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Boaz Santibáñez Yáñez

The Hoosac School and Layton Christian Academy

Marina has been of tremendous help in finding a suitable school in America for my son. Thanks to her, his dream of playing basketball in America has come true. She facilitated conversations with various schools and coaches, allowing us to choose the best option. Furthermore, she guided us through the administrative process. Marina was always available to answer our questions and provide further assistance. She is pleasant to work with, efficient, and detail-oriented. If you are looking for a school in America or Canada, I highly recommend her services!

Parent

Anne Geurts

Jacksonville University

Marina and the UStudy organization provided our daughter with helpful, professional, and transparent guidance. The support from Amy and Marina at UStudy ensured that our daughter ended up at a university where she fits in perfectly, both in terms of her rowing level and academics. We would not have been able to navigate this search and find the perfect match on our own.

Parent

Lars Willemse

University of Alabama in Birmingham

Marina has been one of the most influential people in my life. She helped guide me through the recruitment stage when I was aiming to get a scholarship in the US to study and play soccer. She truly was a rock during this time, always actively providing a helping hand. She is extremely knowledgeable about the whole process and I recommend her wholeheartedly. If you are looking to study in the US I wouldn’t look any further than UStudy.

Student-Athlete

Marya de Haas

Gemeentelijk Gymnasium Hilversum

The GGH, a Dutch ‘gymnasium’ school, has been collaborating with UStudy and Marina Meijer for almost 10 years. Through Marina, several students have found their way to well-regarded colleges and universities throughout the United States. Marina always responds quickly, has an extensive network of contacts within education in the United States, and always provides honest and professional advice. Besides that, she is incredibly friendly.

School Counselor

Ella Jennes

Pennsylvania State University

Marina is highly capable, full of integrity, and delivers on promises. Plus she is just a good person. I highly recommend working with Marina. We had an excellent experience

Parent

Thijs Bobeldijk

Brook Hill School

Four years ago, our 15-year-old son with his great passion for baseball had the idea of playing baseball at a High School in America. So where do you start as a parent? Thanks to the good contact with Marina and her network, a list quickly emerged of various schools that were interested in a catcher who could hold his own. Ultimately, he chose The Brook Hill School in Bullard, Tyler Texas. A great private boarding school, where student-athlete life is very important. Thijs turned 16 and a month later he left for the new unknown, with his suitcases, catcher suit and a huge baseball bag. He had a great time playing baseball, the level was high on all fronts, but he has grown enormously as a catcher, and as a person and has made friends for life. In the summer of 2020 he obtained his High School Diploma and is now studying at Tyler Junior College where he will hopefully continue his trajectory to a University.

Parent

Philip Borninkhof

Wilbraham & Monson Academy

I registered with UStudy with the plan to find a college with a basketball team for me. UStudy gave me an oversight of all the things that I needed to do, and they took excellent care of everything else. Half way through the process a choice was made to have a prep year at a high school. Due to the good help from UStudy this was arranged trouble free and quickly. Definitely recommended if you have plans to study in the US.

Student-Athlete

Tessel and Lize Huibregtsen

Harvard University en University of British Columbia

Two of our daughters studied and played field hockey abroad with the help of Marina who was very professional, approachable and has an impressive network of hockey coaches and universities. One daughter went to Harvard in Boston, and the other is currently studying and playing field hockey at UBC in Vancouver. If you are interested in studying and playing sports abroad I would certainly recommend Marina to support you in the process.

Parent

Mila de Kuijer

University of Louisville

We highly recommend Marina Meijer and UStudy if your child wants to play sports and study in America. At every step in the process, our daughter was very professionally guided. An individual client-oriented approach is given in which our daughter could contribute all her wishes, questions and feelings; Real customization. Whether it was practical matters, study questions, or coaching our daughter for conducting conversations and contract negotiations with the future coach. Everything went smoothly. It was wonderful to see how our daughter grew throughout the entire process and arranged her own affairs with increasing maturity. And we as parents have been increasingly comfortable being in the background. Marina has an enormous network and a lot of knowledge about both the academic and the sports world. That has been of great benefit to us. Marina easily builds a deep bond of trust and is always enthusiastic and accurate. Even now that our daughter is in America, she knows Ustudy will help if she is stuck with something. Despite Covid 19 and the limited physical contact possibilities, we have experienced the super good guidance as very personal. We look back on it with warm feelings and look forward to what happens next. Go Cards!

Parent

Julian Rip

San Jacinto Community College

If at a certain moment your son indicates that he might want to study in the USA, and in our case also play baseball, you might think this is a trajectory that seems easy. The reality is it is long, difficult, sometimes irritating and in many cases very bureaucratic. You can choose to do everything yourself, and especially if you are familiar with the language and the bureaucracy of the United States, this might seem a great option. We also thought we could do this ourselves but are glad we were advised by other parents who have gone through this process with their children to seek help from UStudy. Now that our son Julian is somewhat “settled” at San Jacinto College in Houston Texas, we can also speak from experience and tell any other parents that help from a specialized company is an absolute must to make this process easy and smooth. This is especially true when choices have to be made between schools, different offers are received, a junior college or a 4-year college, and playing in a Division I or II NCAA college. In addition, you have the administration process that every college requires, and which for Dutch people feels very bureaucratic, a waste of time, and sometimes laughably annoying but which must be done VERY seriously and where absolutely NO shortcuts are possible. In order to do everything properly guidance from a company such as UStudy is absolutely necessary. UStudy certainly cannot do all the work for you, there are things you must do yourself (especially because the US schools require this) but Marina, Mark, and Amy will help you with all the forms, obligations and questions that arise from the process. UStudy brings more experience every year and therefore becomes sharper every year in helping parents and players. Don’t think lightly about the entire application process, allow a lot of time to get it right, expect little help from the US colleges and be prepared for a lot of bureaucratic actions. UStudy was a great help to us in the process of getting our son into the right college for both his education and in our case his ability to play baseball. Onno and Paula Rip, parents of Julian.

Parent

Britt Remmers

Lake Land College

Our daughter Britt was accepted to Lakeland College Illinois through UStudy. The guidance from Marina Meijer and her team during the process was very professional. Expert advice and fast and adequate (re)actions have ensured that Britt has the opportunity to pursue both her sporting and social dreams. I recommend young talents with the ambition to study and play sports in the USA be guided by UStudy.

Parent

Mercedes Wiegel

Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Marina found a true gem of a university for our daughter: not only due to the academic rigor of the program, but also the liberal values they teach the students, with great respect for the community. This perfect match would not have been possible without Marina’s expertise.

Parent

Bas Vermeulen

Saint Leo University

Our experience with UStudy for finding a suitable study in combination with scholarship for golf in the United States was very positive. UStudy has guided us in this process with knowledge, expertise and commitment.  The world of sports, education and the combination of these in a large country like America makes your head spin when your son comes home with the dream of playing golf in America. In fact, the entire process went smoothly because the UStudy step-by-step plan works so well! It provides guidance and insight into what is involved: from the SAT to the Visa. Starting your preparation early our advice! Our son ended up at a wonderful university in Florida and having completed his bachelor’s will now start his master’s.

Parent

Eveline Zwager

James Madison University

Marina and her team gave excellent guidance to our daughter during her trajectory for studying and playing hockey in the USA. We were looking for a great combination between these 2.

Parent

Justine Timmermans

Stonehill College

If you want to study and do sports in the USA, then absolutely do not try to arrange everything yourself. There is a lot of unclear administration which can be hard to sort out yourself. Many tasks, many questionnaires with sometimes unknown terms. The help from UStudy was for us indispensable. Marina and her colleague Amy have helped us really well with the whole process. Clear lists with the steps needed and very fast responses to our questions. Also, the knowledge that Marina has about the different colleges and universities was a big help when it came to choosing the right place. Our daughter had a blast, in short, we definitely recommend UStudy.

Parent

Esther de Leijer

University of Michigan

After the information evening in November about playing hockey in the US, everything was done so that in August I could go and play and study in America. With success!

Student-Athlete

Jessica Albers

Michigan State University

In particular I had a lot of help with applying to universities (writing letters, preparing resumes) and communicating with the hockey coaches!

Student-Athlete

Sebastiaan van Schaik

Knox College

We have contacted Marina to help our son finding the right university in the US and arranging all the paperwork that needs to be done. Marina is very knowledgeable and has a great network among universities. She has done a great job and it is fair to say that without her it would have costed us an awful lot of time to sort things out. Marina has also introduced our son to other students she serves, which was an additional bonus.

Parent

Jari Göttgens

Cornell College

If you are interested in studying abroad (USA, Canada, UK) and are looking for someone to guide you through the entire process, I can highly recommend Marina. She has a great knowledge of the educational system in these countries and has a great network. This has proven very valuable to us, when we were looking for a suitable college and soccer team in the USA. During the preparation she helps you with the smallest details that have to be taken care of (from writing essays, interviews with coaches to getting the student visum at the consulate). She helps both students (our son who went to Cornel College IOWA) in taking their responsibility in the process and parents with the (many) practical things. With Marina you are in great hands.

Parent

Cato Geusgens

University of Virginia

In summer 2018 our daughter Cato mentioned that she would maybe like to study in America. The combination of studying and playing hockey in a sports-minded country like America really appealed to her. Based on a few good references we decided to meet with Marina Meijer at UStudy. The orientation meeting quickly revealed her enormous knowledge and experience in something that was still unknown to us. Different educational institutions, scholarships, and admission requirements were discussed. It became apparent that this was a serious, intensive, and time-consuming process requiring expert guidance. But the meeting was also a chance for Marina to get to know Cato, I noticed that she really paid attention to that. To learn about and understand her, both from a sports view but also on a personal level, so that ultimately she could find the right place for her. What followed was a year in which everything took shape, and we were literally and figuratively embraced by UStudy. There were a few events where general knowledge and experiences were shared, but above all there was specific support for Cato. Soon the large network of UStudy and Marina in particular showed to be fruitful, and contact was made with a few beautiful universities.  Video calls were arranged with the various coaches who had shown interest in Cato and we were advised by Marina how to handle these. Meanwhile Cato was paired with Amy McGriff who is an Application Specialist at UStudy, and she guided her on everything related to application/admission requirements, both generic (TOEFL/SAT/ACT), but also university specific. This is a whole separate subject, and we were incredibly happy with the support of Amy. November 2018 was decision time. At Marina’s suggestion Cato had visited 3 universities and eventually fell head over heels for the University of Virginia, and luckily the feeling was mutual. With a great scholarship offered she flew back to the Netherlands to complete her exam year and get ready for her big adventure in the US. Behind the scenes we had to arrange things like insurance, housing, visas etc. It was great to have UStudy there to help with such things. Now, April 2021 and Cato is in her 2nd year in the US. We facetime regularly and visit her as often as possible. And yes, it is a long way away, but her constant smile makes up for a lot. Her adventure in Virginia enriches, it fits. We are now more experienced and know that America is a country of many possibilities, but also great diversity. It is a thin line between a match and disappointment.  For us, even more reason to recommend the expertise of UStudy, an organization where inhouse knowledge, years of experience, the right network, and personal attention come together. 

Parent

Joshua Bruijnzeels

Conrad Academy & Arlington Day Country School

Thanks to Marina and UStudy my son is now in his second year in Florida. His goal was to combine his great love for basketball with studying. Marina gave us terrific guidance during the whole process. The information was always clear and contact very pleasant. Marina responded quickly and effectively to our questions and/or any unexpected ‘bumps’ we had. Even now we can always call on her expertise. Only praise!

Parent

Nadine Matena

Hendrix College

Good guidance and always available! Marina found a school that fitted me perfectly, thanks!

Marina and her team gave great guidance to our daughter in her plans to study in the US. That began with the orientation; what the options were and what to pay attention to. They remained realistic in outlining the alternatives. Our daughter is now having a great time and that is partly thanks to UStudy.

Student & Parent

Saar de Breij

Northwestern University

UStudy has given excellent guidance to me. No question was too much for Marina, and together with her colleagues, they kept a close eye on planning and what still had to be done. I am so happy that I chose UStudy and would definitely recommend them to others. My dream has come true, and I am very grateful to UStudy.

Student-Athlete

Yuri Wang

New Hampshire Institute of Technology

I experienced Marina as a highly knowledgeable and professional adviser with a personal touch. She helped guide our son in choosing the right college for him. Her knowledge of the American school system, her extensive network, and her genuine interest in people make her a fantastic adviser.

Parent

Iris Verboven

University of Mississippi

Marina and USudy helped me with every step toward choosing the right school and everything that entailed. My sister also worked with UStudy to find the best school for her. She is now in her 5th year and can still reach out to Marina and UStudy for questions and help. UStudy really looks at the individual wishes and personality to achieve the ultimate study experience in America. 

Student-Athlete

Pleun Burgmans

Auburn University

I hired Marina to assist our daughter in finding a college in the USA where she could combine  a suitable study with playing tennis at a high level. With the help of Marina our daughter was offered a full scholarship at a college which was a perfect match. I am impressed with the knowledge, diligence, and punctuality Marina has in her work. She is really a joy to work with and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to go to college (eventually combined with sports) in the USA.

Parent

Stan Kannegieter

Southwestern University

Our son Stan had a great desire to go to the USA to study and play basketball at a high level after high school. Via the Basketball Academy Utrecht and UBALL we were introduced to UStudy, the agency owned by Marina Meijer. In a relatively short time, the perfect place was found for Stan to make his dreams come true, thanks to all the work from Marina. Contact with her was always pleasant and professional, she always responded quickly, adequately, and to the point when we had questions. Furthermore, Marina and UStudy gave good guidance and presented options that fitted the wishes of Stan very well. This was partly due to the excellent network that Marina/UStudy has in the USA. In short, UStudy/Marina is an absolute must if your son or daughter wants to go to the USA to study/play sport.

Parent

Job Huges

Augustana College

Via UStudy and Marina Meijer our son has spent a year at Augustus College, with a soccer scholarship. Very well arranged, professional, and a great year of his life to become an adult. Recommended!

Parent

Martijn Bernhard

Johnson & Wales University

My experience of UStudy and studying in the US. From the age of 6 I began to wonder what it would be like to live in the USA. A childhood dream that slowly disappeared during high school. During my last year at school, I heard about a UStudy showcase for students who wanted to play basketball in America. From that moment the idea came back. “Was it really possible” crossed my mind. I registered and participated in the showcase led by Gerry Freitas (who was more famous that I initially realized). The observation report from Gerry was very positive and I made an appointment with UStudy. Afterwards I was sure this is what I wanted to do. The process went very smoothly. The help and advice from UStudy was clear. A tight schedule of “things-to-do” was handed to me while UStudy searched for schools that matched my preferences: Nice school with the opportunity to really play on the varsity basketball team. UStudy produced a list of schools that matched my preferences. One school stood out above the rest. Johnson & Wales University, a relatively small school in Denver, Colorado. In addition to getting a chance to play basketball, the school offered a scholarship, and the environment was a “perfect fit” for me. A young vibrant city with huge mountains in the surrounding area. UStudy put me in touch with the school, and the coach. This meant that before my arrival in Denver I had contact with various people which made the transition much easier. After completing the admission requirements and passing my final exams, I had to wait until I could finally leave. On arrival everything went very smoothly and was all arranged, and I was able to report for the first practice session at 6 am the next morning. For a year I played basketball, studied, climbed mountains, and got to know people. It was everything I thought it would be and it triggered something in me that will stay with me for a long time. I was hardly homesick; in fact I was more homesick for Denver once I got back to the Netherlands. I was able to make my childhood dream come true with the help of UStudy. I made friends that I still talk to regularly and twice I have been back to Denver to visit everyone. One of these visits was at the invitation of the college where I participated in a project for children who later want to play basketball at college. Although I am now studying in Utrecht, I feel less at home here than I did in Denver. I will definitely return there as often as possible.

Student-Athlete

Phine van Zijl

Princeton University

I can only give praise for Marina and her employees at UStudy. After hearing positive stories from acquaintances, we contacted Marina as our daughter was interested in studying and playing hockey in America. The initial contact was when our daughter was still in VWO 4, and as a result there was plenty of time to prepare. Good sports and personal resumes were written, and many tips received on how to make a sports film. In addition, UStudy arranges gatherings a few times a year, and during these you receive important information regarding insurances, financing, and possible pitfalls. At these meetings there were old students and their parents, who would share their experiences; we benefited greatly from these events. In this way it created the total picture of the wish to study and sport in America. Marina contacted various universities and paid good attention to the wishes of our daughter regarding the sort of university and hockey level. During meetings it was already clear to us that all students have different wishes and that it is really a personalized plan. Marina’s focused approach quickly generated enthusiasm from coaches who our daughter then had numerous skype meetings with, and at the end of VWO 5 she made the choice between 2 Ivy league universities. This was followed by many administrative tasks with deadlines, exams, essays, and many forms to complete. Also, help from teachers and management at school was required, often in English, and I am certain this would not have happened without the help of UStudy. In a few months it will be time, and our daughter will leave for Princeton University. To study at such a good university is a fantastic opportunity and our daughter is thankful to Marina and the other staff at UStudy for making it happen. But what also gives us peace, as parents, is that during her stay in America she can fall back on UStudy. Even then Marina and her co-workers are there for her!

Parent

Noor Coenen

American University

Yesterday during a telephone conversation with my daughter (who is fully enjoying hockey and her study at American University in Washington DC), I also thought about the early days, the recruiting, the conversations with Marina. The characteristics that came to mind were her knowledge and expertise, which ensured a quick and adequate service. Marina was very pleasant to deal with, once again thanks.

Parent

Nadine de Koning

University of Virginia

UStudy has guided my daughter Nadine to her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia in the US. Marina knew exactly in which environment Nadine would develop best. It has been a great experience for Nadine, as she felt like a fish in water at UVA. Only afterwards did I realize that this is not the case for everyone. The culture and level of every American college is very different, and cannot be compared with the situation in the Netherlands, where universities are much more similar. Without the knowledge and skills of Marina and her team, the chance that it would have worked out so well for Nadine would have been much smaller. Thanks Marina & team!anks Marina!

Parent

Melanie Strik

The College of William and Mary

Marina really helped us with her network in the United States and her guidance in the Netherlands finding the right university and sport team for our daughter (the college of William & Mary was a real success in both areas). She studied and played her sport for 2 years with great pleasure and results. Ultimately you have to do it yourself once there but it is essential in the beginning to make the right choices with someone who in addition to having a lot of knowledge is committed and remains involved, even after the deal is closed. 

Parent

Eline Udo

Mount Olive University

Sometimes the passions and future aspirations of kids makes you enter a situation that poses unfamiliar challenges. Our daughter played in the national league for field hockey and decided at the early age of 15 that she intended to move to the United States after graduating high school. Although Google is sometimes your best friend it became apparent that it was a difficult process. We met Marina and UStudy, and since that initial meeting we totally relied on Marina during the subsequent process. At the time it appeared to be the right choice, and with the benefit of hindsight it certainly was! Marina was able to clear the roads; she moved all the obstacles thus paving the way for our daughter into the USA by means of creating the right contacts. UMO, Mount Olive (NC) and coach Daan Polders contributed to an amazing time for our daughter, and we are grateful that Marina helped facilitate this. I really recommend Marina and UStudy.

Parent

Sarah Bonthuis

Lafayette College

Marina has excellent knowledge of University and College life in the USA. She has up-to-date knowledge and gives great advice in this sometimes difficult to understand environment, which is very different from the Dutch education system. All the people we have sent to her have ended up at the college of their choice, at the level they wanted to be.

Parent

Ricky Voorn

Augustana College

Marina is a very friendly and very competent adviser when it comes to helping (European) athletes find a perfect match with an American college. She helped me getting enrolled at Augustana College (SD), a highly rated academic school with a great NCAA DII baseball program, which was way more than I had hoped for. She has a very personal way of working with her clients which makes you feel at ease and a lot more than just a number. I will definitely recommend her services to everyone who is interested in American academics and athletics!

Student-Athlete

Olle Verschoof

Drew Univeristy

If you are exploring the options regarding a study in the United States, please do refer to Marina and ask her to represent you during the process of orientation and application. Marina is a top professional. First and foremost she is a caring mother herself and hence well aware of the sensitivities and emotions that come with the process of sending your son or daughter overseas. That being said, she is determined to deliver results. She has a keen eye for the individual interest of the student and acts as a trusted counsel. She is able to manage expectations friendly and professionally and she is actively in control of the process. She has over the years developed a fabulous network in the US and clearly knows her way around there. Please don’t underestimate the added value she brings in helping you to make a happy landing in the US.

Parent

Gilian Buijk

George Mason University

If you would like to pursue your college education in the United States, I must say that Marina Meijer, founder of UStudy, is the person you should be teaming up with. She offers great personal guidance, works rapidly and accurately and to top it off she has an enormous network spread throughout the United States which will contribute to finding a university/college that will match your standards and requirements. UStudy can also help you earn academic and athletic scholarships if your profile fits the American standards. From personal experience, Marina has helped me acquire a full athletic (soccer) scholarship at George Mason University back in 2015. My college experience has been the most exciting experience of my life so far, but it would’ve only been a dream if it wasn’t for Marina and her team at UStudy. Thanks to them, that dream became a reality.

Student-Athlete

Jaas van Maaskant

Santa Rosa Junior College & Santa Barbara City College

Marina has been of great support to our son from the very moment our son started considering a gap year in the US to study and to play soccer in a junior college team. It’s not easy for a young student, and neither for the parents, to determine which college would be a great place to be for him or her. There are many colleges, and colleges differentiate to quite an extent in style, in the value they attach to sports and study respectively, in ambition, etc. Websites and documentation provide some answers, but we have felt lucky to have Marina as our guide throughout the total process of gathering information, making a plan, select a college, and get the application done. Very often, Marina would know the individual coaches or directors at various colleges, and could point at certain pro’s and con’s of the various colleges, competitions, and/or staff. Marina’s ‘gently push’ proved very effective in getting our son to a timely choice, and timely submission of the application. We particularly appreciated Marina’s immediate and unconditional help when our son decided half way the academic year to transfer to another college to play in a different soccer league.

Parent

Ties van Haastrecht

Wilbraham & Monson Academy

Two of our sons experienced their study abroad through the personal support and organisational expertise of Marina and UStudy. Planning and help to get all the administrational paperwork on time in the US and the time and care that UStudy puts in the preparation and decision of this big step by young people are essential. The best personal planning and organisation to give the confidence to young students.

Parent

Pim Boonstra

University of Missouri St. Louis

Marina is an experienced consultant that constructively advises and guides prospective students in the process of finding, applying and enrolling at North American educational institutions. She, and her team, have extensive knowledge of the education system, immigration requirements, school-specific prerequisites, collegiate sports, scholarship opportunities and all other facets that play an important role in successfully starting a college career. Marina helped me in furthering my academic, as well as athletic interest, and I would recommend her services to students with a dream to study in North America.

Student-Athlete