
Darla Neal
College admissions consultant in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
| Hourly rate range | $150 to $225 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students and Parents |
| Also coaches | Performance coach |
| Based in | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States |
| Sessions | Online and in person |
| Credentials | Member, Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA); Member, Southern Association for College Admission Counseling |
| Practice | College Admissions Services, LLC |
Darla Neal is an independent educational consultant who helps students and parents through the college admissions process. She founded College Admissions Services, LLC in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, in 2010. Her team has placed more than 1000 students in universities in the U.S. and abroad, including grad and law schools. Students can start with her team as early as 8th grade. The team also includes athletic and grad school specialists.
What Darla helps with
Darla Neal and her team guide students from early high school through the move to college. They cover the resume, testing, applications and essays.
- Choosing high school courses, clubs and leadership roles
- Picking between the SAT and ACT and finding a tutor
- Building a college list based on academic, social and financial fit
- Managing the Common App and school-specific applications
- Editing essays and shaping the student's story
- Planning college visits, orientations and housing
- Applying to grad and law schools
- Military academy placement
Who Darla works with
The team works with students as early as 8th grade and with their parents. Clients include high school students applying to colleges in the U.S. and abroad. The team also helps students headed to grad and law school, student athletes, and students who need help with executive functioning skills.
How Darla works
The team meets students one to one, in person or by video. It starts with the student's profile, using questionnaires or assessments to look at grades and social interests. From there it plans course choices, clubs and leadership roles. It helps pick the SAT or ACT and refers students to tutors. It builds a college list and manages each application, including portals such as Naviance, Scoir and Xello. Essay coaching covers how admissions readers view a story.
Background and qualifications
Darla Neal founded College Admissions Services, LLC in 2010 and serves as its founder and senior admissions coach. Her practice is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Since then, her team has placed more than 1000 students in major universities in the U.S. and abroad, including grad and law schools. The team includes coaches with college admissions experience, athletic specialists, E.S.E. specialists and grad school specialists. The practice belongs to the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling and the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Darla Neal pricing
Programs and services
- One-on-one student coaching, in person or virtual
- Student profile assessment
- Resume and course planning
- SAT/ACT guidance
- College selection
- Application management
Darla Neal reviews
The CoachVouch take
Her practice has placed more than 1000 students in colleges and grad programs since 2010 and starts coaching as early as 8th grade.
Best for families who want help from 8th grade through college move-in, including testing, essays and applications.
Common questions
How much does Darla Neal charge?
Coaching with Darla runs $150 to $225 an hour. Message Darla from this page for an exact quote.
What does Darla Neal help with?
Darla Neal helps with choosing high school courses, clubs and leadership roles, picking between the SAT and ACT and finding a tutor, building a college list based on academic, social and financial fit and managing the Common App and school-specific applications.
Does Darla Neal coach online?
Darla is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States. Sessions are online and in person.
Is Darla Neal certified?
Darla Neal lists: Member, Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA); Member, Southern Association for College Admission Counseling.
How early can students start working with Darla Neal's team?
Students can start as early as 8th grade. Coaching happens one to one, in person or virtually.
Does the team help with grad school or military academy applications?
Yes. The team places students in grad and law schools and has academic partners for military academy placement.
How do I contact Darla Neal?
Send Darla a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
Similar coaches to compare
Tick "Compare" to message several coaches at once.

Cali Bottom
Cali Bottom is an independent college admissions advisor who helps students and their parents find and apply to colleges that fit. She runs EUREKA! College Prep & Admissions Advising in California. Her Find the Fit process builds a list of 20 to 30 suggested schools based on a student's interests, values and budget. She also teaches an SAT prep course and has helped graduate school applicants. Families use her online portal to schedule sessions and manage applications.

Catherine Marrs
Catherine Marrs is an independent educational consultant who helps students and parents with college admissions. She runs Marrs College Admission Advisors in Dallas, Texas. She has more than 20 years of experience and works with students across the DFW area. She visits 15 to 25 college campuses each year to learn campus culture and what colleges want in applicants. Her services also cover transfers, law school, graduate school and career coaching.

Charlotte Finegold
Charlotte Finegold is a college admissions counselor who helps students with college and graduate school applications. She is an immigration and human rights lawyer based in Pittsburgh. She earned a law degree from Stanford in 2024 and a master's from Oxford. She won the Clarendon scholarship for Oxford and the Knight-Hennessy scholarship for Stanford. She clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and worked at Human Rights Watch.

Jody Dubuque
Jody Dubuque is an independent college consultant with Concierge College Consulting. Jody helps students and parents with college admissions, from building a school list to final acceptance. The practice pairs each student with one advisor for the whole process. Its advisors have worked with students across the country for more than a decade. The firm also helps with BS/MD programs, art and performance applications, and law and medical school applications.
Browse related
Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.