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OUR TEAM

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:

  • GPA Evaluation

  • Standardized Test Preparation and Analysis

  • Course Selection Analysis

  • Extracurricular Activity Strategizing

  • College Selection

  • College Application Essay Assistance 

  • Application Assistance 

  • Vocational Guidance   

  • Interview Practice and Strategizing   

  • 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!

APPLICATION FORM
NAVIGATION SEMINAR

When applying to colleges, students must complete labyrinthine, multipage application forms that require extensive research. What should be included? What should be left out? In this two hour seminar led by college consultant Chris Bonneau, students and their parents will receive step-by-step guidance on how to complete college application forms. (This seminar will cover the University of California application and the Common Application used by most highly ranked universities across the country.)

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COLLEGE APPLICATION
ESSAY WRITING SESSION

As competition among students increases, colleges are putting an increased weight on candidate’s writing ability in their selection process. This class, taught by a experienced college consultant and professional writer, Chris Bonneau, will help students create effective, winning essays in a collaborative and engaging class environment.

Over the course of eight weeks, students will discover what they should write about, how to grab the reader’s attention, and how to express themselves coherently. (This class is designed to assist students with the University of California and Common Application essay prompts, as well as other frequently used prompts.)

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.
 

Chris has helped more than 2,000 students with the college selection and application process. During this time frame, he has guided students through more than 4,000 college statements. Many of the students that Chris has counseled have gone on to Ivy League and other prestigious universities.

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Laura Hwang

Assistant Director of Counseling

College Counselor

  • M.A., Social Psychology, San Francisco State University 

  • B.A., Psychology, University of California Irvine

 

Ms. Laura has an extensive experience working and interacting with children of all ages and parents.  With her specialty in child psychology and a full knowledge and research of the phases and developmental stages that children, adolescents, and parents go through, she has taught and helped students and parents to better understand themselves and their relationships to one another.  

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Andy Luong

STEM College Counselor

  • B.S. in Biochemistry at UCLA

  • M.S. In Biomedical science at UCSD

  • Four years of research experience in the Cardio Surgery Lab at UCLA

 

Mr. Luong started his counseling career with helping underclass students navigate their class choices and find research opportunities at UCLA, which further deepened his understanding of the academic landscape.


Since completing his studies, Mr. Luong has dedicated himself to helping students achieve their academic and professional goals by offering personalized guidance and support. Through his expertise and dedication, he has helped numerous students gain acceptance to prestigious institutions such as Brown, Stanford, Boston University, UCLA, UCSD, and UC Berkeley.

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Maria Garcia

College Counselor

  • B.A. in Psychology, Vanguard University

  • M.A. in Education, Pupil Personnel Services 

  • M.A. in Educational Leadership, Administrative Credential 

 

Mrs. Garcia obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology from Vanguard University with a merit scholarship.  She then completed two Masters degrees at Azusa Pacific University.  She has excelled for 23 years in the field of education as a college counselor and vice principal.  She has counseled students in top public and private schools in California, South America, and Asia.  Mrs. Garcia has traveled numerous times to China and worked with students and families directly in the college application process.  Her passion for helping students reach their full potential and enter Ivy League Universities and other prestigious institutions is what fuels her.  

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Marla Kelley

Senior College Counselor

  • Doctoral degree in Law, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles, CA

  • Bachelor's Degree in English, University of California-Irvine

 

After a career as a litigation attorney and partner in a southern California law firm, when her own three children were applying to college, Marla designed a method to guide students toward writing personal statements for their college applications. Marla’s tried and true method has successfully helped students navigate their way into some of the most competitive universities in the country over the past 16 years. Hundreds of Marla’s students have been accepted to colleges from Harvard to Stanford, the UC's, and most schools in between. Many of them credit Marla’s advice on their essays as the factor that brought them admission to their dream schools. Marla dedicated herself to this calling and presented her expert methods and strategies about the college essay writing process at dozens of meetings and seminars throughout Southern California.  

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Cedric Papa

College Counselor

  • B.A.,Ethnic Studies: Asian-American Minor: History, Cal State Fullerton

 

Cedric has been working in the field of education for the past 8 years, helping high school students from diverse backgrounds achieve their academic goals through tutoring, teaching, and counseling. His students immediately take notice of his caring, optimistic, yet straightforward demeanor; students consistently express that under his guidance they feel more confident in themselves and in their future academic choices. Cedric prides himself on his ability to create honest and supportive relationships with students to develop each student’s distinct pathway to success.   

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Cristina Jung

College Counselor

  • B.A. English from UCLA 

  • M.A. Education from Concordia University 

 

As a middle school and high school teacher in IUSD for ten years, Cristina understands the diverse needs and interests for different students. She is passionate about education and has spent many years helping students achieve their best.

 

With her experience in writing, education, and college counseling, Cristina has helped many students get into their top university choices, but her most important priority is making sure students have great options in attending a college that will help them achieve their goals. 

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"...When I took classes at PA College Prep, I felt that PA College Prep provided students with a very comfortable and challenging learning environment. The faculty not only helped us with the various subjects, but they also made themselves available to answer any of our questions about standardized tests and applying to college. As a student at PA College Prep, I always new that the faculty would be available to offer me guidance on academic issues ranging from chemistry review to paper revisions to college essay brainstorming."

- STEPHANIE LIN, 2012 RHODES SCHOLARSHIP WINNER, GRADUATED FROM MIT 2012

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