Dan Farnesi headshot

Dan Farnesi

CFO Advisor and Senior Admissions Advisor

Dan Farnesi has been a leader at HelloCollege since 2014. A former president of the organization and former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he now serves as a Senior Admissions Advisor and CFO Advisor, guiding families through the college admissions process with a focus on financial strategies.

Clients' Testimonials about Dan

We could not have been more happy and thankful for the services provided through HelloCollege! Their free seminars are amazingly informative introduction for families – especially for those of us who have not applied to college in over 20 years – a lot has changed! While the fee was initially jarring, the services provided are invaluable – personality tests to assist in determining right major, personalized organization of college choices based on a number of factors (your budget, school sizes, your child’s grades/interests/etc), essay writing workshops/edits, scholarship workshops/advising, time management of all college planning, consistent live communications, etc. Our advisor, Dan Farnesi, was not only an obvious expert in this field, but he was also so kind, gentle and encouraging with my daughter and us throughout the whole process (he was pretty much family therapist at times). When she became discouraged, he knew just how to boost her spirits and motivate her to proactively achieve her goals. Especially during these pandemic years, Dan was more than an academic counselor, but an encouraging friend and cheerleader. Through HelloCollege’s guidance, my daughter was accepted into 11 of the 12 colleges she applied to and received multiple >$15k per year scholarship offers (more than paying off the HC fee just in the first year). Our only regret was not starting with HelloCollege earlier – like freshman/sophomore year. Thanks, Dan and HelloCollege!!

Abigail Cahill

Parent of Alina

York Community High School

University of Iowa

We first attended a Hello College session (at Hinsdale Public Library) about the college admission process. It was an eye opener for us and we decided that we need to go, get help from Hello College. We enrolled and we first met Dan. He made a lasting impression from the first meeting itself. He made it clear that he is there to guide Arpan (and us too) navigating through the process for college admissions. This is the first time for us sending our kid to college in the US, and this process was completely new for us. Dan made sure that this is made understandable to us. Dan’s constant follow up and his openness to availability was a big help. We were constantly assured that whenever we need, Dan can be approached for help and we did approach him at times. He was our goto man ! At the same time the several sessions at Hello College for the standardized exams, essays, resume etc were a big help to Arpan to plan and approach these with tact. The preparation for the standardized exams and feedback were also excellent and really helpful. With the overall and timely guidance we were able to meet almost all the early action/decision application timelines.

Richa Swaroop

Parent of Arpan

Hinsdale Central High School

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

My experience with Hello College was Excellent as we are new to USA. I found them by just a Google search as we wanted the best college for our son. From the first phone call with Dr Rabab Darwish who happened to be our son’s counselor later on, gave me the confidence in using their service.
First Zoom call with the Founder Kevin Krebs was quit pleasing as he and Jeannine helped me to find another family who could share their experience with Hello College who helped us to make the decision better.
Sue Nelson and Dan who did the Fafsa workshop helped us till we filled it smoothly. Cris Bench guided our son with the essays. Leah also helped us throughout the process.
Last but not least, I must say Rabab Thank you so much for being so kind and supportive throughout the past few months from choosing and filling college applications as well as being available at all times when needed. We would have not known how we would have done without you. You helped us to fill up all the forms with correct details and to make the best choice in getting our son the best college. We are so grateful for all what you have done so far. Even now still you are helping our son to build up his resume.
I mentioned everyone who helped us to say Thank you so much for your service. I sure recommend this service if you are a parent.

shom batuwangala

Parent

My oldest worked with Dan at HelloCollege as he navigated the college application process. 2021 grads had a rocky go of it given the pandemic and lack of testing and change of testing reporting requirements and influx of applications to select schools. But Dan helped my son navigate the process and was a positive, encouraging advisor along the way. My son needed someone (outside of his parents) to hold him accountable for all the deadlines, etc. and Dan was very helpful in doing so. I would certainly recommend talking to HelloCollege about their services to see if it would be a good fit for your son/daughter/family.

Kim Tanner

Parent

Oak Park River Forest High School

University of Texas - Dallas

Our HelloCollege experience was invaluable in putting us on the right path. From help with high school course selection … to the SAFE college framework … to finding and applying for scholarships, our counselor Dan was with us every step of the way. The SAFE college framework was especially valuable because our daughter was really undecided and changed her course many times, including after committing to a school. Thanks to the strength of her college list, and her many offers, she had options. Furthermore, as she finishes up her first year of college she is happy and thriving at school.

Carl Anderson

Parent of Zahra

Lyons Township High School

Miami University

So grateful to have met everyone at Hello College. Jonathan, Dan, Kevin and Team are absolute experts at what they do. I HIGHLY recommend Hello College to any family that is interested in taking the stress out of navigating through one of the most important topics of a teenager’s life. THANK YOU HC!!!!

Ron Vari

Parent

Lyons Township High School

University of Alabama

Profile

Dan Farnesi has been a leader at HelloCollege since 2014. A former president of the organization and former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he now serves as a Senior Admissions Advisor and CFO Advisor, guiding families through the college admissions process with a focus on financial strategies.

His deep understanding of the college admissions process and financial aid, combined with his passion for mentoring students, ensures families can navigate this critical journey with confidence and clarity.

Dan’s unique approach goes beyond academics. He challenges students to excel not only in the classroom but also in their communities, fostering a commitment to personal growth and service. By empowering students to unlock their full potential, Dan helps them achieve meaningful success that lasts a lifetime. With his proven leadership and dedication, families can trust Dan to provide expert guidance every step of the way.

More about Dan

Location

Greater Chicago Area, Illinois, US

Trusted Guidance Partner of Students Who’ve Been Accepted to:

Featured Publications by Dan

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