Donna Sakabu
College admissions consultant for high school students in McKinney, Texas
| Hourly rate range | $150 to $240 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students and Parents |
| Based in | McKinney, Texas, United States |
| Sessions | Online |
| Credentials | Certified Educational Planner (CEP); IECA Professional member |
| Practice | Insightful College Planning, LLC |
Donna Sakabu is a college admissions consultant who helps high school students and their families plan for college. She founded Insightful College Planning and works from McKinney, Texas. She has visited more than 200 colleges in person. She worked with hundreds of students in California and knows the UC and CSU application systems well. She has also focused on college affordability for more than a decade.
What Donna helps with
Donna helps students build a college list of schools that fit them academically and socially. She also helps families find colleges that match their budget.
- Building a college list of good-fit schools
- Finding colleges that match a family's financial priorities
- Applying to UC and CSU schools in California
- Applying to public and private universities in Texas
- Transferring from a community college to a 4-year school
- Transferring from one 4-year school to another
- Lowering stress during the admissions process
Who Donna works with
Donna works with high school students and their families. Her students live across the U.S., including Texas and California. Her practice also includes transfer students. Some come from a community college and some come from another 4-year school.
How Donna works
Donna meets with students on Zoom and works with each student one-on-one. She uses a variety of assessments to learn about each student's strengths, interests and goals. She uses a curriculum she developed to guide families through the admissions planning process. Each student gets a customized college list. Affordability is part of every list, so schools fit the family's financial priorities.
Background and qualifications
Donna is the founder and principal educational consultant at Insightful College Planning. She is a Certified Educational Planner and a Professional member of IECA, the independent educational consultants group. She lived in California for several decades and worked with hundreds of students there. She now lives in Texas and knows its public and private universities well. She has visited more than 200 colleges in person. Her students have attended college across the U.S. and in Canada.
Donna Sakabu pricing
Programs and services
- One-on-one virtual college planning
- Personalized college list building
- Transfer student planning
- Free consultation
Donna Sakabu reviews
The CoachVouch take
Donna has deep knowledge of the UC and CSU systems and Texas universities, and has focused on college affordability for more than a decade.
Best for high school students and families who want a budget-aware college list, especially in Texas or California.
Common questions
How much does Donna Sakabu charge?
Coaching with Donna runs $150 to $240 an hour. Message Donna from this page for an exact quote.
What does Donna Sakabu help with?
Donna Sakabu helps with building a college list of good-fit schools, finding colleges that match a family's financial priorities, applying to UC and CSU schools in California and applying to public and private universities in Texas.
Does Donna Sakabu coach online?
Donna is based in McKinney, Texas, United States. Sessions are online.
Is Donna Sakabu certified?
Donna Sakabu lists: Certified Educational Planner (CEP); IECA Professional member.
Does Donna Sakabu work with transfer students?
Yes. Her practice includes transfer students from community colleges and from other 4-year schools.
Does Donna Sakabu meet with students in person?
She meets with students on Zoom. Her students live across the U.S., including Texas and California.
How do I contact Donna Sakabu?
Send Donna a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
Similar coaches to compare
Tick "Compare" to message several coaches at once.
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.
Jennifer Mohr
Jennifer Mohr is an independent college admissions consultant who helps high school students and their families plan for college. She owns Launchpad Advisory Services LLC in Texas. She also works with college students who want to transfer and young adults returning to college after a break. Jennifer is a former teacher at St. John's School in Houston and works with many gifted and talented students, as well as students with learning challenges.
Olivier Nizeyimana
Olivier Nizeyimana is an independent educational consultant in Lantana, Texas. He runs IGN Educational Consultants, which helps students and parents with college, boarding school, transfer and graduate school admissions. The team has worked with students for over 12 years. They help build college lists, review application essays, and track each application to the end. They also guide families on scholarships and financial aid. Olivier is a professional member of IECA.
Reema Attyeh
Reema Attyeh is an independent college admissions consultant who helps students and parents find a best-fit university. She runs Thrive College Planning as a solo practice and takes no more than 10 students per graduating class. She has over 15 years in higher education and has worked in US admissions offices. She also worked for ministries of education in the Middle East and Europe. She visits 20 to 30 campuses every year.
Browse related
Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.