College Counseling Support
from Beginning to End

Let’s Do This!

About Joanna

Joanna Belkin Petti is an experienced English teacher and college counselor with 20 years in education. Known for her warmth, empathy, and humor, she helps students craft compelling college essays with authentic narratives and personal voices. She also guides students in building balanced college lists that align with their strengths and aspirations. Honesty and integrity are at the core of her approach, ensuring personalized support for each student. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, hiking with her husband and dog, Rocky, and spending time with her two high school kids.

Background & Credentials

Joanna earned her BA in Psychology from Clark University, where she competed in swimming and crew, and later obtained a JD from Northeastern University. She holds multiple teaching credentials and an Independent Educational Consulting (IEC) certificate from UC Irvine. A longtime Bay Area resident, she has spent much of her career at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Oakland, where she currently teaches eighth-grade English.

Certifications Include:

What I do

Help Create a
Balanced College List

It’s hard to know what schools may be good for you. I’d love to help create a list of schools that you want to apply to.

Essay Support

I’ll help you write your story, find your voice, and be authentic — all the things you need to write a killer essay that you’re proud of.

Demystify the
Admission Process

It’s complicated. I get that.

I can break the process down and make it easier to understand.

Transition
Counseling


Once you get into the school of your dreams, I can support you as you transition from high school to college.

Reach out to set up a free consultation.

What my students say about me:

  • I am someone who procrastinates every assignment and my college applications were no different. When September of this school year came, I started to meet with Joanna. She created a planner, helped me pick out schools, and created a timeline for all my essays. She pushed me hard on deadlines and allowed me even to submit some essays early. During our meetings, she brought out ideas and focused on helping me find my voice in my writing. Now, I feel my essays are the strongest part of my application and all the credit goes to Joanna. Without her, I don’t know if I would have been able to get a single application in.

    ~Vaughn

  • Working with Joanna has been an incredibly positive experience. She has guided me through every challenge I've faced and every emotion I've felt during the college application process. Her personalized approach, along with her genuine care and dedication to helping me, has made me feel confident at every step of the way. She has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and helped me realize how much more capable I am than I thought before starting my applications.

    ~Bella

  • My time working with Joanna was exactly what I needed when I needed it most. By the start of the school year, while my friends were wrapping up their essays, I hadn’t even started and was seriously stressed. Her super friendly and easygoing personality made it easy to open up about my essays, which really helped with brainstorming. Joanna listened to me and helped me figure out where to start and how to move forward. Her down-to-earth approach made the whole process feel manageable, even when it felt overwhelming. With her guidance, I went from feeling completely behind to being proud of the essays I submitted. Even when she was on my case about deadlines, working with Joanna was an amazing experience, and honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without her.

    ~Milo