Grateful for Ms. Lara Andersens Support

Ms. Lara Andersen, my counselor, provided assistance in ways I never imagined possible. Before beginning the admissions process, I faced a family emergency and was influenced by the wrong crowd, which severely impacted my grades. Aspiring to major in Aerospace Engineering, I started my junior year with three Cs in AP STEM courses and continued to struggle. Before joining Empowerly, I had a college admissions counselor who ridiculed me and suggested I drop courses where I was earning Cs, all mid-year. Empowerly, and especially Ms. Andersen, were like lifeboats for my sinking ship. Ms. Andersen was approachable and helped me not only navigate the college admissions process but also manage my personal challenges. I had difficulties with test-taking, never scored above a three on any AP exams, and received a 1240 on the SAT, which led me to go test-optional. Ms. Andersen assisted me in organizing my thoughts and brainstorming essays that got me accepted into schools I never expected. She never judged me or made me feel bad about my grades. Most importantly, she was encouraging; even when I was stressed, she emphasized that it was my responsibility to present my application in a way that reflected who I am and my values. She also made it clear that she wouldnt be micromanaging me, reinforcing that I needed to put my best foot forward before submitting my essays. While Empowerly had some drawbackssuch as charging high fees for Ad Coms, which are mock admissions reviews that offer little feedbackMs. Andersen ensured I was supported throughout the admissions process. In fact, my counselor provided more valuable feedback than the AdCom reviews. My advice to anyone considering Empowerly is to join as early as possible. Its important to determine if your counselor is a good fit before they assist with your college applications. Starting early allows you to see how helpful your counselor is and if theyre willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed. Honestly, without my amazing counselor, I wouldnt have received the acceptance offers I did from the colleges I applied to. If youre facing similar struggles with grades and are determined to do whatever it takes to get into your dream school, please book an appointment with Empowerly and try to request Ms. Lara Andersen. She has the experience and dedication to ensure her students reach their dream schools if they commit the time and effort. Im now enrolled in the UCI Samueli School of Engineering as an Aerospace Engineering major, and my parents couldnt be prouder. Im incredibly happy and thankful to my counselor for helping me discover what Im truly capable of.