Jennifer Piercey

Jennifer Piercey is the founder of OnTarget College Consulting, which she established in July 2016 in Mountain View, California, and has also worked as an Independent College Consultant since March 2016. Her philosophy centers on finding the right fit school for each person rather than complying with a one-size-fits-all, Top Ten, or nothing mentality. She does not follow formulas but instead learns about each student, then takes everything she knows about colleges and the opportunity they represent for growth and challenge to find ideal places that will lead to the right fit college, so students can accomplish what they want to do. Her goal is to help future college freshmen find the right environment for their intellectual and personal growth by partnering with each student and family to navigate what can seem like an overwhelming and insurmountable college application ordeal. Her method structures the process to minimize stress that students and parents feel while ensuring that goals and deadlines are met.

Before founding OnTarget College Consulting, Jennifer worked as a Senior College Consultant and Academic Tutor at Cognitive Advantage from January 2015 to June 2016, where she worked closely with high school students and families to help them find and apply to targeted colleges and universities. Her services included essay development and editing, writing workshops, admissions interview preparation, SAT and ACT test preparation, AP test preparation in French, AP US History, AP World History and AP US Government, plus tutoring elementary and middle school students in math, English and executive functioning development. Prior to entering college counseling, she built a career in public relations, marketing and communications. She worked as Marketing and Events Manager at Artisan Wine Depot from February 2012 to July 2013, Vice President at The Weber Group managing a two million dollar budget and creating account teams for high tech clients from June 1997 to June 1998, Product Public Relations Manager at Silicon Graphics from January 1993 to June 1997 executing public relations for all product lines, Public Relations Consultant at Regis McKenna from October 1991 to January 1993 managing activities for Apple Computer and other high tech companies, Public Relations Account Executive at Fleishman-Hillard from January 1989 to January 1991, and Congressional Aide for Congressman Vic Fazio from January 1986 to January 1989.

Jennifer is deeply engaged in community leadership and volunteer work. She served as Board Member and Volunteer Coordinator at Los Altos Mountain View Aquatic Club from January 2009 to June 2013, Vice President of PTA at International School of the Peninsula from June 2008 to June 2009, and President then Vice President of Eurécole PTA in Paris from June 2006 to June 2007 where she served as head liaison between the parent community representing 45 different countries and school administration, conducted bilingual meetings, successfully launched the first-ever school gala evening and raised enough funds to buy new computers for classrooms. She also managed Parisian Art History and Cultural Tours from January 2004 to June 2007, planning and coordinating cultural and art history tours throughout greater Paris with a professional art historian. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in European History from the University of California, Davis, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, and a Certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego Extended Studies. She speaks English, French, German and Italian.

Services Offered

• Independent college counseling focused on right fit schools
• Personalized college list development
• Essay development and editing
• Writing workshops for college applications
• Admissions interview preparation
• SAT and ACT test preparation
• AP test preparation in multiple subjects
• Academic tutoring in French, History and Government
• Executive functioning development support
• Guidance for elementary and middle school students
• Structured process to minimize stress and meet deadlines
• Partnership approach with students and families
• Support for intellectual and personal growth through college selection