Testimonials
College Prospects of America has received thousands of testimonials over the years. Obviously we can not list them all but here are just a few.
Parents
"Simon, this letter is long overdue. Feel free to include this letter in its entirety or any portion thereof as a testament to the high level of satisfaction the Martin family have toward the College Prospects of America program and its Toronto office. We cannot thank you or express how much we have appreciated the efforts and success that have come as a result of CPOA and you personally.
Our daughter Carleigh is a high caliber athlete. She has played with the Ontario Provincial soccer team (U15), numerous Rep teams. To further emphasize the caliber of athlete; her resume includes being the high school basketball captain, rowing medalist and is currently a member of the National & Provincial Women's U19 Rugby Teams. Yet she did not seem to be getting any interest from college coaches. When she committed to a Rep soccer team in the winter of 2006, her coach had promised that the team would be showcased and he would assist in the promotion of girls interested and capable of playing in the USA. By later spring it became obvious that those were false promises. Carleigh became concerned that her life long dream of participating as a NCAA athlete would come to an end. We were referred to you by an associate whose own son had been successful through CPOA. As a law enforcement professional it is my nature to be skeptical. I researched and investigated your company through the web site, the NCAA and through my own network of contacts. Our first meeting convinced us that the best way for Carleigh to "get on the radar" was through CPOA. The initial few months seemed slow, however, once CPOA loaded her video on the site and you notified the coaches of her availability, the letters, e-mails and calls came fast and furious. Many evenings Carleigh would talk to three or more interested and genuine coaches. She was almost overwhelmed. Fortunately, you were always available and open to discuss the best interests of Carleigh. Carleigh had an opportunity to play through the fall on another "showcase" team and the number of coaches that came to see her was impressive. In fact some of her teammates even got interest from Division 1 schools that initially had come only to see her. The range of interest was an education for all of us. Respected and highly ranked academic schools from the NAIA, and NCAA Divisions 1, 2 & 3 all showed interest.
Carleigh took four of her five visits from the eighteen offering schools and finally agreed on a very, very generous scholarship from the University of Louisiana - Lafayette. She begins her NCAA Division 1 career this August (2007). The school has the major she is interested in, the team has a solid strategy for success and we couldn't be happier!
Sincerely, S. J. Martin"
Steve Martin (Father ) - Carleigh Martin, graduate of Branksome Hall in Toronto, Ontario
Hi Diana:
I hope all is well, Alex has indeed settled into his new home at the University at Buffalo. He is almost finished his first semester and his marks look like he will have an average of close to 85-90%. His baseball season starts in February 2010 and his coach has advised him he will start at second base. We were very pleased with the efforts made by you and the team at College Prospects of America.
When we first signed up we had very little experience with any American Universities. You and the team at CPOA articulated the process for our family so we understood what to expect and then how best to move forward. During the first little while we received such a plethora of responses from both universities and colleges in the US that we were a little overwhelmed. I believe your guidance served us well in how to sift through the data.
There were two great pieces of advice you gave us early on in the process that really stand out in my mind. The first is get your SAT's done early. Make sure your child gets a good grade, study in advance and don't fear taking them a second or even third time.
The second thing is when a school contacts you respond back. Give them as much information as possible. Keep organized to make sure you keep in contact with the schools and the coaches. In preparation we did up a form letter that we used to all the coaches. In the end you narrow it down to a few institutions and you make your final decision based on the school and then the athletics. It was very good advice indeed! I was pleased with the number of schools that responded to your mail campaigns. We even had letters from the Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale Universities.
Overall we had a very good experience with CPOA and we were pleased with the results. Thanks.
Murray Baldock (Father ) - Alex Baldock, graduate of St. Joseph HS in Ottawa, Ontario
"Many thanks for the assistance you provided to Evan in his search for a suitable school to continue his post secondary education while further developing his skills on the track.
We had stated from the outset of your effort that we were looking for a college/university that offered a quality education first and athletics second. We were very pleased with the number of excellent schools that expressed an interest in Evan both as a student and as an athlete. Many of these schools were previously unknown to us but a little research quickly revealed them to be of very high quality. We would not have thought of these institutions without your guidance.
We would readily recommend your services to anyone who has a young student looking to pursue a higher education south of the border."
Paul Stevens (Father ) - Evan Stevens, graduate of Lorne Park SS in Mississauga, Ontario
Simon, I hope this finds you and your family well.
After a long and somewhat stressful journey, Amy has chosen to study, and play basketball, at an outstanding school, Emerson College in Boston. Not only is the school widely recognized for its academic excellence in the fields of media, marketing, journalism (broadcast and other) as well as a well-renowned drama and theatre program, coach Bill Gould has a tremendous reputation and has turned around the bball program. Amy will be a great fit at Emerson and will be able to not only play but significantly contribute and at a level of play that is "one step" up from what she would have experienced in the O.U.A.A.
While Amy "left money on the table" from Clarkson and Roger Williams, and also declined acceptance at Mcgill, U of T and others, we are delighted with her choice on all levels.
Cher and I would like to thank you very much for your help, and, importantly, support, during what was a bit of an arduous process. You were especially good when things looked the worst (in december after the Oberlin fiasco) and for that we are truly appreciative. We are very proud of Amy and her committment to achieving this goal. She worked exceedingly hard and is excelling with her O.B.A. team at the "AAA" level; at the end of the day, it was her efforts (and, not unimportantly, winning tourney mvp, including a big win over a high school in Boston whose coaches know Bill Gould from Emerson!).
Simon, we well recognize the importance of your guidance, advice and assistance and we would be happy to be added to your "references" and "satisfied customer" list!
With best regards and thanks again,
Doug and Cheryl Sherman
Doug Sherman (Father ) - Amy Sherman, graduate of Hebrew Academy of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario
We would like to express our thanks to College Prospects of America and in particular Diana Baird with all the support and guidance given to our family during the search for the right school and soccer program for our daughter. The valuable insight and experience provided helped ensure that our daughters goal was reached.
Marv and Yvonne Fletcher (Parents) - Jade Fletcher graduate of St. Patrick's Catholic High School in Ottawa, Ontario
"Working with College Prospects of America has been a positive and rewarding experience. Our representative, Simon Riley, provided outstanding guidance and support throughout the recruiting process. Our daughter was contacted by over 55 schools and received a total of seven scholarship offers. It was extremely helpful to be able to discuss our questions and concerns with Simon. He was dedicated to helping us find the best match for our daughter both athletically and academically. She recently accepted an excellent scholarship offer from Mars Hill College in North Carolina.
We have benefited tremendously from our association with College Prospects of America and highly recommend their services."
Karen Gendron ( Mother ) - Brittany Gendron, graduate of Thousand Islands SS in Brockville, Ontario
"My son, who was among the top basketball players in Ontario, wasn't receiving any legitimate contacts from college coaches despite his size and weight (6'6"/220lbs). After speaking with Mr. Simon Riley, we decided to have College Prospects of America help out. Within weeks we began hearing from schools all across the U.S. and CPOA offered excellent guidance and expert advice.
My son (Chris Cobbina) now attends Ohio Valley College, an NCAA Division II school, where he is studying to become a teacher. Thank you for your help, I'd be happy to speak with anyone inquiring about your services."
Ernest Cobbina (Father) - Chris Cobbina, graduate of Francis Libermann CSS in Toronto, Ontario.
"Personally, I wasn't too sure what to expect from College Prospects of America but we knew that Dana should have been hearing from coaches and wasn't. So after receiving over one hundred letters from U.S. colleges and universities and being offered multiple scholarship opportunities, including one from the University of Utah and one from the University of Hawaii, we now hold the position that everyone should use CPOA.
Dana ended up going to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu on a full scholarship. It never would have happened without the help of Simon Riley and College Prospects of America."
Bev Buchanan (Mother) - Dana Buchanan, graduate of Fellowes HS in Pembroke, Ontario
U.S. College coaches
"College Prospects of America is an outstanding recruiting service for high school athletes and their parents. The exposure young male and female athletes receive from CPOA is invaluable. College Prospects of America's profiles are extremely accurate and done in a professional manner. College recruiters trust and respect the outstanding jobs College Prospects of America has done in evaluating and marketing high school athletes."
A former Football Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach, Ohio State Buckeyes (2002 National Champions)
"If your goal is to play college sports, you need College Prospects of America. No one comes close to their proven track record of success and they have earned the recognition and respect of college coaches nationwide. They are professional, thorough, and quite simply the best at what they do."
Dan Gaspar - 17 years as a professional goalkeeper coach for a number of U.S. universities, the U.S. Women's National Team, Portugal's National Team and more.
Student Athletes
"I was a member of Team Ontario and on the Canadian National Field Hockey Team and wasn't getting recruited from U.S. colleges until College Prospects of America came along. Everything changed when they got involved and I had lots of calls from schools all across the U.S. One of the schools that contacted me because of College Prospects of America was the University of Michigan. I eventually ended up receiving an athletic scholarship worth $33,000 per year from them. So cool!"
Lauren Conforzi - graduate of Gordon Graydon Memorial SS in Mississauga, Ontario.
"My name is Mark Oppong and I attended Meadowvale SS in Mississauga, Ontario. I played football for my high school and also played for the Mississauga Warriors in the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL). College Prospects of America sent me a letter indicating that I had the ability to play at universities in the U.S. so we decided to let them help out. I received numerous letters and phone calls from schools across the U.S. and Canada and after visiting a few of the schools who were very serious about recruiting me, decided to sign with Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Division I-AA). Thank you very much for all your hard work and your excellent advice."
Mark Oppong - 6'4" 300lb lineman, graduate Meadowvale SS in Mississauga, Ontario.
