About Donna Sakabu
Hi! I’m Donna!
I am the Founder and Principal Educational Consultant of Insightful College Planning. At our first meeting, you’ll quickly learn that I love supporting families with the college admissions planning process. If I were asked to design my dream career, THIS IS IT!
Educational Consultant & Certified Educational Planner
My journey into college admissions counseling was shaped by a lifelong connection to K–12 education and a deep commitment to helping students thrive. For more than 13 years, I have worked as a College Admissions Planning Consultant, guiding families through the college planning and admissions process with clarity, expertise, and reassurance. My goal is simple: to make an often overwhelming process more manageable, strategic, and less stressful.
I hold a Graduate Certificate in College Counseling, with Distinction, from UCLA, where I completed 33 units of intensive coursework and a culminating internship with two high schools. To further deepen my professional training, I completed the highly respected Summer Training Institute through the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). My academic foundation includes a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Cal Poly Pomona, a background that sparked my interest in college affordability, financial aid, and the economics of higher education—and in helping families make informed, sustainable choices.
Professional growth is central to my work. I actively collaborate with educational consultants locally and nationwide through professional networks, ensuring I remain current in an ever-changing college admissions landscape. I regularly attend professional conferences, webinars, and in-person college tours, and I have personally visited over 200 colleges. These experiences allow me to provide students with informed, nuanced guidance grounded in firsthand knowledge.
I am a Professional Member of IECA and HECA, the premier organizations for independent educational consultants, and I am honored to serve in IECA leadership. I have also earned the designation of Certified Educational Planner (CEP) through AICEP—the highest level of professional certification in educational consulting. This credential reflects rigorous training, extensive experience, a comprehensive board-certified examination, and a commitment to the highest ethical standards in the field.
Outside of my work with students and families, I enjoy travel, nature walks, reading, and time with family and friends. My husband, a systems and electrical engineer, and I relocated to McKinney, Texas, in 2020 after many years in California. Our two sons are now college graduates, building their careers, and we are happily embracing the empty-nester chapter while exploring our new home state.
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