“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I really can’t say enough great things about you and your talents. Wow, just Wow! You are so such an amazing support to Ryan through all of this. He adores you! And seriously, this could not have been easier for Bill and I!!”  -- Sylvia, Canyon Crest Academy parent

“Amanda, you have really helped keep us on track. Rafer and I are so grateful for your guidance. It's been super lonely going through this college application time without in-person school. Rafer doesn't see buddies to chat with about applying to college, I don't have events where I run into other parents on this journey. Most of his college visits were canceled last spring and this fall . . . so it's great that you have been a constant important part of the college application process for us. And I have to say, the early application process has been good for us. Thanks for your help.” — Claire, University City High School parent

“Please know that the Foster family has so much admiration and respect for what you do and how well you do it. We all admire your passion for admissions consulting, demonstrated by your willingness to work with Charlie, and the insight you provided on the admissions process and some of its challenges is highly valuable. We are extremely grateful for your value, perspective, professionalism, and personal touch.” — Cat and John, Canyon Crest Academy parents

"When my husband and I reached out to Amanda to help us with the college application process, we knew very little about what to expect. From what classes to take to extra curricular activities to tests to volunteer activities to summer activities, there is so much to think about and plan, it is overwhelming for parents and kids. Amanda was our rock the last two years. She helped us with class and activity selection so our daughter could do what she loved to do. She worked with her to identify her interest and helped her with her college selection process. She helped us navigate the complex college application process with her expertise. Most importantly, she genuinely took an interest in our daughter and had come to know her personally, so when it was time to choose the college to attend, she was able to help us with her insight. Amanda, we couldn't have done this without you. I highly recommend you to parents and kids trying to decipher the college application process.”
-- Prasanna, Scripps Ranch High School parent

"My oldest daughter was shooting for Stanford. We wanted to make sure that she was able to present the best application that she could. My younger daughter had made her share of mistakes and bad choices. She needed guidance to improve her chances at her best possible options. Both girls are now in their dream schools, thanks in large part to Amanda. Without a doubt, the money we spent on Amanda was possibly the best money we’ve ever spent. It’s hard to put a price on what she helped the girls to achieve, and there were so many ways that she helped all of us."
-- Melissa, Cathedral Catholic High School and Canyon Crest Academy parent

"Thank you so very much for your amazing help with this.  You make a complicated and overwhelming process very very manageable!  It was a real pleasure to work with you again.  I hope you know that not only are you helping with the important details of college apps but you also help families enjoy (without nagging) their child’s senior year.  Priceless! Thank you!"
-- Tracy , University City High School parent

"Amanda was instrumental in our son's acceptance to the Jacob's School of Engineering at UCSD.  She guided him through the proper essay writing and application process for numerous competitive colleges. My son and I were both grateful to have her. He was admitted into his reach school and his number one choice because of her. Now we continue to use Amanda for our next child."  
-- Cindy , La Costa Canyon parent

"Amanda helped me a great deal with preparation for college! I went into the process knowing very little about essays and applications and Amanda was able to help ease my stress and map out a plan for things that I would need to do to ensure that my applications were as great as possible. Amanda also helped me a lot with the brainstorming process for my college essays and gave me tools to help me find inspiration for those essays."                   -- Ariella, La Jolla High student

"From the moment we met with Amanda I knew we wanted to work with her. She is extremely informative and well prepared. Amanda simplified the difficult task of identifying the best schools to apply to and with her strong educational credentials, we knew that Natalie's essays were being reviewed by an expert. Thank you Amanda!" 
-- Cindy, Poway High School parent

"I didn't even know where to start when applying to colleges; but after having Amanda on my side, I was not only able to narrow down my colleges of interest with the help of her expertise, but fill in all my applications with ease and perfection. My college supplement essays became flawless after her detailed editing, while letting me know what colleges look for in applications and essays. I am confident that Amanda guided and gave me direction for my prefect college match, forever changing my life by allowing me to live up to my greatest potential."
-- Arash, Cathedral Catholic High School student

"Applying to college can be a very intimidating and overwhelming process. But you don't have to face it alone! The service Amanda provides in counseling and assisting those who wish to successfully pursue a path to higher education is one I am very thankful to have received. With careful deadline planning and rigorous essay revisions, Mrs. Hirko provided me with the resources and insight I needed to start my educational journey at the college level. I value her expertise and I would encourage others seeking advice in the college application process to contact her regarding what she can do to help you and your family through the process. Best wishes to all and thank you Amanda for all that you do!"
-- Jaden, Scripps Ranch High School student

"Amanda, you are so amazing! I owe you 100%. You have no idea how much attending Belmont has changed my life and pushed me in the right direction. I seriously don't think that ANY of the other schools would have done so in the way/time that Belmont has."
-- David, La Jolla High School student

"Amanda was a great college counselor.  She helped guide me through the scary process of applying to college and I know I would not have gotten into my number one school without all her help!  Thanks Amanda for all your help and putting up with my craziness!"  
-- John, The Bishop's School student

"Our time with Amanda was fantastic.  She was very knowledgeable, caring, supportive and extremely patient throughout the entire process.   She really took the time to get to know my son, research all options for him and then helped guide him through the process with realistic expectations, but also supported and encouraged him to go for his dream school.  With her help and support, he will now be attending his dream school in the fall.  Thank you Amanda!  I  would absolutely recommend her to anyone I know!"
-- Melissa, The Bishop's School parent

"Amanda helped Taylor get into her dream school!  We couldn’t have done it without you!"
-- Heather, University City High School parent

"Amanda was a tremendous help throughout the entire process, not only  with my college preparation and search, but also with my applications and final decision.  What at first seemed overwhelming to my parents and to me was made much easier with her expertise. And I was accepted to a number of universities!   I recommend Amanda highly."
-- Seth, La Jolla High School student

“There have been so many things that I didn’t know about or times when I had a question that, of course, you knew the answer to! Your help has been so invaluable during the past year, and I know I wouldn’t be done so quickly with applications if I didn’t have your wealth of knowledge and quick feedback! I felt so confident every time I hit ‘submit’ knowing that you had looked over it! Thank you for helping me find the schools that would be the right place for me and for reading countless essays!"
-- Hailey, Cathedral Catholic High School student

Amanda was the guiding star for our oldest child’s college search process. We all would have been lost without her guidance, support, planned timeline for all the deadlines, insights into different schools, pushing us in directions that we would not have gone without her direction (and created a fantastic option for my daughter to choose from in the end), and allowing us to not be in the middle of a stressful process that our presence would have made even more stressful.  Thank you for your care and concern along the way to help her find the best fit for her changing interests. We could not have done it without you; and I would not have wanted to go this journey alone. — Susan, Point Loma High School parent

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