Testimonials
Read what parents and students are saying about Mill Creek Academy:
“At Mill Creek Academy is where I found myself. I was never immensely interested in English, but after taking a few English/Writing courses at MCA, I immediately fell in love. Not only was I propelled to delve into and analyze the ‘deeper truths’ craftily and wittily embedded in English literature, but I was also compelled to be a more insightful writer. After attending MCA, the abilities that I once lack were enhanced thanks to the unparalleled and brilliant instructors who not only sharpen your skills but also enlighten you along the way.” Tony L., Student.
“Mill Creek was truly an experience I will never forget. Moreover, it enabled me to fully pursue my ambitions in writing as well as in high school to the fullest extent. In particular, the writing courses and faculty truly inspired me and shaped my ethics and rationale.” Justin S., Student.
“I came to Mrs. Wong for her College Counseling program, and she surpassed any expectations I had. She was incredibly prepared, organized, and willing to help with any problems I may have had.
She also helped me make my College essays as good as they could be.
I would recommend Mrs. Wong to anyone that is looking for a high-quality College Preparation Counselor.” Jonathan K, Student.
“Why did we choose Mill Creek Academy?
We decided to have a professional college counselor help my daughter with her college application process in last August. We interviewed a few institutes that provided such service, and among those, Mill Creek Academy was the one that our family felt most comfortable to work with. For the other institutes we interviewed, the branch managers met us and introduced their programs. However, they were not the ones who would work with my daughter to help revise and review her essays. At Mill Creek Academy, Ms. Wong, the director, greeted us. She would be the one who directly worked with my daughter, brainstorming ideas, editing/revising essays, and preparing her alumni interview. After our initial meeting with her, we felt that Ms. Wong was more personal compared to the business-like demeanor of the other institutes’ branch managers, and we are very glad to have chosen Mill Creek Academy for our daughter’s college application process.
Why do we recommend Mill Creek Academy?
1. College selection: Ms. Wong suggested a wide range of schools for my daughter to consider, and was also willing to listen to her own opinions. Detailed with application deadlines, notification dates, application fees and suggested submission dates, the final college list had a good mix of ‘reach’, ‘target’ and ‘likely’ schools. There was also a good mix of Early Action schools. In December, my daughter was accepted by her Early Decision school, as well as two other Early Action schools. After she got her first Early Action admission letter, she was so relieved. Even if she wasn’t admitted to her dream school, my daughter wouldn’t have been as stressed as most of her peers who were deferred or rejected in EA/ED phase.
2. Essay revision: Ms. Wong and Ms. Mao (Ms. Wong’s partner) always responded within a few hours with detailed comments on my daughter’s essay. They have a high bar on essays to ensure the quality of writing, and one of my daughter’s earlier essays had to go through 9 revisions before it was polished and ready. There was a significant difference between the first and final draft. Ms. Wong and Ms. Mao went through the “why” and “how” behind each revision, instead of just telling my daughter what to change. As a result, my daughter’s writing skill has also improved. Some of her late essays only needed a few minor modifications.
3. Interviews: Ms. Wong prepared my daughter very well for the college interview. She went over a list of potential interview questions with my daughter, conducted mock interviews, and also informed my daughter of interview protocols (arriving time, business casual dress, and sending thank you email afterwards). After the interview, my daughter was confident in her answers to the interviewer’s questions, most of which were in Ms. Wong’s list.
4. Price: Mill Creek Academy provides a basic package that includes 1 or 2 schools using Common App and UC application. Extra schools will be charged separately.( about $250~350 each). If you apply about 10 schools, the overall price is similar to that of other institutes. However, students have the flexibility in terms of number of colleges. Mill Creek will also refund you if you decide to drop a few schools from the school list.
5. Others: We had a few hiccups during the application process. For example, the only visual/performing art class my daughter took was not under UC’s a-g list, and Ms. Wong helped us work with the local high school counselor and the UC admissions to sort it out.
Although the entire college application process was stressful for our entire family, Ms. Wong has been very patient, encouraging and flexible. We are extremely happy that my daughter got accepted by the selective major (6%) in her dream school in ED — the best Christmas gift we’ve ever received.” Chun C, Parent.
“I spent the last few months of my junior year frantically searching for a college counselor, but all the ones I met before meeting Ms. Wong judged me like I was not worthy enough to go to college. Ms. Wong was the opposite; she was supportive, encouraging, and nonjudgemental. During the summer, I took her college essays boot camp. Not only was I able to complete all of my base essays during camp and finish all of my other supplements before the school year started, but Ms. Wong also helped me improve my writing. I have gotten into 5 colleges already, all thanks to Ms. Wong taking her precious time to revise my essays and research about schools I was interested in. I highly recommend anyone to go to Mill Creek Academy for college counseling or even writing classes!” Connie C., Student.
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