Meet Judy Fulmer

We recently connected with Judy Fulmer and have shared our conversation below.

Judy , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

The search for my purpose could be likened to the creation of a tapestry. My mix-matched work life and personal experiences led to my discovery of purpose and the fulfillment of my calling. My professional journey took me through the classroom and homeschool as an educator, industry and consulting as a Health Physicist protecting workers and the environment from negative effects of radioactive material, childhood cancer advocacy, and multiple volunteer roles including encouraging and guiding others through college prep and admissions. Along the way, I discovered my deepest purpose in life which was encouraging others and igniting hope. I fulfill this purpose through personal relationships, service in my community (church, Bible study, volunteerism), but I also fulfill this through my work.

Two years ago, I founded College PrepXcel. At College PrepXcel, we simplify and super-charge college admissions and SAT/ACT prep for our students and their famlies. We use a results-driven, student-focused approach to help our students stand out by helping them to strategically develop competitive college and scholarship applications that are also compelling. It is an absolute joy to work with my students and see them overcome their challenges and barriers to reach their academic goals. I remember walking through my living room one day when my oldest son was a Sophomore in HIgh School came up to me and asked for help with an academic camp application. It was a competitive camp and the application reminded me of a college or scholarship application. It was thorugh and he had a lot of questions. We were both admittedly frustrated trying to remember all of his extracurriculars, leadership roles, volunteer hours, and academic honors while trying to create a compelling application. In frustration, I remarked that we needed a guidance counselor! Then it hit me that I was the guidance counselor. That was a humbling and scary realization, because I was keenly aware that I may make a mistake that could cost my son and other children an opportunity or affect their college admissions and scholarships. That was not a scenario I could live with, so I determined to dig in and learn as much as I possibly could about college admissions and scholarships. I wanted to be able to help my kids and set them up for success.

What began as my own realization that I was the one who was responsible for guiding my through college admissions and scholarships turned into something that could be used to serve and encourage other families. Over the next several years, I helped other families navigate the college prep and scholarship process and I realized that there was a real need for this kind of guidance. College admissions is often wrought with stress and confusion, but I am able to share my experiences and professional training and development to help move students and their families into a place of hope, confidence, and clarity. All of my previous life and work experiences came together to develop the skills I need to serve my families well. Similar to a tapestry, the backside may look like a mess of criss-crossed stitches, but the result is a beautiful piece of tapestry art that works to effectively serve my families while simultaneously filling me with great joy and fulfillment.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

In my role as an educational consultant, I have the privilege of working with college-bound students and their families during one of the most exciting times of their lives – college prep and admissions. This journey often starts with middle schoolers or young high schoolers as we talk about courses, extracurricular actitivities and life skills that will prepare them to pursue the callings on their lives after high school. Some students know the path they hope to follow, but many do not. I have the opportunity to get to know them and help them discover their own interests and abilities and identify ways for them to hone their skills. I get to help them think through where they may want to go to college and consider schools that would be a good fit for them. Colleges are all so very different with different cultures and strengths. They are most definitely not one-size fits all. Students and their families need to consider a wide range of variables when creating their prospective college lists. An important step in college prep is taking the SAT or ACT exam. Students benefit significantly from test prep, so I created comprehensive prep courses for them that help my students move beyond testing barriers and reach their test score goals. My courses include tips and strategies, but go far beyond that and teach students how to identify their knowledge gaps and testing trends and also teach them valuable life skills including time management, how to set SMART goals, how overal health and wellness affects their academic performance and test score, the difference between excellence and perfection, getting rid of “stinkin thinkin” (the lies we believe that keep us stuck, overcoming test anxiety, study skills, and growth mindset training. I really enjoy getting to know my students and helping them break through the barriers into their full potential. Students who actively participate and apply what they’re taught are seeing tremendous improvements in their scores. I am their biggest cheerleader and love to see them thrive! I also help students learn necessary skills for college admissions including how to craft their high school resume, prepare for a college interview, and I brainstorm with them on their college essay topics. It is so exciting to see my students walk confidently into these steps knowing that they are prepared and have a solid plan.

Both the SAT and ACT revised their tests recently. The new fully digital and shorter SAT exam was released in March 2024. The new digital and shorter ACT exam was released in April 2025 and the new shorter paper ACT exam will be released in September 2025. In order to prepare my students for these exams, I am offering comprehensive prep courses beginning June 18 (SAT) and June 20 (ACT) . I offer a 4 point score increase guarantee on my ACT courses and a 100 point score increase guarantee on the SAT courses. These courses will be taught for 8 weeks. A 12 week option is availabl e as well for those who want additional coaching and bonus material including instruction in study skills, mindset training, and a recordkeeping system that pulls together everything for college and scholarship applications.

Students can learn more about these courses at the following links:

SAT Course webpage
https://collegeprepxcel.com/go/my-best-sat-prep-course/my-best-sat-prep-course/

ACT Course webpage
https://collegeprepxcel.com/go/my-best-act-prep-course/my-best-act-prep-course/

I’ve seen firsthand how high scores open doors for students for admission to more competitive schools and also for lucrative merit scholarship awards. The course investment pays off significantly for my students. One fact I like to share with others is that a study conducted by the Granite Group determined that 1 single point on the ACT is worth $8451 in additional scholarships over 4 years. (https://granitetestprep.com/how-much-is-1-point-on-the-act-worth-in-dollars/) A 4 point increase on the ACT equates to 100 point increase on the SAT.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Passion and compassion for my students – This quality drives me to learn as much as possible about college admissions in order to best serve my students. I take courses, participate in professional organizations, and communicate regularly with colleges so that I am abreast of current trends and practices. It also gives me the desire to understand what is important to them so that I can be effective in my guidance and communication with them. At the end of the day this is their future we are talking about and I want to make sure they are able to follow their own dreams, not mine or their parents.

2. The ability to research and dig to find answers – I learned that the answers are always there, but you have to go find them. I am not afraid to search for the information I need to help a student. I am tenacious and keep working until I find what we need to know.

3. My faith in God is a big factor in how I serve my students. I seek guidance from the One who knows my students and their families the best. The Lord guides and directs me in all areas of my life. He is ultimately the One highlighting for me the next steps that will best position a student and their family. I trust Him first and foremost with my work.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am looking for others who serve teenagers (public, private and homeschooled) and their families to partner with. I find that there is often common ground that can be shared and grown together. For example, earlier today I was talking with an aquaintance who I met at a homeschool convention a week ago. She runs a non-profit and teaches teens personal finance and money management in fun and interactive ways. She touches on the value of college scholarships in her summer camps and other courses, but doesn’t really go into the various kinds of scholarships, where to find them, or how to stand out on applications the way that I would. I talk with my students about ways to finance college, fiscal responsiblity and working to minimize college debt, but I don’t go into how to budget their money or topics such as investments, taxes, insurance and other valuable personal finance skills. There are lots of ways that I can collaborate with others to work together to serve our client base and cross refer students to each other. I am open to being creative with this and brainstorming ways to serve our students. Right now, my biggest issue is obscurity, so I am interested in finding ways to get the word out about my services and connecting with new students and their families.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.collegeprepxcel.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554453188931
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ judith-judy-fulmer-33352416b
• Other: I created a Linked In Business Profile for College PrepXcel less than a week ago. It is a “baby page” but it’s there. If you think it would be helpful to link to it as well, here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-prepxcel/?viewAsMember=true