Dr. Morgenstern wasn’t just a college consultant who helped my son correct essays for grammatical mistakes; she was there to truly understand him so that his essays shined. I really felt she could take something we had originally thought was very ordinary for him, just something we almost took for granted, and expand on it in a significant way to fill out those college essays to show who he is. It seems almost as if she speaks the language of the admissions committees and knows exactly how to pull out those little quirks from someone and squeeze everything into a couple paragraphs.

While it is natural to be anxious and worried as a parent, especially during college application season, Dr. M helped us get through the process easily. She always kept a detailed record of every session from beginning to end, and she updated us via email. Dr. M was able to take care of everything, from researching a particular school to student questionnaires and helping my son prepare for interviews, making him really stand out at the most crucial moments. We would have been unprepared for all the little details that add up to the grand scheme of the college application process if not for Dr. M, and we’re really grateful for everything she’s done for us. We could not have done it without her; she’s really focused on the tasks at hand, and the acceptance letters prove it!

Sarah, Parent of James, Undergraduate Applicant

Junior year is hectic; you need to keep up your AP classes, clubs, sports, extracurriculars, just about everything.  My first time meeting Dr. M, with all her flair, reminded me of the hyped-up junior year, as it seemed she did it all.  She’s an artist with a Ph.D. in philosophy, knows her way around different cultures, and seems to have learned just about everything from biology to programming games to the ins-and-outs of admissions (of course).

At this point, Dr. M would declare that it was enough about her, and what about me? During each session she would be able to take the most out of our conversations, paying attention to every single detail and organizing everything into a neat, 500-word essay. This very attention to detail while still being efficient is one of the distinguishing characteristics of Dr. M; during sessions, she would take note of how long it took me to program a game while telling me to fix the comma splice in a particular sentence.

I started working with Dr. M in January of my junior year, and even as I landed myself in Carnegie Mellon’s Game Academy that summer with her help, she did not act as if her job was over. Dr. M always went above and beyond her job description, never ceasing to keep up with how I was doing throughout the summer. As a result, she was aware of the interview opportunities that were given at the school; her advice for meeting with admissions administrators was invaluable, giving me a distinct advantage and confidence throughout the interview. As if that weren’t enough, by keeping tabs on my progress, Dr. M was able to help me start my college admissions essays early, which made meeting deadlines later on that much easier.

As essays are started, the infamous writer’s block is almost guaranteed to strike at one time or another. Dr. M not only never gives up, but she also has a toolkit containing an infinite amount of tips and tricks to help applicants continue writing. From making the text color white to links to helpful research sites, she always makes sure the process continues according to schedule.

As school resumes after summer, what little time is available must be used carefully since senior year is basically junior year plus college apps. While the process may initially seem long and arduous, with Dr. M acting not only as my friendly neighborhood “Grammar Nazi,” but also my coach and mentor, the process is over soon and easily, with very noticeable results. This is how I have come to see my work with Dr. M: she helps you bake the cake that is an application essay. You provide the raw material, the flour and eggs, and Dr. M is there during every step of the process, magically whipping up a multi-layered cake, complete with the powdered sugar that you forgot you even brought.

I gained a lot more through the entire process than early admission to Carnegie Mellon; I’ve gained a greatly improved sense of grammar that I will take with me through the rest of my life. I have grown as an individual and have learned to have more confidence in my own accomplishments. Because of Dr. M, I’ve had my first true mid-year “break” in the last few years and the best present my family and I could get in time for the holiday season!

James, Undergraduate Applicant

Dr. M seemed to be able to read my mind. I had great ideas for my essays, but I had a difficult time putting them into words. Fortunately, Dr. M was there to help me.  She got to know me very well, perhaps even better than I do, and even helped me remember activities that were most relevant to my essay prompts. I am proud of all the essays Dr. M helped me write, and I have high standards for myself. Furthermore, Dr. M genuinely cared about me and my essays. She always scheduled enough meetings for us both to feel confident in my essays. One day, we worked for over four hours! She was also always eager to answer my sometimes spontaneous questions over Skype. Last, I dare say that I actually had fun working on college apps, something that would not have happened without Dr. M.

Thanks for all the help you have provided!

Matt, Undergraduate Applicant

My graduate school applications (MFA) were due in less than a month, my personal statement was weak and disjointed, and I was panicking. I appealed to Dr. Morgenstern via email one evening, and within a couple of hours, we were Skyping from one end of the world to another, getting to ready to work together. From that first conversation, I knew she would help me write a strong statement. Her energetic and determined voice made think, “OK, this is going to work out!”

Working with Amy is an intense process whereby she’ll have you write and work until it all comes out, and until it’s perfect. She pushed me to develop my ideas in greater depth, to extract and explore what was really essential in my art-making. During the whole process, Amy also makes a point to get to know you personally, to understand where you’re coming from and what you want to express.

Amy is excellent. She is sharp, incisive, precise and discerning. It is clear that she has a great passion for writing, for words, for literary constructions and for art as well. She has an amazing capacity to listen, analyze, edit and synthesize. I also particularly appreciated Amy’s artist background and understanding of aesthetic issues.

Amy’s working method is the best you can get. She genuinely wants you to succeed!

Thanks for everything Amy!

Lori, MFA Applicant

Dr. Morgenstern is truly amazing! With her assistance, I was able to tap into her breadth of knowledge and experience for the necessary insights that were integral to making my admission and scholarship essays stand out. As a result, I was admitted into the master of science program in Information Technology and Management at the University of Texas, Dallas. There, I excelled and was offered a professional position in the management and technology industry within two months of matriculation. Dr. M understands the busy lives of working professionals, and she was kind enough to tailor her schedule to meet my needs. Thank you, Dr. M!

Eric, Graduate Applicant, Management and Technology Professional

When you become a junior, the pressure really builds up to do something really useful with this last summer before applying to college. Consequently, most kids apply for summer programs. However, there are only so many programs and only so many spots available. When I was at the stage of applying to all of these programs, I truly panicked, and that’s where Dr. M came in. She had already tutored me for the SAT and helped me achieve a perfect score of 800 in the writing section. However, when she began to help me with summer program essays, I truly understood what Dr. M can do. After talking to you for just 10 minutes, she will get you to remember things in your life you never would have otherwise thought about. She then uses those (seemingly) minor, hidden stories to show you how important and relevant they are for a solid, attention-grabbing essay. To me, Dr. M was truly an amazing coach and mentor. She helped me get rid of my worries and in the end, into Yale’s Discovery to Cure: High School Internship Program, which accepts only 20 students a year! Moreover, Dr. M never lets you be satisfied with a second or third draft. She makes sure that you constantly push yourself to create an essay you did not know you were capable of. Overall, Dr. M is a one-of-a-kind and dedicated coach who will always be there for you.  There are probably not many others as hard working and committed to their students’ success as Dr. M!

Hansaa, Summer Research Program Applicant

Without Dr. M’s help, I don’t think my son would have been admitted to Carnegie Mellon’s Game Academy so smoothly.  Her guidance with numerous revisions on his essays resulted in an extremely polished application packet. Thank you, Dr. M! We’re excited for the summer!

Susan, Parent of Junior-Year Summer Program Applicant

I’ll never forget the scream that came out of my daughter’s room. Panic set in and then I heard: “Mom, I got accepted to U Mich!”

“Call Dr. M and tell her the good news now!” I shouted back, my heart full of happiness. Yes, Dr. M, my daughter’s college consultant for almost five months, is the person who made all of this happen. Without her, the best bet for our daughter would have been a school outside of the top 50.

While my daughter is a very good student, she is not extremely competitive. And so, when we began the admissions process, my husband and I thought that whatever schools she could get into would be fine with us. We then found out about Dr. M from my daughter’s friend, who had just got into Penn with Dr. M’s assistance. At first, we did not think we needed her help, but my daughter’s friend insisted that we should at least meet Dr. M. Needless to say, that meeting changed our lives forever.

Dr. M took care of everything for us—from choosing schools to editing essays to filling out all of the applications, etc. What is most amazing about Dr. M, however, is her ability to find a person’s inner strength even when that person is not aware of it or does not know how to use it for applying to colleges. Also, Dr. M never writes essays for her students; instead, she guides them through brainstorming, outlining, and drafting, and then works closely on revisions. In other words: she does not package a poor product to sell for a good price, but rather lets the truth of each student speak for itself.

If you get to work with Dr. M, she will provide a progress report after each session to keep parents informed. Here is just one example:

We have completed all NYU supps. What is left is to create a new 150-word common app essay. We are moving on to BU!

Next tasks:

• Finishing touches on UC, a few tiny things to do
• Leslie research BU and comes up with ideas for supp essay
• Cut 6 words out of UC essay
• New comm app 150-word essay for NYU

In the end, the good news kept coming, and we are just thrilled. Every day seems like a holiday to us. To use my daughter’s words: “Life is really good now.” Hiring Dr. M to be my daughter’s admissions consultant is one of the best things we’ve done in our lives and we’re really grateful for that.

THANK U AMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wendy & Jason, Parents of Undergraduate Applicant

PS: Amy told us that if our daughter started early on in the process, she’d get better results, and we totally believe her.

我永远都不会忘记那个来自我女儿房间的尖叫声，它让我感到恐慌，但是接下来我听到的却是：“妈妈，我被密歇根大学录取啦！！”       

“赶快把这个好消息告诉给M博士！”我冲这我女儿高喊着，心里充满着感激。是的，M博士，一个做了5个月的我女儿的大学升学顾问，是让这个好消息得以发生的幕后英雄。如果没有她，我们本来以为女儿最好的录取学校将会是排名50名以外的学校。 

虽然我的女儿是个非常优秀的学生，但她并不是非常具有竞争力的学生。因此，当我们开始为它申请学校时，我丈夫和我都认为，无论她进入哪所学校我们都不会觉得失望只要她高兴就行。后来，我们通过我女儿的朋友认识了M博士，M博士是这个朋友的升学顾问，而这个朋友刚刚被宾大录取。起初，我们不认为我们需要她的帮助，但我女儿的朋友坚持认为，我们至少应该去见一下M.博士。不用说，这次的见面使我们的生活从此发生了根本的变化。

’M博士’从选择学校到编辑文章再到填写所有的申请表格通通都会照顾到，并提供帮助。她最擅长的是发掘一个学生潜在优势而这种优势有时就连学生自己包括家长都可能还没有意识到，但M博士就是利用它来促成一个学生的大学美梦成真。请记住，M博士从来都不会替学生写任何文章，相反，她会引导他们，通过集思广益，概述，和起草，最后让学生写出最棒的文章。换句话说：她并不是在包装一个低劣的产品拿去卖一个好价钱，而是让每一个学生发挥出自己的最真实价值。

作为M博士学生的家长，你会在每次讲课结束后，收到一个M博士提供进度报告。举例如下：

We have completed all NYU supps. What is left is to create a new 150-word common app essay.   We are moving on to BU!
Next tasks:

• Finishing touches on UC, a few tiny things to do
• Leslie research BU and comes up with ideas for supp essay
• Cut 6 words out of UC essays
• New comm app 150-word essay for NYU

接下来，好消息不断接踵而至，我们除了惊喜就是惊喜。每一天对我们来说就像是在过节。套用我女儿的话就是：“生活真是太美好了！”现在想想，雇用M博士做我女儿的招生顾问应该是我们这一生所做的最明智事之一。我们都非常知足和感恩！

谢谢你，M博士!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

温迪和贾森，本科申请人的父母
注：M博士告诉我们，如果我们的女儿再早一点跟她上课的话，结果应该会更好。我们完全相信她说的这句话。

Sartre’s 1945 lecture “Existentialism is a Humanism” rather aptly sums up the ultimate goal of college admissions. Just as Sartre argued that existence comes before essence (that is, we exist before defining ourselves), college applications ask students to step back and question themselves: “Who am I really? And why should one care?” Answering is a lot more difficult than first appearances may warrant, especially for a high school student. This is where Dr. Morgenstern’s expertise truly brings the additional dimension needed to aid and ease the process of writing college essays and, consequently, apply to college.

Up until I met Dr. Morgenstern, the term “college application” was surreal—I vaguely knew what it meant and encompassed, but the reality is that the cutthroat competition in today’s college admissions process is everything you’ve ever feared and then some. I remember talking to Dr. Morgenstern the first time and feeling a sense of the overwhelming duty that lay in front of me. I was going to need a lot of help.

With Dr. Morgenstern’s guidance, I gradually learned how to navigate the murky eutrophic waters of college application. From brainstorming to spending hours tackling a formidable essay for a school (that shall remain nameless) to deliberating over which synonym conveyed the better connotation, we came through together. Dr. Morgenstern is honest in her opinions, quick-thinking in the face of surmounting obstacles, a careful worker always prepared with a schedule. We were constantly fact-checking and double-checking and triple-checking: precision and an acute eye for detail being just a few of Dr. Morgenstern’s special skills in honing the college essay. Never did I feel lost or led astray. Always she gave the time of day for her many students.

Ironically and yet perhaps not so, I learned more about writing in the three months I spent with Dr. Morgenstern than I did from four years of high-school English. My language, syntax, and vocabulary have all improved and the undeniably professional quality which now reinforces my writing will serve me well throughout college and my future career. Having already been accepted to several elite universities, I know that none of this would be possible without having Dr. Morgenstern help me each step of the way. Words cannot completely express my gratitude, but thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I very much enjoyed working with you; it was definitely worth it.

Elliott, Undergraduate Applicant

I started working with Amy pretty early on in the game, around the summer of ’10. I don’t even know where to begin to praise her work. The first time I met her, she was extremely confident in her ability to get me to where I want to be and that just made me believe in her from the start. And so the journey began. From creating a fun environment (beware of sarcastic wit!) to spending endless hours helping me do research for a college, Amy is the perfect consultant. She is selfless when it comes to getting things done; she stays up until late in the night helping students and making sure everything is complete even if that means missing dinner. Oh, and the reason she’s so efficient is her amazing ability to multitask. You’ll see that instantly when you start to work with her. If you live close by and get to work in her home office, she’ll even make you a smoothie! When I’m around Amy, she makes me want to try harder, and I feel more intelligent. What I also learned is that when it comes to college admissions, there’s no time to waste and the earlier you decide to work with her, the less you’ll regret it because you’ll see how quickly your apps will be finished. Without Amy’s help, I don’t think I would have gotten into my first choice school, The University of Michigan (Go Wolverines!). Thank you so much, Amy, for all the time you invested in me and for making me believe that if you work hard at something, you’ll eventually get what you deserve.

Leslie, Undergraduate Applicant