Testimonials & Stories
“My family always knew money would be a big factor in my college decision. I was worried that even if I got in, we wouldn’t be able to afford the schools I liked. I also had no clue how financial aid actually worked. Andy made it a normal part of the conversation from the very beginning instead of something awkward we only talked about at the end.
He explained the difference between need-based aid, merit scholarships, loans, and work-study in a way I could actually understand. When we built my list, we included schools that were known for generous aid and merit money for students with my profile. He helped my parents and me plan ahead for FAFSA and CSS Profile, and he encouraged us to meet deadlines for priority aid, not just application deadlines.
When the financial aid letters started coming in, I was totally overwhelmed—different formats, random terms, some schools looking more expensive than others at first glance. Andy sat down with us and literally put everything into a spreadsheet: tuition, fees, housing, grants, scholarships, loans, and what we’d realistically pay out of pocket for each school. Seeing the ‘real cost’ side by side changed everything.
He also helped me write a couple of polite, professional financial aid appeal letters where it made sense, explaining changes in our situation and why the school was such a good fit. I never would have known that was even an option without him.
In the end, I chose a school that I loved academically and that made the most sense financially for my family. Instead of feeling like we were just guessing, we made a decision based on real numbers and real conversations. Andy treated the financial piece as just as important as rankings or ‘name value,’ and that made me feel like he really cared about what would happen to me after acceptance day too.”
“Our son has an IEP and processes information differently, and we were terrified that colleges would just see ‘extra work’ instead of the bright, funny, deeply curious kid we know. Andy treated his learning profile as something to be honored, not hidden. He showed our son how to talk about his strengths and needs, guided us to schools where support is real and not just a brochure line, and helped us feel confident asking hard questions on tours. The college he’s attending now challenges him academically and respects how he learns—and Andy’s guidance is a huge reason we found it.”
“What impressed me most was that Andy never treated our daughter’s anxiety as an inconvenience. He designed the process around her capacity, not someone else’s timeline, and still kept things moving. She is now at a college that understands her needs—and she got there without being broken by the process.”
“One of my biggest worries was finding a campus where I could be both serious about academics and connected to Jewish life. I didn’t really know how to judge that from websites alone. Andy had actually visited a lot of the schools we were considering and could talk about what Shabbat looks like there, how active Hillel or Chabad is, and how Jewish students feel on campus day-to-day. He helped me come up with questions to ask on tours and in emails that went beyond ‘Do you have a Hillel?’ I ended up at a university where I feel comfortable being my full self—Jewish, academic, social—all at the same time.”
“High school was complicated for our child. They came out as LGBTQ+ mid–sophomore year, dealt with some painful social fallout, and their grades took a hit during that period. By the time we began thinking seriously about college, our biggest worries weren’t rankings—they were safety, belonging, and finding a campus where our child wouldn’t have to shrink.
Andy took all of that seriously. He listened more than he spoke at first, asked our child thoughtful questions about what ‘safe and affirming’ meant to them, and then helped build a list that reflected those priorities alongside academics. He guided us to look beyond glossy marketing and into student reviews, campus policies, and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ students at different schools.
The result is that our child is now at a college where they feel both challenged and deeply seen. They’ve joined organizations that matter to them, found a community, and are finally using their considerable brainpower on learning instead of constant self-protection. Andy’s ability to weave together identity, mental health, and academics was exactly what our family needed.”
“When our son was suspended in 10th grade, we felt like the ground had fallen out from under us. The incident was serious, and we had replayed it so many times we could barely think about anything else. We assumed colleges would see that one line on his record and that would be the end of the conversation.
Andy was the first person who calmly said, ‘This is part of his story, but it doesn’t have to be the whole story.’ He worked privately with our son to unpack what had actually happened, what he would do differently now, and how he’d tried to repair relationships at school. Then, he helped us understand what needed to go where in the application—bare facts in the disciplinary question, genuine reflection in the essay, and evidence of change in his recommendations and activities.
What I appreciated most is that Andy never promised to “erase” the past. He promised to help our son tell the truth in a way that showed accountability and growth. The end result was more than we dared hope for: several solid acceptances, including from schools that clearly saw him as a young man who had learned from a bad decision and grown stronger because of it. Andy gave us a path forward when all we could see was a dead end.”
“I’m a total perfectionist, and the college process triggered every anxiety button I have. I would obsess over tiny decisions and then freeze up and do nothing. Andy was honestly like part coach, part therapist (without actually being a therapist). He helped me sort out what really mattered versus what I was just overthinking. We created a list that was ambitious but realistic, and whenever I started spiraling, he’d bring me back to the plan and show me the big picture. I never felt judged for being stressed; he just met me where I was and helped me move forward.”
“Our daughter’s transcript was fine, but her portfolio and personality are where she truly shines. Andy helped us find schools that saw the whole person, not just a GPA, and she’s now in a program that feels like it was invented for kids exactly like her.”
“As a serious musician/athlete (I’m constantly at rehearsals/practice and performances/games), I had no idea how I was supposed to fit college apps into my schedule. Andy helped me build a timeline around my busiest weeks and also figure out how to present my arts/sports stuff in a way that actually mattered to colleges. He worked with me on my arts supplement/athletic résumé and helped me reach out to programs/coaches in a professional way. By the time I applied, I felt like admissions officers could see the whole picture of who I am—not just my stats, but the hours I’ve put into my talent.”
“I’m an international student, and the U.S. college system seemed like this whole alternate universe—GPAs, essays, extracurriculars, SAT/ACT, all that. In my country, the process is much more exam-based, so I was really confused about how anything I’d done in high school would translate. Working with Andy honestly made the difference between randomly applying and having a real strategy.
He took the time to understand how my school works—our grading scale, our curriculum, and the kind of exams we take—and then explained how U.S. admissions officers are likely to read that. He helped me decide which tests (if any) were worth taking, and whether going test-optional would hurt or help me for certain types of schools.
We also spent time figuring out how to present my activities in a way that made sense in the Common App format. Some of the things I’d done—like helping with my family’s business and tutoring relatives—didn’t feel like ‘real’ extracurriculars to me. Andy showed me that colleges actually value those experiences and helped me describe them clearly and confidently.
Time zones and deadlines were another big thing. Andy was careful to map out when everything was due in my local time and had me submit things early so we weren’t dealing with last-minute tech issues. He also prepared me for cultural differences in interviews and email communication with admissions offices, which I really appreciated.
When decisions came, I had options at several U.S. universities that were serious about international students and offered good support. Moving countries for college is a huge deal, but having Andy guide me through every step—from building the list to hitting ‘submit’—made it feel like a calculated leap instead of a blind jump.”
“Our daughter’s first two years of high school were rough—social drama, inconsistent effort, and grades that did not reflect her potential. By the time she turned things around junior year, we were worried it was too late. Andy changed that narrative. He helped her understand and articulate her growth, steered us toward schools that care about trends and context, and showed us how to use the additional information section without making excuses. Watching her open acceptance letters from colleges that saw who she is now, not just who she was at 14, was one of the best moments of this whole journey.”
“We came to the U.S. when our daughter was in ninth grade. My husband and I did not go to university here; we work long hours, and while we value education deeply, we had no idea how the American system worked. Every time someone mentioned the SAT, FAFSA, ‘demonstrated interest,’ or ‘fit,’ I felt like I was listening to another language.
Andy became the bridge we needed. He took time to explain the process to us in plain, respectful terms, never making us feel behind or ignorant. He also gave our daughter a safe space to dream bigger than what she thought our finances would allow, while still grounding everything in reality. He created checklists, calendars, and “next steps” that were achievable for a family like ours—normalizing things like calling financial aid offices or asking questions on tours.
When the offers came in, it was Andy who sat with us and went line by line through the award letters, helping us see which schools were truly affordable and which would create too much debt. Our daughter is now attending a college that we can manage financially, where she is excited and supported. Without Andy, I think we would have either given up or made a much less informed choice. Instead, we feel proud of the decision she made—and she feels proud of the way she told her story.”
“I have ADHD and the whole ‘long-term project with lots of moving parts’ thing is my worst nightmare. When I met Andy, I was already behind and felt like giving up. Instead of just telling me to ‘be more organized,’ he helped me build a system that actually worked for me—short work sessions, very specific to-do items, and realistic deadlines. We set up reminders and check-ins that kept me accountable without feeling like I was being nagged. He also helped me find colleges that have strong learning support and didn’t make me feel broken for needing it. For the first time, I felt like the process was designed to help me succeed, not expose my weaknesses.”
“By the middle of junior year, I was in a really bad place at my old school. My grades were tanking—like, actual Fs—and I was skipping classes, hanging with people who didn’t care about school at all, and constantly arguing with teachers. It got serious enough that there were conversations about me being asked to leave. My parents were panicking, I was angry at everyone, and college honestly felt like a fantasy.
Andy came in right around that time, which I did not appreciate at first. I thought he was just another adult who was going to lecture me about ‘wasting my potential.’ But he didn’t start with lectures; he started by trying to actually understand why everything had gone off the rails. We talked about my mental health, the pressure I felt, how disconnected I was from the school culture, and how much I’d started to believe I just ‘wasn’t a school person.’
With Andy’s help, my family and I made the decision to switch schools for senior year, which felt terrifying but also like a reset button. He helped us find a school where I could take smaller classes, get more individual attention, and rebuild my transcript as much as possible in the time I had left. He also pushed me (in a good way) to stop seeing myself as a screw-up and start acting like someone who deserved a second chance.
Academically, we focused hard on what I could still control: my senior-year performance. Andy helped me set up weekly routines, use teacher office hours, and communicate like an adult when I was struggling instead of just disappearing. Emotionally, he gave me space to be honest about how embarrassed I felt about my old grades without letting me wallow there.
When it came time to apply to college, Andy was very strategic. He guided me toward schools that are open to ‘late bloomers’ and really value an upward trend. In my application, we didn’t try to pretend the mess of junior year didn’t happen—we acknowledged it, explained the circumstances briefly, and then highlighted the concrete changes I’d made: the new environment, my improved grades, the relationships I’d built with teachers who could now write strong recommendations.
I ended up getting multiple acceptances, including one from a school that read my file and clearly saw more than just numbers—they saw the turnaround. Standing on my new campus now, thinking about where I was just over a year ago, I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without Andy. He didn’t just help me ‘get into college’; he helped me believe I was worth the work it took to turn things around.”