Dedicated To HelpingFamilies Maximize Education

Our son started working with Hilary during the summer before grade 11.  Right away, we were impressed with the time Hilary invested to get to know Carter and help him sort through his interests and strengths before beginning the process of selecting a post-secondary school and program.  Carter’s priorities and preferences toward university selection developed and shifted throughout the course of their work together and Hilary assisted his decision making by identifying, updating and comparing various high-quality options that fit both his evolving criteria and qualifications.  Further, Hilary’s guidance was instrumental in helping Carter navigate the application processes in order to attract scholarships and financial support, making certain schools possible that would have otherwise been out of his budget.  Ultimately, Carter selected a university we wouldn’t have known of or considered had it not been for his work with Hilary.  Especially during a grade 12 year disrupted by the pandemic, our investment in Hilary’s services was immensely valuable.

– Shelley and Dean, Parents of Carter, Denison University

We tried to handle my son’s university applications on his own, but eventually realized we were not aware of the complexity of colleges in today’s era.  It’s a lot more complex from our time!  Hilary Lehn gave us peace of mind that our son was taking the right high-school courses, applying to the right universities, and completing every crucial step of the process.  Although Hilary doesn’t have a crystal ball on acceptances, she was remarkably accurate in the final results.  Our son is now studying at McGill University thanks to the assistance from Hilary.  She is professional, knowledgeable, and relates well to parents and students.  We highly recommend her!”

– Win Sakdinan, Parent of Ben, McGill University

We are so very glad to have acquired assistance with university applications for our son, Justin. Hilary was very organized in the steps that we needed to take through the process. She is very knowledgeable in the different academic/social profiles and admission requirements of North American universities and was able to recommend the best environment for Justin. With her assistance, we were able to go through career decisions with Justin more smoothly and informed. Through Hilary, we learned about the honours program where Justin can take advantage of an array of undergraduate research and internship opportunities. In fact, we couldn’t be happier about how Justin’s first semester had gone! Justin is thriving and doing very well in the Medical Microbiology BS degree program at ASU. After a semester of training, he is now working as a lab assistant at ASU Biodesign Institute doing research work on antimicrobial peptides against clinical strains of bacteria from cystic fibrosis patients. He joined the student government as the director of health. He is currently working on organizing events promoting students’ health and well-being. Furthermore, he has made the Dean’s List of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the fall semester of 2018. We are very proud of his achievements so far and we are glad to have found the best university for him.

– Elma Murray, Parent of Justin Rizzo, Arizona State University, Barrett Honours, Merit Scholar

I first came to Hilary in July just prior to my senior year. Before then, I had no intentions of applying to the U.S. for my undergraduate education and naturally, I knew nothing about the application process. As a result I had only six months, upon deciding, to both begin and wrap up the lengthy application process that is normally completed over the course of two years; it was only because of Hilary’s expertise, dedication, and experience that I was able to accomplish such a task. Through our numerous individual meetings, Hilary was able to grasp my uniqueness, character, and strengths, and utilize such knowledge when recommending universities and majors that she thought suited my future aspirations. Hilary really helped me see clearly which schools were the right fit for me both academically and otherwise, encouraging me to pursue my dreams and strive for the ideal. She was always patient and prompt when offering guidance on essays, and answering my questions and concerns in general. In the end, I was very pleased when I received my offer of admission to the Dual BA program between Columbia University and Sciences Po, where I will spend 2 years exploring the richly diverse European culture in France before earning my second degree in the U.S.. I am certain that if I had not sought Hilary out, I would not have had the chance to attend two world class institutions in a truly international setting that will empower me with the tools necessary for further growth. I am truly grateful for Hilary’s guidance.

– Wendy Du, Columbia University & Sciences Po

“Our experience with Hilary has opened us up to a whole new world of education. While my husband and I attended Canadian universities, our son had his own ideas about attending a U.S. university. We were reticent at first, but in the end were very impressed with what we learned about U.S. Schools in terms of small class sizes, access to expert faculty starting in first year, co-op and other opportunities on an international scale, and large endowments which allow financial aid and scholarships. We have also appreciated Hilary’s perspective, enthusiasm and expertise. She is very down to earth and easy to have honest conversations with, and she genuinely cares about her students. She gets to know them so that she can advise based on individual strengths and interests. She coordinated meetings and calls with our son, while always welcoming my calls when we needed more information or advice as a family; and she is very proactive when it comes to problem solving. Ultimately, Mark received several admission offers and scholarships (including a total of $570, 000 from 4 different schools), and has decided to attend Princeton University in the fall. He is fortunate enough to be participating in Princeton’s Bridge Year Program and will be spending his first year abroad in Bolivia, doing community service work as well as learning through travel and outdoor pursuits.”

– Mother of Mark, Princeton (NJ)

“Whether it be because of your parents or because of the people around you, a high school student can’t help but be swayed by the reputation of universities. I was, of course, not an exception. But reputation is not everything when considering which university to apply to, in fact it should only be considered in balance with other more important aspects. Before I first met Hilary, I was convinced that Harvard University was the right university for me, even when I wished to pursue mechanical engineering. After discussing my interests and interests, including my SAT and academic grades, she immediately suggested California Institute of Technology, a school which, for some reason, had flown under my radar. As I began to research the university with Hilary’s aid, I came to realize that it offered everything that I wanted in my college career. Hilary helped me contact the baseball coach and write a thorough application that candidly brought out my best aspects. When I visited the campus, I was able to confirm Hilary’s conviction that Caltech was a perfect match for me. If I had not received her help, I never would have had such a positive outcome with a world class school; and for that I am forever grateful.”

– Minjae, Cal Tech (CA)

“Hilary played a key role and was very influential in developing two important programs at Southridge –admissions and university counselling. In her role as Director of Admissions, Hilary ensured that admissions at Southridge was well organized and executed in an effective manner with consistency, fairness and integrity given top priority. As Director of Admissions, Hilary also advised a number of students in the university application process. Here, too, her background and knowledge of the university application system (both Canadian and American) helped to shape our school in this important area. Eventually, Hilary made a change in her portfolio of responsibilities and took-on the new role of Director of University Counselling. Under Hilary’s thoughtful guidance, the university counselling program became more comprehensive and highly successful in only a few short years. I believe it is a testament to Hilary and her many contributions to Southridge that the foundation she created in both admissions and university counselling is still very much a part of what we do today.”

Drew Stephens, Head of School

We found the process of finding the right university for our son, who initially was also interested in playing university baseball, a complicated one neither of us had experienced. Hilary took control of the whole process, was exceedingly helpful, and made our son accountable for all of the things he was required to do to in order to be properly prepared to apply to U.S. and Canadian universities. Through her considerable efforts, Hilary was able to help our son sort through the many universities available and select those that best fit what he was looking for in a university. He was accepted at all of his universities of choice, and offered merit scholarship. We also found Hilary still very helpful to us even after our son had selected his university. Especially given the level of complication and, sometimes, frustration involved in this process, we are very grateful for Hilary’s guidance.

– Marty and Laura, parents of Emerson, McGill

Ms. Lehn has unparalleled expertise in advising students and their families with respect to university admissions. Having worked on both sides of the admissions process as a counsellor and a U.S. university admissions officer, she has a deep understanding of what universities are looking for and how students can best position themselves for admission to colleges/universities of their choosing, including those more highly selective schools they may have in their sites. Ms. Lehn is extremely adept at helping students to identify schools that are a great fit for them, and holds this as the ultimate priority in bolstering their chances of success in university and beyond.

– William Jones, Head of School – Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School 

The very idea of applying to college had always terrified me: it seemed to be riddled with ambiguities and intricate jargon, designed to ensnare us all in endless confusion. Yet, at the same time, nothing excited me more than the prospect of starting the new chapter of my life on a college campus.For the longest time, I had been researching different universities and comparing their relative merits, but every single time I opened up an actual application form my courage failed me and I balked, feeling like I could never navigate this treacherous paperwork–and in any case, what could I ever say about myself that would set me apart from the thousands of other students who were vying for admission to the same program? I feel very privileged that I was fortunate enough to have had Hilary’s patience and expertise at this crucial juncture. Her calm demeanor and down-to earth conversations about my future goals were essential to establishing my confidence in the face of the college application process, and to this day

I am grateful to her for helping me to experience an amazing post-secondary education.

– Lisabelle, Stanford (CA)

Working with Ms.Lehn for my admission to University of Pennsylvania was a very helpful experience. She helped me decide on applying to Penn for early decision and to prepare for all requirements. We talked about which advanced courses would make me a competitive candidate, as well as how well I should do on the SAT to be competitive for top universities. Also, she reviewed my admissions essays and gave me final confirmation on whether I was ready to submit them. Her recommendation letters were also an important asset to my admission. Because I had met with her and talked to her consistently all throughout my highschool career, she was very accurate in evaluating my overall performance and suggesting the right university for me. For instance, although I did not feel I had very strong SAT scores, she looked at my overall performance, including my GPA, character, extracurricular activities and passion, and encouraged me to be more confident about applying to competitive universities. The outcome was very positive, as I gained admission to my top choice university, and I am very thankful of all her help.

– Yoori, University of Pennsylvania (PA)

Mrs. Lehn helped me to prepare a roadmap for the admission application process. Given her experience, she was able to provide practical suggestions that helped me narrow my choice of potential universities. She also helped me identify key areas to focus on and highlight as part of my overall application.  Her support and knowledge were both invaluable and helped me to find an ideal school and program for myself

– Krittika, University of Washington, Honours Program (WA)

When I started thinking about the university application process, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted and I really had no idea about what was out there. I thought that every university consisted of lecture halls filled with 300 students, and I knew I wouldn’t do well at such a school. Hilary got to know me, and was able to sense what kind of environment would suit me best. She put together a list of schools she thought I might like, and in that list I found my dream school. The campus was a perfect fit, and the small class sizes were the best learning environment for me. My experience at my undergraduate institution helped guide my academic path, and the close bonds I made with professors helped steer me in the right professional direction. I am now pursuing my master’s degree at New York University, and I know I owe my college foundation to Hilary’s expertise and close attention to my needs and learning style. I am so thankful she started me in the right direction and I wouldn’t have had the amazing undergraduate experience I did if it wasn’t for her.

 – Halee, Chapman University (CA)

As parents of a student-athlete we had great angst about our daughter receiving a good education while playing for a Div 1 NCAA team. After various school visits, Ms. Lehn helped our daughter pinpoint the best match for her, guided her through the application process and answered all of our questions along the way. Mrs. Lehn’s knowledge of the schools and their programs was invaluable as we navigated this anxious time. Our daughter ended up in the perfect place for her

– Debbie, mother of Tessa, Syracuse University (NY)

Choosing a university and a program was a rather daunting task. I remember flipping through pages of undergraduate calendars, looking at all of the different programs and wondering which one would be the best fit. With Hilary’s assistance and guidance, I was able to begin to understand the application process and even enjoy it! She was patient and understanding of all my concerns and questions and helped to ease my fears. While considering pretty much every university in Canada, Hilary was able to ask all of the right questions to help me narrow it down, and even make the transition as smooth as possible. In the end, I chose the University of Guelph and it was definitely the right decision!

– Valerie, University of Guelph