GPS College Guidance Celebrates its Inaugural Year!
GPS College Guidance celebrates the successful completion of its inaugural year!
It has been an exciting year for GPS guiding students through the complex college selection, admission and acceptance process, as well as paying it forward by collaborating with organizations that support college-bound students.
Dr. Ricardo Ortegón, founder and president of GPS College Guidance, worked with a dynamic group of domestic and international students applying as first-year and transfer students to colleges and universities across the USA.
Below are the colleges and universities that offered admission to GPS College Guidance students in 2022:
GPS College Guidance successfully worked with students from across the globe, including the United States, Argentina, China, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Russia, Ukraine, Venezuela and Vietnam.
Comments from our students about their experiences working with Dr. Ortegón, (aka Dr. O), the founder and president of GPS:
“Throughout the whole process, Dr. O was there to answer my questions and help me review essays, or give advice on any and every topic . . . from tips on admission interviews to how to complete documents, he stayed on top of things with me and reminded me constantly about what I was missing, and motivated me to meet deadlines.”
Fernanda (Mexico)
“Coming from a different country, understanding the US college application process is very difficult and can get overwhelming at times. I appreciate how Dr. O explained step by step about completing my Common App, requesting recommendation letters, and submitting all documents. Words cannot express my gratitude for having Dr. O there to help me. It’s been an emotional roller coaster, but everything was worth it! It has been a wonderful journey working with Dr. O.”
Richelle (Indonesia)
“Dr. O is a mentor to me. The relationship was not just about the application process. It was about how the future can be better for the student. I learned a lot from his experience. I would recommend Dr. O and his team again and again.”
Moises (Mexico)
These are the countries represented by the students who worked with GPS College guidance in 2022:
GPS College Guidance also fulfilled one of its objectives of ‘paying it forward’ by collaborating with organizations that support and encourage high school students to pursue a college education.
Dr. Ortegón joined More Than Bootstraps as an advisory board member and is assisting with the college application essay coaching program, and providing guidance about the college selection and application process. More Than Bootstraps is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey “founded by educators who understand the significant obstacles that first-generation college students face on their journey into and through higher education.”
GPS College Guidance also collaborated with the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium (HSC). Based in Texas, HSC “collaboratively leverages resources to provide scholarships to Central Texas Hispanic students and offers a network of support that mentors and empowers scholars to graduate from college as workforce ready leaders engaged in our community.”
Dr. Ortegón presented ‘Essay Writing Workshops’ with a focus on the HSC scholarship application and provided tips students can use when applying for any scholarships.
Composing impactful essays is often the barrier for students completing applications. Dr. Ortegón helps students get over this hurdle. “Working with these talented Latinx students was exciting,” said Dr. Ortegón, “I look forward to continued collaboration with the HSC to support the next generation of Latinx leaders.”
Dr. Ortegón was also honored to present at the Hispanic Student College Institute (HSCI) hosted by Montclair State University in New Jersey.
Dr. Ortegón understands the importance of providing high school students with much-needed college planning guidance, particularly first-generation and underrepresented students, and welcomes every opportunity to encourage students to pursue their college ambitions.
He applauds programs like the HSCI for their ability to provide an interactive opportunity for students to strengthen their knowledge about college and enhance future academic success.
In his presentation, ‘Preparing for College,’ Dr. Ortegón provided an overview of the college application process, timelines for staying on track, and free resources students can use as they work on their college applications.
“I was impressed with the caliber of students attending the institute, and very pleased to see how eager they were about advancing their education. They asked a lot of great questions,” Dr. Ortegón stated.
HSCI’s goal “to increase students’ confidence in their ability to navigate the college admissions process and ultimately enroll at the college or university of their choice,” aligns perfectly with GPS College Guidance’s goal of providing personalized guidance and support for students and their families as they navigate through the complex college preparation, selection and admissions process.
As GPS College Guidance celebrates this important milestone – completion of its inaugural year - we look forward to a successful future for all the students we guide, and GPS.