Educator Testimonials
What Educators Say
"The Doorway to College system has been a part of the culture at EHS for over eight years. On an annual basis, over 75% of our students make ZAPS a part of their test-prep strategy. These students have a much higher likelihood of exceeding their predictor scores than those who do not participate in the seminar. The strategies that are learned can be applied across all curriculums and used throughout their educational journey."
Jason Bachman, School Counselor, Eureka High School, IL
"Students say it best. 'This workshop gave me more than just test practice, like others. I LOVED the suggestions and strategies the presenter shared!' As an educator, I LOVE the convenience and professionalism Doorway to College gives me in helping my students with effective test preparation!"
Tom Welch, Director of College Counseling, Divine Savior Academy, FL
"Our students loved the prep course that was provided and the instructor was great. It was very easy to work with them and organize a date that worked with our school. We are definitely using the program this year."
Angela Hunstad, School Counselor, Zumbrota Mazeppa Schools, MN
"We have used Doorway to College for several years. We invite them to teach our students how to better successfully work through the ACT. They are always prompt and professional in all of their dealings with our students and staff."
Lanny Brand, Counselor, Southeast Polk Community School District, IA
"Doorway to College allows our students more than just test-taking tips, they provide an avenue for guided practice and preparation. It is a wonderful opportunity!"
Tiff Flesch Michalkiewicz, Counselor, Fond du Lac School District, WI
"We have worked with Doorway to College for many years. They are extremely professional and provide all the tools to host a successful seminar. The students who have taken the class rate it as an A. Highly recommend."
Scott Hoffman, Director of Community Education, Burlington Area School District, WI
"Doorway to College has been a great resource for our high school students. Our students have liked the instructors and the tips and tricks they give to help them be successful in taking the SAT. Students have reported back that they are more confident in taking the SAT after participating in the SAT test prep. course."
Kim Robson, High School Counselor, Marshall High School, MI
"Great people. I have enjoyed working with them for many years. Doorway to College Foundation does its very best to meet your needs as a school. Not once in the 10+ years have they not done what they said they can do."
Rex Wachtel, School Counselor, Shawano School District, WI
"They were positive and informative. Our students felt that the seminar was beneficial and timely."
Jim Corff, School Counselor, North Clackamas School District, OR
"We have had Doorway to College teach our ZAPS class that gives our students strategies for improving his or her ACT score. We have had amazing results at our school. Students typically improve 2 points from a pre-test they have to take before the class. We have students who increase 4-5 points as well. I highly recommend Doorway to College!"
Paul Jacobson, High School Guidance Counselor, Gilbert Community Schools, IA
"Excellent company! Our students ALWAYS give positive reviews and are better prepared for testing after working with Doorway to College. They always send highly professional instructors. Their prices are very reasonable and they communicate with us every step of the way. A pleasure to work with!"
Albert Landa, Director of Guidance, Paraclete High School, PA
"My students have struggled with ACT and SAT testing. After attending a Doorway to College ZAPS seminar, students in my program were able to see positive results right away. One of my students was facing the possibility of not being able to attend a four-year institution because scores were not high enough. After attending the workshop, the student gained admittance into a four-year institution and the student is doing fine. Another student needed a higher score in order to be considered for a scholarship and, after attending a ZAPS seminar, the student raised his ACT score enough to earn a scholarship from the institution he was attending.”
Evora Baker, Assistant Director of Upward Bound, Shepherd University TRiO Upward Bound Program, WV
"Doorway to College has been a terrific resource for our students! They have helped our students prepare for college testing and gain confidence in their abilities prior to their first major testing experience. It's been an invaluable resource for our students!"
Ann Langworthy, School Counselor, Maple River Schools, MN
"Our school is pleased with the SAT test program through Doorway! Thank you for always sending professional and knowledgeable instructors."
Ren Pham-Peck, Counselor, Lodi Unified School District, WI
"We have used Doorway to College for several years and have gotten great results. Highly recommended and incredibly easy to work with!"
Len Egan, Division Head of Counseling, Plainfield South High School, IL
"The other ACT preps I have seen in action focus on working through specific types of questions; however, because the questions change for every test, that does not benefit students as well as Doorway to College seminars. Their Zapping the ACT seminar provides specific strategies to answer questions on each subtest. Students are excited about the transferrable skills they learn from one test to the next and appreciate the workouts for practice."
Dr. Iris Olige, Associate Principal, Nashville School of the Arts, TN
"Equipping the next generation and setting them up for success is how I would describe the Doorway to College ACT strategy seminar that was held at our facility in partnership with several area educational and faith leaders. It was not only well organized, but was also very impactful to many students, including my own daughter, whose cumulative ACT score improved 4 points following Doorway’s seminar!"
Scott Schatzline, Lead Pastor, Daystar Family Church, AL
“There are a lot of organizations that profess to do test prep. In my opinion, the results from the Doorway to College Foundation (D2CF) provide the most tangible of any I’ve seen. First-generation, low-income, and students of color often find that their entrance exam scores don’t align with their high school performance. D2CF provides its curriculum in a simple and relatable way and maximizes each student’s ability to reflect what he or she truly knows about the content. D2CF doesn’t profess to provide 11 years’ worth of content that can only be acquired from K-12th grade. Instead, it maximizes the student’s ability to reflect what they know about the content and perform effectively. Students walk away with scores that align with who they are and are indicative of how they perform. The University of Tennessee is a flagship land-grant university committed to getting its diverse students to, and through, college. There is no better partner than D2CF to help us achieve our mission.”
Adam A. Smith, Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, The University of Tennessee
"For the past couple of years, McKinney ISD was able to offer quality SAT and ACT preparation through working with Doorway to College. Ease of online access and registration for parents and students, as well as quality instruction, are pillars of this service for us. Student feedback is consistently high in praise and gives a seal of effectiveness for the classes.
"Set up, collaboration, communication and service are fast and professional. Doorway to College is definitely proving to be a beneficial part of the district's high-quality offerings for student preparation opportunities in the area of advanced academics."
-Marita I. Cleaver, Coordinator for Advanced Academics and LOTE, McKinney ISD, TX
"I try to be in the room when the prep class begins and then again when it ends, and I ask the students what they think. My own son happened to be in the seminar and he thought it was really helpful. All the students were positive and felt the seminar was well worth their time and money."
-Patti Lindsey, Licensed School Counselor, Blue Earth Area High School, MN
"Our students and staff GREATLY appreciate the work you do and the information you share with our students! See you next year!"
-JoLynn Clark, Principal, Frankenmuth High School, Frankenmuth, MI
"The ACT prep course was great for the students. The facilitator was able to engage with the students in a way that was relatable and honest. He also included activities that helped drive points home. The five hour seminar was just enough time to assist the students in being able to fully understand how they can better prepare in the long term for the ACTs.
"The best feature was the ability to take example tests right there during the session and grade them like the ACTs are graded in real life. It gave students insight into how they would really do on the real deal. It was easy to follow, engaging, and a positive experience for students who don’t normally believe in their own capabilities to be successful on such an important test. Not [to] mention the general study skills they can take with them directly back into the schools and into college."
-Cynthia Safford, Educator, Davenport West HS, Davenport, IA, Quad City Scholars Program, Scott County YMCA, IA
"The skills provided by ZAPS are invaluable for our students taking the ACT. By offering the training before all juniors take the ACT in March, our students felt well-prepared. In this brief seminar, the instructor covered everything students need to know about the ACT, from pre-test meal prep to myths and facts about the test. The ZAPS Workouts simulated real tests, and the take-home Study Guide broke down every answer with explanations.
"In addition, some students saw their score jump four points after participating in this training. The ZAPS ACT seminar gives our students the confidence to excel, and we work this programming into the schedule every year because we know it works.:
-Justin Markon, Upward Bound Program Counselor/Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Superior, WI
"[ZAPS] is definitely the most affordable and proven test prep option that we've found outside the school. It's accessible to every student. We always get very good feedback from students. ZAPS has great resources and tips."
-Lisa Dietel, Counselor, Legacy High School, Broomfield, CO
"I wanted to let you know that we are thrilled with our ACT results. Our juniors did very well. We improved our average composite from 19.4 last year to 21.5 this year. We had 4% score 30 or higher. We know that some of that success can be directly attributed to the Seminar attendance in February."
-Gina McCambridge, Counselor, Comstock Park High School, Comstock Park, MI
"Boulder City High School has exclusively utilized ZAPS / Doorway to College test prep programs for the past three years. The affordability of the workshops provides access to many students, the student reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. After the workshops, many students have increased their ACT scores enough to provide additional scholarship money, admission to honors programs and placement into higher level university courses.
"The students’ feedback indicates that the workshops helped them with pacing, answer elimination and test taking strategies they would not otherwise have employed. Students also had positive comments about the effectiveness of the workshop presenters and the workbooks they receive for further study at home.
"The best part for the education professional is the ease with which we can provide this opportunity; ZAPS does most of the work for us. It is rare to find a test prep program that provides this quality and affordability."
-Rebecca Balistere, Counselor, Boulder City High School, NV
"Thank you for all your company does! [Doorway to College] always goes above and beyond my expectations. Evangel Christian Academy is proud to say we partner with you for our student academic success."
-Shelby Ray, Guidance and Counseling Assistant, Evangel Christian Academy, AL
"This is one of the easiest references I’ve had to complete. All 10’s of course!!! Your product, price, availability, flexibility, and professionalism have proven time and time again to be a 10!"
-Mary Buscema, Williams Field H.S., AZ
"It is a pleasure to work with your wonderful staff. The communication, scheduling, and teachign were outstanding. This is a valuable resource for our students. I look forward to working with everyone again in the fall."
-Virginia Menezes, Career Center, Tokay H.S., Lodi, CA
"Your organization is wonderful! I am very happy with everything. Our students love the materials and class and you all make it very easy on our end. THANKS!"
-Stacey Neumann, Counselor, Horizon H.S., Brighton, CO
"Our school has been using ZAPS for the last ten years, and we could not be happier with the service they provide. Our juniors have the highest average ACT scores in the district, and we believe the ZAPS program has helped us achieve this mark."
-Mike Muedeking, Counselor, Horizon H.S., CO
"We have had a very positive experience in the community with your company. I look forward to working with you in the fall!"
-Karen Norton, Ankeny Community Education, Ankeny, IA
"UTHS Juniors had the opportunity to work with [the presenter] in preparation for the upcoming ACT exam. She did an exceptional job engaging students and presenting the ZAPS strategies in an efficient and effective manner.
"After a full day of school and extra-curricular activities, these students returned to the high school for another two and half hours of intense training under [the presenter]. Several of them already reported that these session were extremely beneficial and they plan to practice/use these tools on the upcoming assessment.
"Like all the other ZAPS presenters who have visited UT, It was a pleasure to work with [the presenter]. You have assembled an exceptional Midwest team and we hope to continue our partnership for years to come!"
-Anthony A. Ragona, Assistant Principal, United Township High School, IL
"The ZAPS program has proven to be an asset for our students. Many of them have commented that they felt more comfortable and more skilled when taking the standardized tests. Many thanks to all in your company!"
-Mary Hall, College Counselor, Roncalli H.S., IN
"[The] ZAPS ACT test prep webinar provided our rural high school with an opportunity for quality test prep (which is otherwise limited in the area) from the comfort of our own building. The ease of set up and the ability for students to interact with the presenter were outstanding.
"Upon completing the webinar, students reported feeling more confident in managing the requirements of the ACT test. My students are looking forward to making use of the tips and strategies learned through the ZAPS webinar!"
-Alonna Johnson, Guidance Counselor, Marshall County Central High School, MN
"All of that [student evaluations] is great feedback and so positive! It looks like this is a great partnership."
-Becky Hanson, Community Education Coordinator, Elk River School District (ISD 728), MN
"One of our students took the ZAPS [SAT] program, and she went up 310 points after that! Another student took it last year and went up 200 points."
-Terri Stamm, Guidance Counselor, McDowell H.S., NC
"The incredible team from Doorway to College Foundation/ZAPS has been providing test preparation for Palo Verde students for over seven years. Doorway/ZAPS has received 100% positive feedback from both our students and parents. I find that most students can devote five hours of time to prep and most importantly the price is totally affordable.
"Additionally, DTC/ZAPS are generous with scholarships for students who cannot pay and have a variety of different ways to lower the overall price for students.
"I appreciate how easy DTC/ZAPS has made it for me as an extremely busy counselor. Their efficient office staff takes care of the insurance paperwork for the district in a timely manner and their presenters are always on time and prepared. I literally just have to turn the lights on in the room and go! I highly recommend Doorway to College ZAPS for your students!"
-Kathleen Dambro, Counselor, Palo Verde H.S., Las Vegas, NV
"Green Valley High School continues to be thrilled with the Doorway to College/ZAPS program. We especially like that is it housed on our campus. We continue to hear great feedback from the students regarding the workshop and the presenter. The students like the convenience, the setup, the enthusiasm of the presenter, and the materials and strategies they are presented with. The materials continue to aid them in preparing for the ACT and PSAT/SAT.
"We always look forward to hearing from the Doorway staff and setting up the dates throughout the school year. The only thing counselors need to do is inform and motivate their students to attend!"
-Debbi Block, Counselor, Green Valley H.S., Henderson, NV
"I truly think the ACT seminars went well. Students received the information well. Most of the students remembered and used the strategies on the ACT. I believe the exposure with the 20 minute workouts was the most important. We still have some content weaknesses that we are addressing but the strategies definitely help us to balance those out.
"I think the ZAP Program is an excellent addition to our curriculum and we will see our students average scores pass the national average really soon. Thanks so much!!!"
-Kimberly McGee-Oakley, Math Department Chair, West Preparatory Academy, NV
"The tips & tricks broken down for each section were helpful. I also appreciate the reference to the Study Guide. This is a fabulous seminar for students. All felt more successful as they saw their points go up with more exposure. Thank you."
-Teacher, Cheyenne South H.S., WY
If you're an educator seeking an effective test-prep solution for your students, we can help. Call the Doorway to College office at 877-927-8378. We look forward to serving you.