Jake Pasternak
College admissions consultant in Richmond, Virginia
| Hourly rate range | $150 to $225 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students and Parents |
| Based in | Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Credentials | IECA Professional member |
| Practice | Grateful College Counseling |
Jake Pasternak is an independent educational consultant in Richmond, Virginia. He runs Grateful College Counseling and helps students and parents with college admissions. His practice teaches students to build real relationships with family, school counselors, and admissions officers. Students write and send their own outreach. Jake never sends messages for them. He also offers a free consultation and a free guide on how to email an admissions officer.
What Jake helps with
Jake helps students find colleges that fit them and get through the application process with less stress. He also helps parents step back from the daily pressure.
- Finding great-fit colleges
- Building real relationships with admissions officers
- Emailing admissions officers and getting a reply
- Working with school counselors who have large caseloads
- Lowering stress for students and parents during applications
- Keeping the parent and child relationship strong during the process
Who Jake works with
Jake works with high school students and their parents. Families often come from schools where counselors have little time for each student. The student leads the process and speaks in their own voice.
How Jake works
Jake coaches the skill of authentic connection. Students learn to build real relationships with family, school counselors, community, and admissions officers. The student does all outreach in their own voice, and Jake never sends messages for them. Kindness and character are the base of the practice. Jake listens to the student first and takes on the friction so parents do not have to play the bad guy.
Background and qualifications
Jake Pasternak is an independent educational consultant and an IECA Professional member. He runs Grateful College Counseling in Richmond, Virginia. One school had detailed data on past students. The other had counselors who each handled 500 students. That gap showed him how many students end up at colleges that do not match their potential.
Jake Pasternak pricing
Programs and services
- Free consultation
- Free guide on emailing admissions officers
- College admissions counseling
Jake Pasternak reviews
The CoachVouch take
Jake teaches students the skill of authentic connection and never sends outreach for them.
Best for families who want a calm, kind, student-led approach to college admissions.
Common questions
How much does Jake Pasternak charge?
Coaching with Jake runs $150 to $225 an hour. Message Jake from this page for an exact quote.
What does Jake Pasternak help with?
Jake Pasternak helps with finding great-fit colleges, building real relationships with admissions officers, emailing admissions officers and getting a reply and working with school counselors who have large caseloads.
Is Jake Pasternak certified?
Jake Pasternak lists: IECA Professional member.
Does Jake contact admissions officers for students?
No. Students build relationships and write their own outreach in their own voice. Jake coaches the skill but never sends messages for them.
Does Jake offer a free first meeting?
Yes. He offers a free consultation with no obligation. He also has a free guide on how to email an admissions officer.
How do I contact Jake Pasternak?
Send Jake a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.