College Applications Launchpad (CAL)  

College Selection and Application Guidance Program

CAL is a new ONLINE program for motivated students who want strategic college admissions help as they navigate their way through the college applications process.

CAL includes the following online services:

Pre-Applications Support

• Meeting with parents and students to create an academic plan, discuss extracurricular activities, offer advice on test prep, and review the top ten factors colleges consider when reviewing an applicant.
• A series of assessments, including an extensive online assessment of aptitude and interests to help identify potential college majors and careers.
• A counselor-researched college list based on the student’s specific preferences, assessment results, GPA, course-work, and involvement in extracurricular activities.
• A list presentation meeting to review assessments and recommended college list, including guidance and tools to explore our recommendations.

College Applications Season

• An online college management and support system that guides students with tasks and deadlines during the application process.
• Brainstorming exercise for essay topics, resume template, and application requirement spreadsheet.
• Essay writing with a professional college essays editor for a Common Application personal statement and 20 supplemental essays (2/school for 10 schools).
• Webinars on completing UC applications and the Common Application

CAL Fees:

Applying to 10 Schools and no University of California schools*:

$3,384 for all services listed above*

Applying to 10 Schools and University of California schools

$3,736 for all services listed above plus 4 UC admissions essays

To have someone contact you with NO obligation, click the “take off here” button below

* Students can apply to more than 10 schools. Additional fees will apply.

No credit card required

Professional Background

Kathy Bressler received her Bachelors Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and earned her Masters Degree in Communications Management from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California.  She also completed UC Berkeley Extension’s Certificate Program in College Admissions and Career Planning.

Kathy is the co-owner of Lafayette Academy and has been a college counselor for 13 years.  She belongs to two different consortiums of college counselors in the Bay Area that meet monthly, and she has traveled to approximately 40 states visiting hundreds of colleges.  Pre-pandemic, Kathy attended many yearly conferences and is a member of the following professional organizations:

• NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling)
• WACAC (Western Association for College Admission Counseling)
• HECA (Higher Education Consultants Organization)

Personal Information & Experiences

While Kathy raised her four very active daughters in Lamorinda, she also found time to contribute to a variety of groups: Burton Valley PTA Board of Directors, Las Trampas Swim Team Director, Chair of the Youth Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. As a parent and later as a college counselor, Kathy guided her four daughters through significantly different academic experiences and college admissions challenges.

Her oldest daughter, Mallory, graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Political Science and Sociology and an emphasis in Education. Mallory managed after-school programs in Boston and NYC, helped manage a few non-profit organizations, and is now running a coaching business for non-profit organizations. She also founded and hosts the “What the Fundraising” podcast.

Kathy’s next daughter, Dana, graduated from UC Santa Barbara as a Business Economics major with an emphasis in accounting.  Dana worked at several companies, including KPMG, Google, and Credit Karma.  Now she is a Product Manager at Airbnb. That’s how they do it these days.

Kathy’s youngest daughters are twins, Hillary and Rebecca. Hillary double majored in Sociology and Political Science at UC Davis and has a popular dog training business in Lamorinda.  Becca was a Cognitive Science major at UC Berkeley and is a producer at Radiolab in NYC. The twins turned 30 in December, so we’re probably older than you.

Frequently Asked Questions That Get Answered in All of Our College Counseling Programs