Hi, I’m Kate Sonnenberg. I founded KS College Success on a simple premise: that the college admissions process, approached thoughtfully, can be an opportunity for genuine self-discovery — not just a stressful obstacle to clear.

My journey to college counseling was anything but a straight line, and I think that’s what makes my perspective distinctive. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in history, I was awarded a fellowship to teach English at the National University of Singapore — an experience that sparked my love of teaching and my appreciation for how much good writing instruction can unlock in a student. Returning to the U.S., I earned my law degree from Columbia University School of Law, clerked for a federal judge, and practiced law before returning to the classroom, this time teaching legal writing to law students. Helping them construct clear, persuasive, and analytically rigorous arguments directly informs my work with high school students, as I guide them in developing authentic, thoughtful, and compelling narratives for their college applications.

Long before I joined the Princeton admissions office, I was already deeply embedded in the admissions world as a volunteer. For over a decade, I chaired the Princeton Alumni Schools Committee in Essex and Hudson (NJ) counties, overseeing the alumni interviewing program and developing an on-the-ground understanding of how students present themselves as candidates. At the same time, I was providing essay coaching and tutoring to low-income students in New Jersey — work that showed me just how much thoughtful guidance can change a student’s trajectory. By the time I arrived at Princeton’s admissions office and began reading thousands of applications each year, I understood the process from every angle. That insider perspective remains central to everything I do.

Equity in college access is a cornerstone of my work, and it always has been. Today, I serve as Executive Director of EdPrep Scholars, a nonprofit offering free college counseling to high-achieving, low-income students, where I mentor volunteer consultants, work directly with students, and support school-based counselors.

I am equally committed to training the next generation of college counselors. I teach two courses in University of California, Irvine’s Independent Educational Consultant Certificate Program — one focused on summer, gap year, and transfer students, and a foundational resources course — and I have served as a partner-mentor with Wow Writing Workshop’s College Essay Experience, where I taught consultants how to help students find and articulate their most authentic voice. Through the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the leading professional organization in my field, I chaired the New Jersey regional group from 2024 to 2026 and currently serve on the College Committee, where I help run admissions office presentations featuring liberal arts colleges. I also mentor junior consultants through both IECA and UC Irvine, work that was honored with IECA’s inaugural Mentorship Excellence Award.

As a parent, I also understand what families are navigating emotionally. I supported both of my young-adult children through highly selective admissions processes — one went on to graduate from Amherst College and the other from Wesleyan University — and that experience informs my empathy as much as my professional expertise. I know what it feels like to sit on your side of the table.

I have visited more than 400 campuses over the course of my career and stay current by attending and presenting at conferences, seminars, and professional events each year. My formal credentials include a Certificate in College Counseling from UC Irvine, the Certified Educational Planner (AICEP) designation, and certification as a Wow Writing Workshop essay coach. I am a professional member of IECA, NACAC, NJACAC, HECA, and NCAG.

I work with a wide range of students, and my specialty is working with those aspiring to attend highly selective colleges. My goal with every family is the same: to help your student translate their experiences, values, and intellectual curiosity into an application that is compelling, cohesive, and distinctly their own.