Dr. Amy Morgenstern worked for nearly two decades in academic and editorial roles before deciding to start her own company, Blue Star Admissions Consulting, assisting high school students to prepare for and apply to college. Since its inception in June 2010, Blue Stars grew through word of mouth and by establishing relationships with Amy’s contacts in the academic world.
Since its start, Blue Stars has had tremendous success in assisting students in getting admission to some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges. They take a customized approach for each student and find programs that best align with their values and academic goals. The company has experience with a wide breadth of institutions such as the UC system, private liberal arts colleges, religious institutions, and Ivy League institutions.
Over the past five years, the company grew to include two part-time employees and eight consultants. But demand hasn’t stopped, and Amy has reached capacity. She came to PCV for working capital to help her hire more full-time college admissions counselors who can manage the current workload so Amy can concentrate on key projects for the company’s expansion.
In the next year, Blue Stars is launching additional product offerings to families that may not be able to afford its current full-service offerings. And, Amy launched an Indiegogo campaign for a scholarship program that will assist four low-income students obtain full service coaching free of charge. The company also plans to launch a satellite college planning class in San Jose, which will utilize Amy’s college planning methodology. The class will accommodate up to ten students and will provide a much less expensive way for families to secure supplemental coaching for their students.