all thanks to Debbie. Thank you, Debbie, for changing my life!”

“Debbie has been a tremendous help throughout my search for employment as a recent college graduate. She advises on all aspects of the job search process from cover letter, to resume, to interviewing skills to correspondence etiquette. She stresses the importance of organization, positive attitude and endless commitment. Debbie is a great mentor and I am extremely appreciative of everything she has done to help me with my job search.”

“I hope your ears have been ringing as I sing your praises! You have been so helpful and encouraging throughout our daughter’s college search and decision making process. Thank you for helping to make it as stress free as it could have been. Your advice at critical junctures along the way made a big difference.”

“Thank you for the beautiful, encouraging note you sent. I don’t know if you do that kind of thing for all of your students, but it is an outstanding touch and I applaud your style!”

“We wanted to let you know that our daughter is VERY, very happy thus far at college. She loves her professors, feels slightly challenged, but not overwhelmed. She is navigating and adjusting well. I really think that she is exactly where she should be and I want to thank you VERY much for all your guidance and help with this rather excruciating process.”

“I’m sitting at my college desk! My room overlooks the new campus, and there is a beautiful tree right outside of my window. I am LOVING college. Participating in the service program before school was definitely the BEST decision. Thank you so much for that advice! Almost all of my closest friends here were on that trip, and it really was the best intro to school.”

“Meeting you last night was wonderful. I cannot thank you enough for your time and insights. The road to college doesn’t feel as lonesome or as frightening. Thank you so much! We’ll be looking forward to working with you!”

“I just wanted to write and thank you again for helping me with my applications and essays! I was admitted into all of the graduate pharmacy schools that I ended up applying to and am still deciding between them. All of my interviews went great and I am really excited to make my final decision and get ready to go.”

“Firstly, I can’t thank you enough for your help with my transfer situation. You were incredibly kind throughout the entire process, and I don’t think I could have gotten through it without your help. Secondly, I have excellent news. I was accepted to all three of my schools. I sent in my deposit almost as soon as I got my letter. Again, thank you so much for everything. I hope to see you sometime soon, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing my little sister at some point in the future.”

“Deborah is a sharp, professional expert in advising parents and students on the entire college selection process. She helped us from planning school visits to get a sense for preferences to creating a resume that made filling in the online application a breeze.”