2017
YEAR IN REVIEW
It was yet another landmark year for both ArborBridge and CollegePlannerPro. Check out our top moments from 2017 below!
I could not be more pleased with the impact that ArborBridge Group made in 2017. CollegePlannerPro continued to improve its platform and vastly expanded its hosting capabilities. We now help more counselors than ever to manage and grow their businesses, all while maintaining a personal touch. And as the SAT and ACT continued to fight each other for superiority, ArborBridge focused on what got us here: learning the content of each exam from the inside out and finding effective ways to teach it to our students. Doing this allowed us to work with a record number of students both domestically and abroad. As a former tutor myself, I know the hard work required to produce the impressive results that our students achieved. On behalf of all of our staff, thank you for your role in making the past year the best year in our history. We’re looking forward to an even bigger and better 2018!
KATE BALLARD-ROSA
CEO, ArborBridge Group
ArborBridge Group celebrates its 10th birthday at our LA headquarters.
Here’s a little something worth celebrating…
ArborBridge Group is 10 years old!
It’s hard to believe 10 years have passed since two guys in a tiny Santa Monica office set out to build a world-class tutoring company. We are so proud of our team, and most importantly, our students and partners around the world. We wouldn’t be here without you!
ArborBridge Group growth by the numbers
44
U.S. states we tutored in
45
countries we tutored in
6
continents we tutored in
63%
of our students scored in the 95th percentile (30+) on the ACT
46%
of our students scored in the 95th percentile (1400+) on the SAT
12%
of our students scored a perfect 800 on the SAT Subject Tests
30%
of our students scored in the 99th percentile (33+) on the ACT
45%
of our students improved their scores by 100+ points on the SAT
1,200+
CollegePlannerPro consultants worked with…
35,000+
students located in…
36
countries around the world.
In 2017, we welcomed three new awesome team members to the family.
Jon Chang
Program Manager,
ArborBridge
Bridgette Reynolds
Customer Success Specialist,
CollegePlannerPro
Katie King
Associate Director of Tutoring, ArborBridge
ArborBridge student success stories from 2017
We would like to shine the spotlight on a couple of our students from this past year. With hard work and dedication, they were able to achieve their highest scores.
STARTING SCORE
20
PT. IMPROVEMENT
12
FINAL SCORE
32
STUDENT NAME: JDTUTOR: Lisa
COUNTRY: Germany
EXAM: ACT
PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
“ArborBridge gave me a realistic view of where I ranked throughout the whole process of standardized testing, along with a plan to help me achieve my goals. My tutor made personalized lesson plans each week, all focused on helping me develop the specific skills needed for the test. The support from ArborBridge and Lisa was critical to my successful improvement on the ACT!”
– JD (student)
“I really enjoyed working with JD! He was a conscientious and highly motivated student, and it was a pleasure to see his hard work pay off as his tutoring progressed, particularly in the English and Math sections of the ACT, as these sections initially gave him the most trouble. I’m so delighted that he was able to reach his goal of attending UCLA and that I was able to be a part of that process!”
– Lisa (tutor)
STARTING SCORE
1060
PT. IMPROVEMENT
170
FINAL SCORE
1230
STUDENT NAME: ElinaTUTOR: Eric
COUNTRY: US
EXAM: SAT
PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
“I would not have been able to increase my SAT score by 170 points without an ArborBridge tutoring program. A higher score now allows me to apply to more schools with a better chance of acceptance. Eric was wonderful at explaining concepts and breaking down challenging problems. I owe my future to ArborBridge!”
– Elina (student)
“When I first started working with Elina, she was nervous about the December exam which was fast approaching: this would be her final opportunity to make improvements. We jumped right in, working hard to rebuild foundational skills and practicing new test-taking strategies. Soon, Elina’s confidence with the material began to soar. In the end, not only did she score far beyond her original expectations, but she also gained peace of mind that through sustained effort and positive thinking she could rise to any occasion.”
– Eric (tutor)
Updates from CollegePlannerPro
For the seventh consecutive year, the CollegePlannerPro team attended and exhibited at the IECA and HECA conferences. This year, we were excited to introduce new ways for both current and prospective members to connect with us during conferences.
CollegePlannerPro held small group presentation events and webinars as a way for both current and prospective members to learn more about the platform. If you are interested in hosting a small group event in 2018, please contact Lisa Davis at [email protected].
CollegePlannerPro looking forward
2017 was an exciting year of growth at CollegePlannerPro. Furthering our commitment to supporting and growing our member community, we added Lisa Davis and Bridgette Reynolds as our Director of Sales & Marketing and Customer Success Specialist, respectively. In 2018, we look forward to more opportunities to engage with members of CollegePlannerPro via professional development webinars, one-on-one and group training sessions, and best of all, in-person training sessions at conferences! If you plan to be at IECA, HECA, NCAG, WACAC, IACAC, or NACAC, be sure to stop by and say hi.
2017 IN PICTURES
We like to think we did some pretty cool stuff this past year, so we decided to share our favorite memories with you.
Kate Ballard-Rosa
CEO
Got married in Russian River, CA in December.
Megan Stubbendeck
Senior Director of Instruction
Spent a week at a cabin in Vermont picking blueberries, swimming, and reading books.
Ray Babul
General Manager (CollegePlannerPro)
Got to meet MMA/UFC legend, Royce Gracie.
Val Kaskovich
Senior Director of Finance & Operations
Bowling team won the league championship—scored over 600 pins as a team in the final game!
Jonathan Boswell
Chief Technology Officer
Went skydiving for the first time.
Lisa McManus
Director of Curriculum
Welcomed twin girls! Rose Margaret and Ellen Jane.
Heather Simons
Hiring Manager
Got married in Joshua Tree in May.
Bryce Hubner
Director of Tutoring
Partook in many an ArborBridge happy hour in Santa Monica.
Erica Sin
Director of Tutoring
Visited Porto, Portugal with her mother (aka Mama Sin).
Peter Kaufman
Director of Tutoring
Took some time to relax at the Emirate’s Palace in Abu Dhabi.
Nicole Newquist
Director of Tutoring
Visited the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City.
Katie King
Associate Director of Tutoring
Traveled to Denver, Seattle, and made four trips to the Bay Area.
Melissa Silvers
Director of Operations
Visited her alma mater, University of Wisconsin, with her husband, Richard.
Jon Chang
Program Manager
Participated in a panel discussion at the annual Flamecon Convention.
Jess Hsu
Operations Coordinator
Welcomed a baby boy, Benji!
Lisa Davis
Director of Sales & Marketing (CollegePlannerPro)
Visited the Cliffs of Moher with her husband, Christian.
Owen Tuleja
Associate Director of Instruction
Visited Gullfoss in Ireland.
Jodie Westerman
Instruction Manager
Danced her way across Tower Bridge above the Thames River in London.
Eleanor Sharp
Instruction Manager
Served as a wedding party attendant for the first time for the marriage of her sister.
Bridgette Reynolds
Customer Success Specialist (CollegePlannerPro)
Visited her hometown in Pennsylvania to surprise her mom.
Caroline Chang
Tech Project Manager
Swam at Sherwoods Beach in Oahu, Hawaii.
Travis Daly
Founder/CTO (CollegePlannerPro)
Danced the night away at HECA’s Luau in Long Beach, CA with his wife, Brooke.
HERE’S TO ANOTHER EVENTFUL YEAR IN 2018!
Before you go…
Check out our most popular resources from 2017
Resources for college consultants
We know you’re busy. That’s why our team stays up to date on the latest news and trends in test prep so you don’t have to. Download or share any of our resources with families or colleagues!
