Success Stories

Working with Audrey was nothing like school. In fact, our meetings were everything school should’ve been. I’ve always loved creating—writing, singing, drawing, filmmaking—but traditional lessons made my passions feel lifeless, and left me with a burnt-out muse that no longer had the energy to inspire. Audrey reignited that spark. She didn’t make writing feel like a chore; instead, she helped me see the words on the page as a living, breathing part of me again. That’s because she’s not just a college counselor. She’s a fellow artist, a wise and whimsical friend who edits your work like magic and validates your wildest dreams with every conversation, making you say “Maybe I really can be an author, a Broadway actor, or a renowned cosmologist after all.”

From our earliest sessions, she taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned: that I am enough. I didn’t need to mold myself into someone else to be “college-worthy”—I only needed to express my truth as fully and as beautifully as I could. Audrey helped me discover that truth. And now, I hear her voice in my head every time I write: replace the “it,” be specific, let your details dance. Audrey prioritizes your personal needs and guides you in a way that fits you and only you. I grew up shy and introverted, and over time, those habits solidified into harmful beliefs: that I wasn’t meant to be on stage, that I wasn’t meant to speak up or stand my ground, that I would forever be that quiet ten year old that was afraid of building relationships with others. Audrey took apart my misbeliefs and helped me grow into someone with a heck of a lot of introspective power, mindfulness, and confidence in my identity—I don’t shy away from the spotlight anymore.

And let me tell you, Audrey is the best reading buddy you could ask for; thanks to her, my TBR list is thriving, and I’ve already discovered so many new favorites through her recommendations. Our time together wasn’t just about college essays, no—our meetings were about rebuilding my relationship with the things I love and redefining life’s possibilities. The future I once couldn’t imagine is now calling me over with open arms, inviting me to write my novels, to travel and explore languages, to make music, and become myself. Throughout our time together, I not only gained an amazing friend in Audrey, but I met baby whale Samir too, who became a best friend in his own right (hi Samir!). If you’re feeling uncertain about who to work with during this process, I hope this brings you some clarity. Audrey is truly one of a kind.
Vanessa Ann Roberts, University of California Berkeley Class of 2029

Audrey really puts the counselor in “college counselor,” forcing me to reflect on everything from my family’s dynamics to why I hate certain subjects. At the beginning of the process I had no clue what I wanted to study but completing the writing exercises (especially What Do I Want series) before all the college applications helped me discover that I wasn’t a computer science geek who happened to like writing and social science but a social science intellectual who happened to enjoy coding. This system works because partnering with Audrey (and having my parents go hands-off) feels like she cares about me personally. My school counselor asked me what extracurriculars I did and just said “Cool. Seems like you are a busy guy.” Meanwhile, with Audrey, I’ve had whole conversations about not just my extracurriculars, but my hobbies and the stuffed animals in my room.

Honestly, I feel like even “college counselor” doesn’t capture her role entirely either. Audrey was more like an agent sifting through my writing to help me articulate my interests. This shows through in the activities sections for UC and Common App where she helped make my admittedly bland descriptions more pitch-worthy. Similarly, I think out of all my essays, she rejected the idea or style only once. The rest of the time we found a way to sculpt a compelling narrative out of the different parts I crafted. The personal statement for Common App is probably my favorite example: I would never have thought that an essay about the people I met on Caltrain would be the best way of introducing myself. It’s the same story for my University of Chicago application consisting of an essay about Skittles and a two-minute rant about my love for alpacas. And the best thing was that it worked. I also liked having a clear structure for each college research so once I got the hang of it after the first few colleges, I could efficiently research these schools while still going in-depth. Without this system, I would probably just go down random rabbit holes for each school and have a hard time comparing them. It felt almost wrong to submit my UC apps one month before the deadline while my friends were panicking about having to restart this or that essay. This brings me to the final thing: Audrey manages to carefully balance how many essays are going at once so I can focus on perfecting them; then having the confidence that they are as good as they’ll be so I can move on truly reduced my perfectionist-induced stress levels.

Audrey has a contagious confidence. It may sound obvious that college counselors should be enthusiastic about their students but my school counselors did not think I could reach high with my grades. Meanwhile, Audrey, with her inspiring comments after each essay was complete, believed in my ability to have a real shot at admission into my reach schools. It’s that belief in me that allowed me to feel confident uploading a picture of a horse meme to my Rice Box on a whim. UChicago was my Dream School for a reason. I liked it when I did my research, I loved it after my tour, and I wrote one of my best essays for their application. At the same time, nobody from my school had gone in three years and my other friends applying all had better grades than me. But with Audrey’s guidance, trust in the process, and a hint of luck, before winter break even started I was admitted.
Daniel Jiang, University of Chicago Class of 2029

When I first started on the college application process, I was completely lost. My parents, being first-generation immigrants, had little to no clue where to even start. I was initially apprehensive about reaching out to a college counselor, as I didn’t like the feeling of being confined and controlled by an outsider who barely knew anything about me. However, agreeing to meeting Audrey was one of the best decisions I could’ve done for myself. Immediately from the first video call, I felt at ease. She didn’t tell me what to do; rather, she took the jumbled mess of information that I wanted to convey and helped me organize that into comprehensive essays that truly told the story of who I was. She was a guide that provided tips and tricks to present my best self to college admissions, while also exposing me to colleges and majors that I would’ve never even considered. College research, essay practice, essay writing, the Common App, UC applications…each these different processes were completed over a month before the deadline, leaving me with ample time to watch my classmates struggle and stress over their unfinished applications. Through her help, I was able to write a wonderfully personal personal statement that highlighted all of the vulnerabilities of my swimming career, my love for music, my involvement in all my clubs, all in only 650 words!! I was able to capitalize on specific moments in my life, such as my volunteering at the library, my job as a lifeguard and swim instructor, my hatred for Ronald Reagan, and my dreams of being a zoning lawyer. My hefty and thorough college research allowed me to write jam-packed why-college essays that showed my genuine appreciation for the school through concrete examples and clear concise language. She guided me through my many extracurriculars, awards, volunteer hours, and how to best display them on my application for others to see the fullest extent of my effort. Clearly, Audrey worked wonders, because never in a million years would I have thought I was going to LA to be a Bruin! Not only am I going to a school with the top resources for my career, I’ve cultivated a relationship with someone who understood my needs as a confused incoming college freshman.
Satina Guo, University of California Los Angeles Class of 2029

Working with Audrey has been a transformative and interesting experience. She has a very distinctive style of help that works extremely well even if my whole body resisted it initially. I started working with Audrey near the end of junior year, starting with my Year of Transformation. This type of writing practice is exclusive to Audrey and I have never heard of any other counselor doing anything similar. The Year of Transformation allowed me to explore myself, reflect on my life and experiences, and find more gratitude and joy in my life as well as find ways to creatively turn my experiences into a story. Ever since I was young, my mom had been telling me to create a story with my activities so that I could write a good Common App essay; she wanted my essay to bring in everything about my life (say why I want to do my major because of sailing, why I do volunteering because of sailing, why my life is metaphorically similar to sailing—even when I was creating my art portfolio’s artist statement, I wanted to relate all of my pieces back to the ocean and sailing). I had been told to have a singular narrative for the longest time, but Audrey knew this wasn’t going to be a good essay. She encouraged me to just pour my heart out and write everything I wanted to and allow the story to flow from there, which I didn’t think was a good idea as I always tried to have a clear plan before ever writing anything, but this method Audrey insisted on allowed me to develop a story that was true to myself and that incorporated all the most important parts of myself. Reading back on the essay I wrote through Audrey’s method, I can’t help but feel glad that I trusted Audrey and her method, as I know an essay I plan out beforehand will never achieve the same amount of depth. If I had to give anyone any advice for working with Audrey, it would be to do the work and trust in the process. Outside of essay writing, Audrey was also amazing at helping me deal with my nerves, calming me down, and reducing my stress. One of the most memorable experiences I had with Audrey was working on one of the supplemental essays for Stanford, my top choice, my REA, the school I was hell-bent on getting into. I had a draft I spent the past year ideating for and was happy with, but with her experience, Audrey realized that I was not answering the prompt as specifically I could be and I wasn’t being authentic enough. Even though I liked the essay, she made sure I changed my essay for the better. She never writes the essays for you, but she prompts you to think deeply and reflect on your life to bring out the most authentic version of yourself, and that’s exactly what colleges want to see.
Ethan Kong, Stanford University Class of 2029

At the beginning of this process, I was very nervous. I had no idea what to write about. What even is the first step to getting to know me? Do I even know myself? The beginning is always the most challenging part. Without Audrey, I would’ve gotten sucked into a wormhole that would’ve led to my first existential crisis…However, through meeting with Audrey, she consistently helped and urged me to answer questions about myself to better understand myself. Working with Audrey was very thought-provoking. During our sessions where we planned and wrote my college application essay, I learned to dig deeper and find information about myself that wasn’t superficial. Audrey has consistently encouraged me to observe how and question why I act in specific ways, which has helped me better understand myself, making my essay unique. I also really appreciate the fact that she would actively give me feedback on each writing piece I do before every lesson. Her commitment has inspired me to consistently think about what to write in my essay throughout my day-to-day life, which is a significant reason why I was able to dig deeper into who I am as a person in a short period of time. I learned that I have a profound love for cities. As I’m going to NYU, I can’t wait to further explore the emotions and live the feelings of bliss I felt while writing my Common App essay.

I also appreciate how she gave me a list of universities that she thinks might suit my personality after getting to know me for a while. This was really important since I’m unfamiliar with U.S. universities that aren’t well known globally (coming from an international student!). One significant difference between Audrey and my school’s guidance counselor is that she is encouraging. Especially during the application process, students need encouragement, especially since we have no idea what the future holds for us. I want others, just like me, but one year younger, to know that a counselor is meant to be encouraging. They shouldn’t bring you down about something that happened in the past, which you can no longer change. If you continue to ruminate due to your counselor’s words, the application process is going to be so much more stressful and daunting than it really needs to be. In every meeting we have, there is always at least one great moment. With Audrey, I was able to have deep conversations to get to know myself every week, which I don’t usually do. However, one thing that instantly comes to mind is when I officially completed my Common App essay and the activities and awards list. Being able to see my document turn green (you’ll know what I mean when you take classes with Audrey)…it was the best feeling as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Samantha Lee, New York University Class of 2029

Audrey is a game-changer when it comes to college counseling. She made me a schedule that kept me productive and stress-free while also making sure I stayed ahead of deadlines and felt confident through the process. Her brainstorming meetings were quite motivating. She kept pushing me to emphasize my personal strengths and compose more interesting and real-to-life essays. I can’t remember the final drafts of the essay that did not bear any of her comments. She helped me polish the drafts so that they represented me and not some generic person. With wise planning, I completed my college application process well before the deadlines while others scrambled. Apart from being a wonderful counselor, Audrey has always been there for me as a mentor and a friend. She cares too much about her students and their futures. I can’t thank her enough for her assistance. Working with her was like having a coach, strategist, and hype person all in one. Starting off, I was overwhelmed on how I could tell my story: I didn’t think I had anything unique to say. But she helped me see that my everyday experiences, like the Crazy Shirt Kliban Cat named Kissy my girlfriend gave me, were more than enough to make something meaningful. That random gift turned into the heart of my Common App essay and truly showcased my personality. As a first generation college student I was expecting to be lost through this college application process however she showed me how to answer each essay prompt to the fullest. While I was taking two college courses this summer, lifting weights, and writing apps, she kept me on track with a clear plan. When I was overwhelmed with work from college classes during the summer, she made me laugh and reminded me to take it one step at a time. Every brainstorming session was full of  fun and reflection, like when she helped me figure out how to make an essay about my weightlifting journey, how to write an actual why computer science essay, or even describing how I reconnected with my Assyrian roots by relearning the language, she helped me make it all deeply personal. Through this process, I learned a lot about English grammar I never fully understood in school, like how to properly use semicolons and how to make my sentences flow smoother. I’m confident about getting into college, the goals I’m chasing, and the story I’m bringing with me. Working with her wasn’t just about applications; it was about realizing my potential and learning how to own my story. Thank you Audrey for helping me do that.
Christopher Yoberd, University TBD

Working with you was genuinely amazing. I was so nervous for our first meeting together, but once I saw your big smile, my anxiety quickly went away. I always knew that I could come to you with whatever was on my mind, whether it was friend drama that felt like the end of the world or my current dessert obsession of the week (caramel Yasso bars, Trader Joe’s chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, classic sundaes, and everything in-between). The past couple of years, I felt trapped in my friendships, stuck with people that I didn’t relate to, who negatively impacted my life. Because of you, I was able to work through these friend issues by writing about it in my college essays and discussing it in our weekly meetings, and learned more about myself in the process. You always made a point to have me express my feelings, whether on something trivial or massive. You are so funny, kind, and genuinely caring, and I cannot say enough good things about the atmosphere you provided. 

I think that you are much more than a guidance counselor. You are a friend, mentor, and a supporter. Most average college guidance counselors probably don’t spend the time getting to know the trivial details of their students’ lives. But you were always there to listen to my random thoughts, opinions about the annoying people at my high school, and rants about my younger siblings stealing my ice cream bars. You and I definitely had our fair share of deep conversations, but I think that the biggest one overall was when I was questioning my religion. I grew up in such a Christian household, and religion was something that practically got me through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the past year, I started to question if I believed in my religion. I was so scared to say anything about this to the people around me because I didn’t want to be judged. Being able to talk to you helped me learn that it’s okay to question beliefs, and that it is a normal part of life and growing up. This made me feel so comfortable and safe in a time of uncertainty. The relationship that we built is one that has been so important to me the past couple of years. Younger kids, just know that when you work with Audrey, you’re not working with a boring old guidance counselor, you’re getting to have a weekly hangout session with your awesome friend from California. 

Working with you helped simplify the process of college research and essays because you organized the process in a way that made it very digestible. The writing practices were perfect because I was able to build a foundation of writing to pull from when doing my application essays. I was able to learn so much more about who I am and where I want to go, all because of creating these essays. This writing also translated very well in terms of the admissions process, since I got into almost all of my target schools and a few of my reach schools. Therefore, I was given many options of amazing institutions to choose from, which was amazing. College research, which is so incredibly overwhelming, was made much simpler working with you, since you were able to target schools that I would have never even considered for me to look into because of your read on my personality. I had sworn at the beginning of my journey that I would NEVER apply to a California school, but with your help I did, and considered going to UC San Diego right up until the end. You helped me understand that there is no such thing as a perfect school. There is just a different version of yourself that you would be nurturing at each one. 

Your advice helped me learn my worth, which will translate into my life beyond our time together, since I hold myself to a much higher standard with who I spend my time and energy on.
Emmy Sullivan, Indiana University Class of 2028

Audrey was truly the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel that is college applications. Being a teen pursuing computer science in the Bay Area made the idea of applying to college daunting to say the least. I vividly remember my very first meeting with Audrey when she asked me, “What problems in the world do you want to solve?” I was under the impression that my college counselor would simply ask for my GPA and SAT score before cranking out a list of colleges for me to apply to. It was only ten minutes into speaking to Audrey for the first time that I realized she is not just any old college counselor; Audrey challenged me to explore how I could make a lasting impact on the world and learn more about myself in the process. Beyond just helping me decide my major and what colleges I wanted to apply to, Audrey transformed my writing beyond what I ever thought I’d be capable of. Week by week, after being tasked with a new goofy writing prompt from Audrey, I could see my writing getting better and better. My favorite Audrey moment was when she asked me to write an entire page on a singular black dot which ended up being the most helpful writing practice she’d ever given me. The newfound confidence I had in my writing after getting meaningful feedback that actively improved the way I wrote made the “black dot” prompt a walk in the park.

Between all the girl talk about our latest trips to Sephora or our traumatizing experiences at the gym, meeting with Audrey to work on my college apps became the highlight of my weekends. I was genuinely in awe of how well-written my personal statement and supplemental essays were after working with Audrey and I still reread them to this day as they were just that good. Most of all, Audrey just made me feel so loved and supported and I could always count on her to bring me back to earth in even the most stressful of times.
Nikitha Kerudi, University of California San Diego Class of 2028

I absolutely adored working with Audrey because she took the time to truly get to know me as a person, as a friend, as a student, and as a college applicant. Other college counselors do interviews before onboarding students to see if they are qualified enough to get into a “good college” but Audrey had a conversation with me to see not if I was “qualified” but if I was passionate about something. Audrey’s ability to focus on desires, passions, goals, and interests despite the ever-growing focus on good GPAs and extracurriculars is something that sets her apart. While it might seem that “stats” are what colleges look for, they truly aren’t, and Audrey’s ability to help maintain focus on what your personal strengths are is what sets her apart as an amazing college counselor that wants the best for YOU. Audrey really helped open my eyes to what college is truly about as well as the huge amount of things that need to be done for college applications. In my school, people only care about about T20 schools, and Audrey really helped shift my perspective on that by making me do the research into each and every college to see if it was truly right for me. I am so grateful for Audrey, because it’s really easy to believe what everyone around you is saying, but Audrey made sure I figured out what was best for me instead of what was supposedly the best.

One of the things I value and prioritize with long-term projects is structure: setting deadlines for goals as well as making and following a plan for how to achieve those goals, and Audrey was absolutely a godsend for that. With college applications having so many different aspects to focus on (essays, college lists, activities, additional info, etc), Audrey being super clear with helping me set goals for what I should/could accomplish in a week or month was extremely relieving because I knew I was on track to finish everything in a timely manner. Additionally, Audrey’s process of completing certain writing practices first helped immensely: they helped me develop a type of writing that is completely different from what I learned in school and is completely necessary for college essays. These practices made the transition into actually writing the college essays a lot easier and a lot less stressful. 

Audrey’s help and guidance continues beyond clicking the submit button as well. Receiving college decisions can be extremely stressful despite knowing you put forward the best you could (which Audrey makes sure you know throughout the entire process), but receiving Audrey’s enthusiastic, proud, and supportive messages really helped me be proud of everything I’d done. One of the major things Audrey helped me with through doing college applications is actually figuring out what I want to do in college and beyond. While I knew what I wanted to major in, Audrey helped me realize what I want to do with those technical skills in the years to come. This not only helped with writing more focused and passionate essays, but also with getting a better sense of the classes, opportunities, and extracurriculars I might want to involve myself in in the future. Having completed this process with Audrey, I can confidently say that I was nowhere near as stressed as I thought I would be going through the college application process. Her personalized plans and goals and her friendly, bubbly, and calming demeanor seriously helped with taking the absolute terror out of college apps, and instead replacing it with simply feeling as if I was developing new skills: and that is something I am most happy about. The process of working with Audrey was absolutely AMAZING.
Ananya Jilla, University of California Berkeley Class of 2028

As Audrey’s first Puerto Rican high school student, she swam through the unknown and did what I had not expected a college counselor to do: make understanding me as a person and where I come from a priority. Getting to truly know me gave her the ability to personalize every advice and correction. My favorite memory was meeting her for brunch in LA after working with her for a year. This encounter filled my heart with happiness because the experience was as if I was meeting a long distance best friend for the first time. This process is not only about finding a possible major, finding the colleges you will apply to and writing essays. This is also about learning how to do research, how to condense your note taking, learn to be extremely specific when writing, how to articulate your emotions and thoughts, and better translation from your first language to English. Which is why throughout this process with Audrey you are able to grow as a student, person, and future professional.

I deeply appreciate that Audrey takes her time to find an extremely wide variety of colleges that are not only well-known for the major or specific details you are looking for, but that she knows would be a great fit when it comes to location, your personality, and hobbies. Having someone who knows so many countless facts about the thousands of colleges in the nation helps students like me end up at their perfect college that they didn’t even know existed.

I wrote my last writing practice (before starting college essays) about a Cinderella doll who is still in her plastic box in my closet. I didn’t believe this essay was good enough, but little did I know Audrey would connect every word I wrote with my life, upbringing, surroundings, and my goals. She executed this analysis so well that I broke down crying. This is where I truly realized how much time, effort, and love Audrey put into getting to know me where she could perceive, clearer than me, how this essay was a reflection of my life. And to a bigger surprise, this essay turned out to be the base of my personal statement. This finally stopped my wonder of how all these random, fun, and challenging practice prompts would help me with my college apps. And as I worked on my college applications I realized even more that these practices are Audrey’s way of “jump-starting” your brain to be able to answer the simplest of questions like: “What is one of your quirks?” to “How to solve a worldwide issue?” to “Explain who you are and who or what shaped you that way?” After this jump start you’ll find your hands type on their own, and be able to use numerous pieces from your writing practices.

Throughout my senior year I struggled a lot with procrastination due to my anxiety, workload and personal situations I was facing. Audrey always kept me on line structuring me when needed without implementing a fear of disappointment or failure. Instead, I felt the pressure of getting the assignments done not because I feared what she might say or do like other teachers or counselors, but because she would remind me that I deserve to do my work on time, and not feel the stress of leaving everything to the last minute. Without her guidance, my college app process would’ve been extremely bumpy and overwhelming. Audrey did not put her gloves down when I turned all of my applications in; she instead kept in contact with me as I was updating her of my results, and worked with me on my University of Virginia versus Lehigh University battle. During this decision she was that little voice in my head helping me connect with where I would truly feel at home—the place I’ve been looking for throughout this whole process. I am so thankful I had Audrey from sophomore year to the end of my senior year to help me achieve the future I was deeply longing for. I am blessed to now have a forever mentor and friend I can count on!
Layla Puig, Lehigh University Class of 2027

The way that Audrey went about everything was honestly amazing. It never really felt like we were doing work—it was all inside jokes and her picking my brain, and the essays would just come together in a way I never thought I could write before. She is amazing at helping you find your personal voice in a way that creates essays far better than anything I ever thought I was capable of.  At the beginning of the process, I sort of thought it was one of those “hire this person to write your essay for you,” but as we went on through the process, every single idea and word on the page (but maybe not every single punctuation mark) came from me. Some of my favorite times we had together was when we would create characters, television shows, and movies after finishing up a day’s writing. Instead of just a “see you next week” and hanging up, we would sit there and create the most outlandish characters and accents or some of the dumbest but most amazing show ideas that have ever existed. I honestly wish there was a recording of all those times—there 100% was a gem of an idea in there somewhere!

Audrey has this unique, incredible ability to make it seem like absolutely no work is getting done until BAM! All of a sudden you have everything you need to write an essay that really makes your personality and creativity shine through, even about the most mundane topics like “Why do you want to go to our school?” Never in a million years did I think my Common Application essay would really be about my first love—the Charlotte Douglas International Airport—but while all my friends and family told me that it was a ridiculous topic, Audrey grabbed onto the idea and it ended up being a phenomenal way to get my philosophy on everything from hats to life to the best meals a person can eat (toast with grape jam obviously). Audrey helped me to put myself into perspective, which in turn helped me write essays with a personal touch that I could not have written with anyone else. I can’t thank her enough for everything she did for me.
Finn Sullivan, University of Michigan Class of 2026

Amidst a college application process that is as exciting as it is daunting, Audrey was my fearless guide. I knew she was the right college advisor for me when she pulled out a deck of spirit animal cards on the first day and together we picked a nonbinary whale out of the deck who we decided would guide us through this process. Throughout the journey—when finding a major, writing essays, and eventually choosing a college—we thought: what would Mx. Whale do? Guided by Mx. Whale’s emotional openness, compassion, and fearlessness, Audrey and I were rooted in authenticity throughout the whole process. When I began working with her in January of my junior year, I was entirely clueless about the process, didn’t know what I wanted to major in, and was even unsure of my criteria for a school. Audrey spent months helping me sort through my interests, make pro/con lists, and research schools and majors until I could begin to make sense of what I truly valued in a school. She helped me explore majors by suggesting books like The Overworked American by Juliet Schor and Gut by Giulia Enders until I decided to apply as a sociology major. This is what makes Audrey different from other advisors: I never felt categorized as a “type” of student or applicant put into a box—Audrey took her sweet time getting to know the nuances and deviations and aspirations that had been ignored or overlooked by my other guidance counselors. This meant that, not only could Audrey provide guidance on schools, majors, and programs that would appeal to me, but she could also help me find and get in touch with relevant internships and even help me turn my Bachelorette obsession into a riveting college essay topic. Audrey emphasizes authenticity in all aspects of the process, taking the time to milk out my quirky family game night stories and strange yet poignant relationship with kombucha-making in order to make sure that colleges got a vivid holistic picture in my applications. The great thing about Audrey’s process is that she meets you where you are, whether you come in with a dream school like my cousin did or had no idea as I did. Completing this process, I am thrilled to look back and truly feel like I put my best foot forward and have found my place.
Margot Hart, University of California Los Angeles Class of 2026

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from NYU and working in management consulting for two years, I decided to continue my education towards a master’s in economics; however, I wasn’t confident navigating through the process on my own. I didn’t have a family member or friend that had gone through the graduate school admissions process before me to learn from. I needed support researching programs for a school list, deciding whether to take a GRE, and of course most of all, conveying my motivation to continue my education through succinct writing. Luckily, many friends recommended Audrey’s consulting service based on their experience while applying to college from high school, and I’m so glad they did. Although Audrey’s core service is perfecting the language and message of an application essay, her excellence in complementary aspects of the application process cannot go unhighlighted. She researched programs that fit my academic and lifestyle wishlist, helped me decide to take the GRE to expand my opportunities, and guided me through introspective brainstorm exercises to find an emotional mission and give my essay a competitive advantage. After this process, I was set up with the foundation to evoke a personal connection with the admissions reader in all my essays. This insight and ability of coating the writing with humanity and personality is one of the reasons Audrey’s talent and service is unparalleled.

Audrey is an incredibly gifted writer, and therefore the largest benefit is received from her ability to take my ideas and turn them into eloquent, clear, succinct, and specific essays that delineate exactly the kind of student and person I am. Before writing each essay, Audrey’s guidance helped tease out a unique outline that perfectly responds to the prompt. I was set up to do targeted program research which resulted in essays specifying courses, professors, and extracurricular opportunities: another competitive advantage Audrey influences. In all my essays, each program felt my excitement about the specific opportunities I wanted to take advantage of, believed my career aspirations would increase their alumni reputation’s clout, and were constantly aware of my personal mission. By guiding the balancing act between specificity, technical language, and emotion, Audrey ensures excellence at the core of each essay. Audrey is exceptional at her job. As long as I kept her in the loop about my desired timeline and plans, there was no deadline I was nervous of missing, and the whole admissions process went by with zero stress. After weekly sessions with Audrey for a little less than 10 months, we wrote 11 essays for 8 programs, I was accepted by 6 of them, and I was awarded $54,000 in total fellowships/scholarships. This fall (2023), I will be attending UCLA’s Master’s in Quantitative Economics—my dream program—with a fellowship award, all thanks to Audrey.
Alper Karakas, UCLA Master of Quantitative Economics Class of 2025

I had struggled with how to support my son in the college application process without being overbearing or projecting my own biases into his process. I had done a bunch of research and had a decent college list but the variations (in-state/out-of-state, SAT/no-SAT, early/regular decision, essays) were dizzying. I turned the reins over my son and Audrey. They did the research, selected colleges and majors, planned the application schedule, etcetera. He diligently worked through the essays and revisions that Audrey assigned. The results were remarkable; they would not have been possible without Audrey.
Maneesh D, father of a member of the UC Berkeley Class of 2026

Working with Audrey for graduate school applications has been one of the few good things that happened to me in 2020. When I first started, I had no idea what I wanted to write about or what colleges were even looking for in an essay. I normally have a hard time opening up to people, but Audrey was able to break me out of my shell immediately because of her charismatic charm. While asking me prompts and questions about my future academic goals, she helped me reflect and gave me insight into who I am. We talked about my life story and goals at such a deep level that was translated into my essays, which I would not have been able to do on my own.

Audrey won’t write your essays for you, but rather she’ll challenge and teach you to turn your thoughts into well-worded, coherent essays that reflect who you are and what you stand for. She works at such a high level of professionalism and is truly the best writing coach I have ever worked with. She gave the best writing advice and constructive criticism, was always reliable, and an amazing communicator. During my time working with her, she helped me with a scholarship application for a UCLA Extension program, and I ended up being one out of two selected to receive the scholarship.

My favorite thing about Audrey is the level of care she gives to her students. She is easily one of the most empathetic and supportive individuals I have ever met. I genuinely believe she was more excited about my scholarship than I was, and that showed me how deeply she cares about her students and their success. Audrey was not only a mentor but also my friend, and she was always there to listen to my problems and give me advice. She was the support system I didn’t know I needed and I am beyond grateful to have been able to work with her. I cannot recommend her enough!
Lucy Li, Psychology MA/PhD TBD

Audrey was my fairy godmother during medical school applications. I was completely lost and had no one to turn to especially during COVID times. Typically, I get nervous when I meet with counselors but she made me comfortable. We could go off for thirty minutes talking about random topics that really eased my mind during the day. I absolutely despised writing a personal statement (and it took me months) until I met Audrey. I completely rewrote an essay with her and created something that I am truly proud of. She helped me reflect on my inner self and I learned things about myself that I’ve never realized before. She was my absolute savior during this app cycle and accommodated my needs–especially during unemployment in COVID and when I needed extra sessions to polish my application before submission. She is absolutely worth it and has the best movie and food recommendations (“The Farewell” and New Leaf kale salad). I honestly don’t know how I could’ve crafted this personal statement without her. She believed in my capabilities when no other counselor could. I can’t thank her enough!
Samantha Calaguas, Touro University California, Osteopathic Medicine

If you ever feel lost or are experiencing writer’s block during your college application process, I highly suggest going to Audrey! I went to her during a time when I felt extremely stuck while I was applying to graduate schools and upon the first session, she was able to help me flush out key ideas that were missing from my personal statement. In the end, I was really proud and satisfied with how my personal statements turned out and I truly believe I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. Overall, I highly recommend her—she’s the best!
Charis Chiu, University of California Los Angeles, Journalism

I could not have finished my graduate school applications without Audrey. She was a wise, thoughtful, caring sounding board throughout the process and she gave me the experienced, objective eye on every decision I had to make. She provided the perfect balance of support and constructive criticism to transform my jumble of thoughts about my experience and goals into a streamlined, emotionally compelling personal statement. She helped me present myself in the most professional, honest, endearing, and attractive light. I would highly recommend working with her to clarify your personal and professional goals. I will take her advice with me as I apply for grant funding and other opportunities beyond college as well!
Anne Rene Brashier, University of Southern California (M.F.A. Cinematic Arts) Class of 2021

There are many people who have vast ideas and can write well, but only a small percentage can be accurately described as “exceptional.” I would place Audrey into this category. This year I finished writing my first book and much of the content was so deeply personal that I just could not bring myself to bring on an editor; I feared losing my voice. Of course, most, if not all people who have written books will tell you that YOU MUST get an editor. I’m stubborn and pushed forward, alone. One particular chapter of the book, perhaps my most expository, had me stuck. I ignored it for weeks, until I no longer could. I just couldn’t get the ideas to flow…so I decided to bring Audrey on to help me get over this annoying hurdle. She not only got me over the obstacle, but her “intervention” truly rebooted my writing. Her editorial style went above and beyond what I ever expected–her thorough editorial review focused on idea cohesion and synthesis, coherence of delivery, depth of communication, and authenticity of voice. Her notes were thoughtful and rich with reasoning, recommendations, and suggestions. Audrey never made me feel that my writing was deficient, even though she is a far better writer than me—and I am completely okay with that. Most of all, she understood, and did not compromise my voice—her editorial style shape-shifted to expertly and seamlessly flow with the unique style of my prose. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone else who is so skilled, so attentive, and so intellectually committed to writing excellence.
Akello Stone, author of Seeking Selfdom in the Age of Selfies

I had the privilege of working with Audrey for three months during my MBA Application process. Audrey lead and project managed the whole process, making sure the seemingly daunting and large task was broken down in to a sequence of manageable tasks. Her systematic approach allowed me to remain focused on my daily work, and prevented me from compromising on my performance elsewhere. Audrey was fully engaged; always focused and attentive. She made sure the difficult conversations were being held and that I remained well out of my comfort zone, constantly exploring new possibilities and fresh ideas. She made sure we had the best possible thought process in place and that I was authentic and sincere. She always kept in mind the “big picture” imperatives of the application and at the same time relentlessly focused on the details that would make the difference. She cared. With Audrey’s support I completed the best possible application package I could have. Through our sessions, I observed my critical thinking and writing skills improve, and more importantly I now feel a stronger sense of self and a stronger sense of purpose. The preparation for my MBA application has turned out to be a transformational journey in its own right. Audrey was instrumental in this transformation.
Jonathan F., M.B.A. TBD

You are one of the favorite persons in our family’s conversation, so I feel we are old friend already. We really appreciate all your effort to help our son’s college application and we are so impressed what you did that we could not do as first generation of immigrant. Thank you, from the bottom of our heart.
Henry Hong Zeng, Los Altos High parent of a student at the University of Virginia 

Yvonne and I want to express our gratitude for your tremendous helps and support during Charlie’s application process. In these few months, you guided him to learn about his own strengths and personalities that were kind of vague for him in the past, to develop many ideas for his essays from a very personal level, and to show him fresh perspectives towards life and his future. We also really appreciate the time you spent to edit Charlie’s applications beyond the weekly Skype meeting, and to help him get into his dream schools.
Zhirong Huang and Yvonne Li, Lynbrook High parents of a student admitted to Stanford and MIT

It’s our best decision to have you in this application season! I heard lots of complaints from other mothers about the pressure and stress, but I did not feel it. I know it is all because of you! I read my son’s essay and felt his improvement! I have told my friends all about you! Thanks again for helping us!
Selina Zhang, Cupertino High parent of a student at University of California Los Angeles

Audrey is well-educated in what high schools and colleges are looking for, particularly in the competitive Bay Area.  As both a person and a tutor, Audrey exudes presence connecting with and deeply caring about her students.  I would highly recommend Audrey for tutoring and coaching in English, writing (essays or creative), coaching of public speaking, and the college admissions process and applications.  Audrey brings new meaning to the word unique.
Gail Myers, St. Francis High School parent

You’re a) qualified b) insanely charismatic c) brilliant d) fun e) great with kids. You are a fantastic, sought-after counselor and you’re an incredible asset to our team.
Daniel Sonderegger, Assistant Director of HS2 Academy, Northern California