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. Request an intro 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?
Request an intro on this page. It's free, and we'll connect you with Donna and, if you want, 2 or 3 similar coaches to compare.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.