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Redwood City College Consultants

We work with students across Redwood City, Menlo Park, and the surrounding Peninsula, students from schools like Sequoia, Woodside, Menlo School, Sacred Heart, and Crystal Springs.

In this part of the Bay Area, expectations are high and competition is fierce. Whether your student is aiming for Stanford, CMU, Berkeley, or more, we help them build applications that reflect not just what they’ve done but who they are and what they bring to a college campus.

Sierra Admissions began in Marin County, but our team now serves students from across the Peninsula and South Bay, including a growing number of families in Redwood City.

 

 

We've helped hundreds of students get into schools like these.

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Why Redwood City Families Work With Sierra

There are plenty of college consultants on the Peninsula.

But here’s what sets us apart:

  • We work with only three students per high school, including at Sequoia, Woodside, and Menlo School. That means no overlap and no recycled strategies.
  • We’re a small full-time team of former admissions officers, professional writers, and strategists who meet weekly to talk through each student’s progress.
  • We’re honest. If something’s not working, we don’t sugarcoat it. We help students course-correct early before deadlines hit.

We built Sierra for families who want more than generic advice. 


Taking the Pressure Off

We know what college admissions feels like in Redwood City. High-achieving students. Stressed-out parents. Too much noise and not enough clarity.

That’s where we come in.

We create a clear roadmap, keep students accountable, and manage timelines so families can stop reminding and start breathing. No more last-minute scrambles or guesswork.

Our goal is to make senior year feel structured, to make the process feel manageable, and to make sure your student’s application stands out among the sea of other qualified candidates from Redwood City.

Sierra Timeline

 


Sierra Admissions Results

We’ve helped students from schools in and around Redwood City outperform national averages—sometimes dramatically:

Average Acceptance Rate Sierra Admissions Rate Our Advantage
UT Austin (CS) 15% 68% 4.5x
Cornell (Eng) 10% 32% 3.2x
Stanford ~2% 19% 9.5x
MIT 4.1% 15% 3.6x
Michigan (Turing) 18% 56% 3.6x
UIUC 15% 59% 3.9x
NYU (Tandon) 35% 72% 2x
Berkeley (CS) 8.5% 25% 2.9x
Carnegie Mellon 5% 23% 4.6x

These aren’t cherry-picked results. They represent students from public and private high schools across the Bay Area who worked with us.


What Redwood City Families Are Saying About Sierra

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“Everyone at my school had the same good grades. Sierra helped me figure out what made me different.”
 — Student, Woodside High

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“We knew what we wanted in a college consultant. Small caseload, honest feedback, and an experienced team. Sierra checked every box.”
 — Parent, Menlo School

 

Our College Consulting Services in Redwood City

We support Redwood City students throughout the entire college admissions journey.

For 9th–11th Graders:
We provide long-term guidance on academics, activities, summer planning, and narrative strategy so students build toward senior year with purpose.

For Seniors:
We guide students through the full application process, from school list strategy and essay development to application review and final decision-making.

We specialize in applying to competitive programs in computer science, engineering, and business.

Everything is personalized, never one-size-fits-all.
 

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"Great result."

Our sophomore needed help thinking about career & major. Set up meetings twice a month and were ready to go by senior year. Brown BS/MD great result!

Hanish L., Sierra Admissions Client

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"Helped me brainstorm an essay I loved."

I like writing but the college essays are so weird. I had never really written a personal essay but Alex broke it down and helped me brainstorm an essay I loved.

Lily S., Georgetown University '26

Redwood City High Schools We Work With

We’ve supported students from public and private high schools across Redwood City and the Peninsula, including:

  • Sequoia High School

  • Woodside High School

  • Menlo School

  • Sacred Heart Prep

  • Crystal Springs Uplands

  • Castilleja

  • Summit Prep

  • Design Tech

  • BASIS Independent

  • Bellarmine College Prep

  • And others in Menlo Park, Atherton, and Palo Alto

We limit our classes to three students per high school so our students aren’t competing with each other, and many spots are claimed before senior year begins.


Redwood City Consulting FAQs

Do you help Redwood City students with UC and Stanford?
Yes. We’ve built full systems for both the UC PIQs and Stanford’s essays. We also know how to position students coming from high schools in Redwood City.

Do you only work with STEM-focused students?
Nope. While we’re experts in CS, engineering, and business admissions, we also work (and have a great track record) with students applying to top colleges in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.

When’s the right time to start?
Most families from Redwood City reach out in 10th or 11th grade, though we begin working with some students as early as 9th. We also offer senior-year application packages. They fill up quickly, so we recommend reaching out in winter or spring of junior year if you haven’t already. 

Do you work in person?
Our model is primarily virtual, which allows for consistent support regardless of your student’s schedule. That said, we’re based in the Bay Area and have deep experience working with Redwood City families.

 

Book A Free Intro Call

If your student is aiming for top programs, a strong GPA isn’t enough. You need strategy and clarity. 

Fill out the form below to book your free intro call. There’s no pressure to sign up, just a thoughtful conversation to see if we’re the right fit.