Paula Friedman
College, career and grad school admissions advisor
| Hourly rate range | $70 to $130 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | College admissionsGrad school and PhDTransfer studentsCareer clarity and purposeNew grads and students |
| Works with | Students and Parents |
| Also coaches | Career coach |
| Practice | The Academic Match, LLC |
Paula Friedman is a college, career and grad school advisor. She runs The Academic Match, LLC and works with students and their families on college goals and applications. She has experience with freshman applicants, transfer applicants and graduate school applicants. In recent years she toured campuses including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Duke, Brown, UCLA and USC. She helps students explain their activities, talents and achievements in their own story.
What Paula helps with
Paula helps students and families plan for college and manage the full application process. She also offers career counseling.
- Exploring college goals with the whole family
- Explaining activities, work and talents in a clear personal story
- Building a timeline for high school activities
- Planning college campus visits
- Preparing for admissions interviews
- Submitting college applications
- Applying as a transfer student
- Applying to graduate school
Who Paula works with
Paula works with students and their families. Her clients include freshman applicants, transfer applicants and graduate school applicants. She meets with families to talk through goals for college and what the student wants next.
How Paula works
Paula guides students through the process from start to finish. She reviews a student's extracurricular activities, volunteer or paid work, talents and passions. Then she helps the student describe what makes them unique. She builds a timeline that covers high school activities, campus visits, admissions interviews and application submission.
Background and qualifications
Paula Friedman is the advisor behind The Academic Match, LLC. She has experience with freshman, transfer and graduate school applicants. In recent years she has toured many campuses, including ASU, Brown, Cal Poly-SLO, the Claremont Colleges, Duke, Harvard, Lehigh, Occidental, Pepperdine, Stanford, Tufts, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Villanova and Yale. These visits give her direct knowledge of the schools she discusses with families.
Paula Friedman pricing
Programs and services
- Family consulting on college goals
- Application timeline planning
- Campus visit planning
- Admissions interview preparation
- Career counseling
Paula Friedman reviews
The CoachVouch take
Best for high school students, transfer students and grad school applicants who want help from first goals to final applications.
Common questions
How much does Paula Friedman charge?
Coaching with Paula runs $70 to $130 an hour. Request an intro for an exact quote.
What does Paula Friedman help with?
Paula Friedman helps with exploring college goals with the whole family, explaining activities, work and talents in a clear personal story, building a timeline for high school activities and planning college campus visits.
Does Paula Friedman offer help beyond applications?
Yes. She also offers career counseling and helps plan campus visits and admissions interviews.
How do I contact Paula Friedman?
Request an intro on this page. It's free, and we'll connect you with Paula and, if you want, 2 or 3 similar coaches to compare.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.