ABOUT

An Experienced College Counselor in North Georgia

MEET TOM Founder, Optima U College Consulting, LLC

Tom Neighbour has been in the counseling field and advising college applicants since 2004 when he began working as a high school counselor. Throughout Tom’s experience, he has spent time working in six different high schools in both the Northeast and Southeast, which has enabled him to gain valuable knowledge of colleges in both distinct regions. Tom presently serves as the Director of Counseling at The Alliance Academy for Innovation in Forsyth County, Georgia. In January 2013, Tom was honored as Forsyth County’s High School Counselor of the Year.

Although a professional high school counselor’s time is divided among various tasks, Tom’s main passion lives in the area of college advising and “Optimizing” higher educational opportunities. Tom holds a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Long Island University and maintains memberships with The Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACAC), and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Tom resides in Cumming, Georgia with his wife, two children, and two rescue dogs. Beyond his commitments to the counseling field, Tom dedicates the remainder of his time towards his family and enjoying his time as a father of two very active girls.

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Sakshi

Student

Mr. Thomas Neighbour was exceptional help throughout the college admissions process! With his guidance, I was able to not only be accepted into my targeted colleges but also prestigious BS/MD programs offered by some of them. Using his insight regarding admission teams, I was able to productively express who I am as a person and student. Working with Mr. Neighbour during high school to plan and execute my academic future was an outstanding decision!

Nirav

Parent

Coming from a relatively rural town, our daughter did not have satisfying assistance from her high school to apply to extremely selective colleges and their reputable programs. Through a friend whose child had been through the college process with Mr. Neighbour, we decided to also utilize his guidance. Throughout her junior year and senior year, Mr. Neighbour worked to understand our daughter and her goals and then supported her through the admissions process. Because she was applying to rigorous BS/MD programs, the application process was lengthy and included interviews; however, Mr. Neighbour provided exceptional insight and direction with everything. With his help, our daughter was accepted into both Mercer University’s 8-year medical program and Augusta University’s 7-year medical program along with several other great colleges. I would highly recommend Mr. Neighbours’ services to other parents and students!

Amisa

Parent

First of all, Tom is wonderful, amazing and patient! He has helped my daughter with her college application process. He worked closely with my daughter to ensure she was on track. Tom was always available for my daughter to discuss ideas with and receive feedback. Having someone knowledgeable working with her was a big relief for me. Tom was always available to talk to me and was always responsive to text messages if I had any questions. My daughter was accepted to all the colleges she applied to. We loved having Tom as her counselor and I can’t wait for the wonderful guidance my second child will receive from him. My son will be in great hands! highly recommend Tom to anyone looking for help with the college application process for their children.

Shriya

Student

The college counseling provided by Mr. Thomas Neighbour helped me get into my dream school! His individualized advisement helped me overcome my biggest challenge - writing college essays. I am so grateful for Mr. Neighbour because he made my college planning process less stressful and trouble-free.

Amy

Parent

“Tom was instrumental in guiding my daughter throughout the college application process. He helped to focus her attention where it needed to be and to keep her on track to meet the various deadlines along the way. As a result of his guidance, she was able to get accepted into her dream school, as well as several other “safety” schools. My daughter felt comfortable talking to Tom as he was very encouraging, supportive and honest regarding her college admissions expectations. As this was our first time going through the application process with our kids, my husband and I were not exactly sure what to expect. However, we will not hesitate to utilize Tom’s services again next year when our younger daughter starts the college search process herself.”

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TOM HAS WORKED WITH STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ADMITTED TO THE COLLEGES BELOW

  • Adelphi University
  • American University
  • Armstrong Atlantic University
  • Auburn University
  • Belmont University
  • Berry College
  • Boston College
  • Boston University
  • Brown University
  • BYU
  • Cincinnati Music Conservatory
  • Clemson University
  • College Charleston
  • Columbia University
  • Dartmouth College
  • Duke
  • Elon University
  • Emory University
  • Furman University
  • George Washington University
  • Georgetown University
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Georgia State College and University
  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Johnson & Whales Charlotte
  • Johnson & Whales Providence
  • Kennesaw State University
  • Louisiana State University
  • Loyola Marymount University
  • Loyola University
  • Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
  • Mercer University
  • Mississippi State
  • New York University
  • Northeastern University
  • Oglethorpe University
  • Ohio State University
  • Ole Miss
  • Oxford at Emory
  • Princeton University
  • Rollins College
  • Sewanee University of the South
  • Shorter College
  • Tulane University
  • UNC Chapel Hill
  • University of Tennessee
  • University of Alabama
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Florida
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Miami
  • University of North Georgia
  • University of Richmond
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of South Carolina Bluffton
  • Valdosta State University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Wake Forrest
  • Wofford College
  • Yale