Testimonials

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I am so thankful that I was able to have your help on the crazy journey of college apps and essays. Thank you for guiding me to my dream school! I cannot thank you enough. :)”

— Lindsey Y.

“I feel we couldn't have had a better fit for this situation with you and M. These challenges in life, in this case, applying for colleges, can be a bit tricky. We needed someone who knew her stuff but also had a gentle, calm, inspiring approach to it. The mixture of total excitement and utter terror of going away to college, can be overwhelming for our kids and having you there, guiding her through this, has been a blessing for us. So thank you Liz, from the bottom of our hearts.”

— Martha J.

“Words cannot express our joy over the news that J. was awarded the University of the Pacific Powell scholarship ($144,000)! It is the 'too good to be true' that is true...so many things led up to this achievement and we are so very proud. Thanks for being a very important part of bringing it all together: I am convinced that you were the key ingredient that helped bring all that he knew, experienced, dreamed of, etc together, helping him to communicate in a clear and interesting (and yes, effective) way. I am sure he feels a bit overwhelmed and likely a bit scared...but this program from the outset of me learning of it seemed perfect for him. I love that he will be in a setting with other serious scholars, he will be mentored and given opportunities to apply what he is learning. Thank you, thank you! Hugs and gratefulness!”

— Margie B.

“I loved working with Liz. It was helpful to distill all the elements I was looking for in my college experience from curriculum to social experience to geographical location. Liz kept me organized and on time with research, outreach, test taking, writing essays and submitting applications. Together we customized the list of colleges and universities I would apply to. I started at one of those universities this month and I love it! I highly recommend Liz.”

— Alaina N., El Granada

“Liz Murphy provided excellent and needed service to my family this year as we sent our oldest child off to university. She worked with us both, but primarily my daughter, on developing a solid list of schools to visit and apply to. Liz kept my daughter on schedule with all the various tasks associated with preparing for and completing the college application process. We would have been lost without her knowledgeable guidance. She was a pleasure to work with. We will definitely enlist Liz's help with our other two children.”

— Cheryl N., El Granada

“Meeting with Liz as a family was informational for all of us, but meeting with Sean individually, helped him to make his own informed decisions and empowered him to take charge of his own college education. Sean looks forward to his future career prospects and hopes to study abroad his senior year in addition to his international experience provided by the school this year. We cannot thank Liz enough for being so thoughtful of Sean’s needs and preferences. In addition we really appreciate the stress lifted from our own inexperienced shoulders. She listened, shared and helped Sean in every aspect of the application process, including proofreading his essays and making sure he was meeting deadlines. Thanks Liz! We couldn’t have done it without you.”

— Mitzi and Dave Glasson, Half Moon Bay

“We were overwhelmed by the college application process and having a hard time communicating with our son about all the necessary steps. Liz immediately took time to get to know Myles better, and started giving him valuable guidance that he took to heart. Liz has made herself available throughout the process, and communicated regularly via email; Myles is now well on his way to completing his applications! It has been wonderful to have a trusted "non-parent" adult involved in the process.”

— Joanna M. & Heyward R., Menlo Park, CA

“Liz Murphy excels at helping students narrow their college search without adding undue stress on their lives. Over a series of meetings she helped my son develop a sense of his own priorities through self-evaluation exercises. She broke down the process into manageable pieces and also incorporated our concerns as parents. She presented us with a college report and met with us to explain how the colleges and universities she presented might be a good match for him. I'd highly recommend Liz Murphy to any student or parent feeling overwhelmed by the college search process.”

— Kate M., Montara

“Families who hire Liz Murphy to guide their student through the college admissions process are lucky to have her on their team. She is a caring, dedicated professional who listens and communicates well. Most importantly, Liz has a unique way of making each student feel special and capable. In addition, Liz’s participation in educational conferences, organizations and college tours means she has access to the most up-to-date information. She knows how to create a college list that is balanced and tailored to a student’s interests and ability. As a colleague and friend for five years, I continue to be impressed with Liz’s professionalism and knowledge about college admissions.”

— Gael Casner, Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Board of Directors

“Saying that working with Liz Murphy was an absolute pleasure would be an understatement. Before walking into her office I was discouraged about my essays and getting into the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs I was interested in. Sitting in her seaside office calmed my nerves and allowed me to focus on producing strong essays instead of my doubts. Liz was encouraging, patient, and someone I felt comfortable working with. She was able to help me formulate my thoughts into concise, well-written, and strong essays that accurately showed graduate programs my potential. Her support and insights guided my writing into essays I was proud of. When I received my acceptance letter from the highest-ranking program, Liz was one of the first people I excitedly contacted. After working with Liz I felt confident about my essays and I know that I was accepted into top programs because of her help. I would gladly recommend her to applicants searching for a counselor who can both strengthen their applications and their self-confidence throughout the process.”

— Brianna B., Half Moon Bay

“I contacted Liz Murphy to help my son through the college application process. Though a very bright young man, he had challenges with follow-through, and I knew he would not get through this process in one piece without some external support. Liz was wonderful with my son, as she met him where he was. She got to know him, and his preferences. She did a masterful job guiding him toward universities that would best suit his interests and had a good chance of admissions success. She stayed on him to ensure he completed his applications correctly and met his deadlines. As a result, Matthew was accepted into 5 colleges! He's heading to Chico State University as a member of the Class of 2019. Liz's calm, cool, communications approach took the stress right out of this process for our family, and for that, we are forever thankful!!”

— Naomi C., Los Gatos

“Liz helped us a lot with the college selection and application process. She identified several schools we had not heard of that were promising matches for our daughter. Liz provided detailed information and clear feedback in a way that was very supportive. She gave very workable advice on our daughter's essays. Working with Liz gave our family a boost in the right direction! I would strongly recommend working with Liz on this process.”

— Jennifer M., Moss Beach

“Blaine had a year of City College under his belt. He had taken a variety of GE classes in search of a major, but he was still searching. Not having a major was making it hard for him to choose a 4 year school to transfer to. Working with Liz helped Blaine figure out what he wanted and didn't want in a major and what types of schools he would like. He is now very confident in his major choices and is applying to many of the schools Liz suggested.”

— Kathy C., Moss Beach