COUNSELING
FROM OUR HIGHLY EXPERIENCED COACHES
Selecting and applying to a college can be a confusing and daunting task. PA College Prep offers college admission consultation to help demystify the process.
PA College Prep
COUNSELING
PA College Prep’s counseling program provides students with the guidance and insight necessary to make the best decisions regarding the college selection and application process. This is achieved through a multi-faceted approach:
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GPA Evaluation
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Standardized Test Preparation and Analysis
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Course Selection Analysis
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Extracurricular Activity Strategizing
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College Selection
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College Application Essay Assistance
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Application Assistance
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Vocational Guidance
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Interview Practice and Strategizing
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Final College Selection
Become a great college applicant with our successful College Application Counseling. Contact us to make a FREE 30 minute counseling appointment today!
OUR TEAM
Our Counselors
Chris Bonneau
Director of Counseling
• B.S. in Communications from Boston University
• Award-winning professional writer
Though accepted at an Ivy League university, Mr. Bonneau opted to study at Boston University - an institution that better served his academic interests in Communications and provided him with a near-full scholarship. Since moving to California in 1995, Chris has been a prolific, award-winning writer (of screenplays and educational texts) and an accomplished teacher and counselor. He has taught at a number of highly regarded academies throughout the Los Angeles area and has even written an in-depth guide to the SAT Writing section.
Mr. Bonneau has helped more than 4,000 students with the college selection and application process. During this time frame, he has guided students through more than 10,000 college statements. Many of the students that Chris has counseled have gone on to Ivy League and other prestigious universities.
Rob Choi
Senior College Counselor
Writing Coach
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B. A. in Political Science, University of California, Irvine
Over the past 20+ years, Mr. Choi has taken his experience in law, entertainment, literary work, and more to guide more than 1,500 students in crafting over 25,000 personal statements and supplements that genuinely express the best qualities of each applicant. He's sent students to all the Ivy Leagues and many more of the top universities. On the whole, the majority of his students have been accepted to at lease one top 100 university under his guidance.
Amber Sun Kayekjian
College Counselor
Writing Coach
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B.A., English & Comparative Literature, Business Management, Columbia University
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Former JPMorgan Strategy Analyst
With her diverse background and rigorous training across the humanities, business, and nonprofit development, Amber is passionate about empowering students to attain to their highest level of success and personal fulfillment. She has helped students get into prestigious schools such as Yale, Columbia, USC and UCLA, and has been recognized by students and managers alike for her empathy, insightfulness, and work ethic. She is excited to bring her expertise and dedication for student success to PACP.
Upon graduation, Amber worked as a Strategy Analyst at JPMorgan Chase, supporting a number of high-impact growth strategy, product development, and communications projects for firm leadership. Her work included the launch of JPMorgan’s first Chase app investment product and client strategy analyses used by JPMC CEO Jamie Dimon and President Daniel Pinto. Motivated by a long-standing passion for student growth and community development, Amber moved into a strategy and program manager role for an international Christian nonprofit, where she helped found a new chapter at the largest university in the U.S. and spearheaded various initiatives with local and national partners.
Lisa Palmer
College Counselor
Writing Coach
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B.A. in Psychology, SDSU
Lisa Palmer brings over a decade of experience in high school and college admissions to the team. With a background in child psychology and AP teaching, Lisa has consistently proven her commitment to student development. She has also been recognized as a top-performing educator dedicated to serving diverse communities.
Lisa specializes in building meaningful relationships with students, offering personalized educational plans that align with their unique academic and career goals. She has extensive experience guiding students through community college enrollment, university transfers, four-year college admissions, athletic recruitment, and navigating both public and private education systems.
Lisa’s compassionate, attentive approach ensures students and their families receive expert guidance through the complexities of higher education applications, course selection, and financial planning. Her commitment to student well-being and long-term success has helped many students achieve their academic goals, earn degrees, and pursue fulfilling careers. Lisa’s dedication to empowering students is central to her role as she helps shape futures with care, understanding, and passion.
Dr. Mimi Liu
Pre-Med College Counselor
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Current Family Medicine resident physician
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M.D. from University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine (USF MCOM)
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B.S. in Cell and Developmental Biology from University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Mimi interviewed at 7 medical schools and attended USF on a partial scholarship, where she interviewed pre-medical students for the admissions committee. She also volunteered at the student-run free clinic, founded the student organizations Medical Mandarin and Asian American Pacific Islander Mentorship (AAPIM), and published research, among other accomplishments. During her time at medical school, Mimi truly excelled and earned multiple scholarships, grants, and awards. Her efforts culminated in the 2023 Golden Bull Award, one of USF’s highest honors given to students who encompass the spirit and values of USF by exemplifying exceptional leadership and service.
Mimi is passionate about helping students navigate both the college and medical school admissions process, particularly because she struggled to find high-quality advising when she was a student. She has successfully mentored dozens of students throughout the years. Mimi enjoys guiding students throughout the application process, especially when it comes to developing a personal brand. She has advised many students who have been accepted to highly ranked colleges and multiple medical schools.
Iriss Jiang
Assistant Director of Counseling
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B.S. in Spanish from Nanjiang University
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M.A. in Teaching from University of Southern California
Ms. Jiang brings five years of experience in education and three years in college counseling to support local families, particularly immigrant families in the U.S.
Having worked closely with hundreds of families, she has a deeping understanding of the challenges that immigrant students face: language barriers, cultural adjustments, and balancing family expectations with American academic standards.
With comprehensive knowledge of college admissions expectations, local school districts, and regional resources, Ms. Jiang provides culturally responsive guidance to help families navigate the U.S. education system smoothly and empower students to pursue their academic goals with clarity and confidence.
Vanessa Green
College Counselor
Writing Coach
CA Teaching Credential in English
M.A. in English
Ms. Green brings more than 20 years of experience in K-12 education, serving as a college essay writing coach for more than 15 years and an English teacher for more than 10 years. Holding both a CA Teaching Credential and an MA in English, she is passionate about lifelong learning and growth. Her counseling and teaching approach is holistic; she supports her students socially, emotionally, and academically. Above all, she believes that every student has the ability - and the right - to learn. When planning and writing personal essays, Vanessa is encouraging, energetic, and meticulous, creating a safe space for students to explore and draft responses to application questions. Her goal is to ensure that students' college application essays clearly address the prompts, capture the students’ personalities and voices, and amplify students’ strengths. To date, Ms. Green has helped students get into prestigious schools like Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, USC, NYU, UCLA, UCB UCSD, etc.
Sadia Amjad
College Counselor
Writing Coach
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MBA in Financial Management
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Certificate in Financial Planning;
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UCLA College Counseling Certificate (Honors)
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Associate IECA Member & WACAC Member
Sadia brings over eight years of experience in college admissions consulting, helping students earn acceptance to some of the nation’s most selective universities and academic programs. With a background in financial management and planning, she combines analytical strategy, careful planning, and personalized mentorship to guide families through every step of the admissions journey with clarity and confidence.
Her students have been admitted to leading institutions, including Princeton University, USC, Northwestern, Northeastern, Georgia Tech, UNC Chapel Hill, Case Western Reserve University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UI Urbana Champaign, among many others, pursuing highly competitive majors such as BS/MD programs, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Environmental Science, and other rigorous STEM and interdisciplinary fields.
Over the past three years, at least one of Sadia’s students has earned acceptance to every University of California campus and has been a Regents Scholarship recipient. During the 2025–2026 admissions cycle, a student she supported through QuestBridge received admission to Princeton University on a full-ride scholarship. She has also guided students into prestigious enrichment opportunities, including COSMOS, Yale Young Global Scholars, and the Stanford Thoracic Surgery Program.
Deeply committed to expanding access to higher education, Sadia has dedicated more than 200 hours to pro bono counseling, supporting first-generation and underserved students in gaining admission to outstanding colleges and life-changing programs. Her work is grounded in equity, integrity, and a genuine passion for helping students realize their fullest potential.
Firdosi Wharton-Ali
Writing Coach
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MFA, Screenwriting, UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television
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BA, Political Science (Specialization in American Politics) UCLA
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Certification in Screenwriting, Non-degree program, UCLA
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TOEFL Certificate
Ms. Firdosi studied Political Science with a specialization in American Politics at UCLA. She switched gears when admitted to the prestigious UCLA School of Theater, Film, Television and Digital Media after
enrolling in the inaugural year of UCLA’s non degree Certification in Screenwriting Program. While still a graduate student, worked as a story consultant on Mohammed, The Last Prophet, the only animated movie about the history of religion in The Middle East with the producers of Disney’s The Fox And The Hound.
After graduating, Firdosi sold several scripts and worked for the producers of
Twilight (Mark Morgan) before landing a position of one of four executives at
Predawn Productions, a production company with the most successful
screenwriter in the history of the craft (per script sales) as its principal, Academy
Award winner Ron Bass (Rain Man, The Joy Luck Club). While working there,
Ron and Firdosi sold an original idea to Universal Pictures and, on her own, she
set up projects with numerous production companies including Lion’s Gate,
Wind Dancer Films, and Tom Lynch Productions.
On top of her writing and coaching career at PA Academy, Firdosi teaches
screenwriting in The Carrie Hamilton Entertainment Institute at Anaheim
University.
Jack Zhang
STEM College Counselor
Passion Project Coach
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B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, minor in global engineering studies
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M.S. in Product Design from Carnegie Mellon University
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Long term study broad at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany (ranked #3 for engineering in Germany)
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E.I.T certified engineer
Jack Zhang is a passionate STEM counselor and passion project coach, who is known for his friendliness and professionalism working with students of all ages. Jack is a mechanical and product design engineer by trade who has over 15 years of STEM experience under his belt. He has vast industry experience across consumer electronics, aerospace, and automotive working with companies such as Apple, Boeing, and EV startups.
During his undergrad, Jack was a key member of the solar car club at his university competing and winning at the national level. He is also familiar with other STEM student clubs such as Formula SAE, Formula Baja, EV Club, Rocketry Club, etc. Jack was also a former School of Mechanical Engineering Student Ambassador at Purdue University. He gave campus tours to admitted students and their parents in helping to make their final college decision.
