Stanley Liu · Independent College Counselor

Former USC & Pomona College Admissions Officer

I'm an independent educational consultant with over 10 years of experience, which includes working as a former admissions officer at the University of Southern California (USC) and Pomona College. I provide a comprehensive college counseling service for high school and transfer students that will ensure you submit the most competitive and compelling application!

At a Glance...

Former USC Admissions Officer Former Pomona College Admissions Officer Former UC Application Reader 6,500+ Applications Read 10+ Years of Experience

Get to know Stanley Contact Me!

College Counseling Services

High School College Counseling

Grades 9 - 11: We will meet, at minimum, once every 4-6 weeks to discuss academic progress, course selection, standardized test timing and prep, letters of recommendation support, extracurricular interests and summer planning. We will start to focus our college application work during your Junior year, shaping your story and building your application strategy and brand.

Grade 12: We'll meet weekly, working on all aspects of the college application process: researching and creating your college list, interview and resume guidance, application strategy (early action/decision), and essay revisions (just to name a few). My students all have my personal cell phone number; I'll be available to you whenever you need me.

Explore High School Counseling →

Transfer to USC

Transfer to USC after your freshman or sophomore year in college! With my prior experiences as a former USC admissions officer and leading Trojan Transfer Plans (USC TTP), I'll personally develop a USC transfer plan that will make you extremely successful in transferring to USC.

In addition, I have extensive knowledge and experience in transferring to the UCs! If your dream school is UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD, or any of the amazing colleges in the University of California system, I will work with you to develop and plan your transfer pathway.

Explore Transfer Counseling →

A La Carte Services

Personal Statement Review
I'll provide a thorough review of one essay that you've already written. Feedback, proofreads, edits, notes, and suggestions will be detailed, shared, and debriefed with you.

Application Review
Ready to submit your application? Let me provide a complete, line-by-line review of your application before you hit 'submit'! I'll provide you with my suggestions, notes, and edits for each component of your application (essay, short answer, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and additional info.).

Hourly Rates available
Meet with me one-on-one with questions about any aspect of your college application process! If you need guidance on the interview process, want to brainstorm essay ideas, discuss application strategy, make a college list, or anything in between, I'm happy to chat with you via Zoom. You'll receive detailed notes after our meeting.

Browse A La Carte Options →

*ANNOUNCEMENT*

Selena is joining the team!

I'm so excited to welcome Selena Lopez-Hammond as my Director of Essay Development. Selena is an accomplished and gifted writer and a passionate advocate for her students. She'll work with a select group of my Seniors focusing primarily on the Common App Essay.

Meet Selena

Class of 2026 Results

14

Seniors

10

Transfer Students

92%

Seniors Admitted to a Top 25 College

90%

Transfers Admitted to One of Their Top 2 College Choices

Harvard

Brown

Johns Hopkins

USC Early Action

USC — World Bachelor in Business (WBB)

Pomona College

Barnard College Early Decision

Boston University

UC Irvine

UC Berkeley

UCLA

Michigan — Ross School of Business

UNC Chapel Hill

Emory

See more details about each student →

Testimonials

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Total High School Students Counseled

0

Total Transfer Students Counseled

0

Current High School Seniors

Thanks Stanley. I really appreciate your help. And more specifically, that you charged me an extremely fair amount. This process was something I paid for myself and, in the past, college consultants have definitely tried to take advantage of students desperation to get into a good school. I really just want to convey how thankful I am.

Matthew

Transfer Student — USC '28

Harvard Admit

Thank you for your unwavering patience and support! I'm endlessly grateful for you and I wouldn't be where I am today without you. I couldn't have asked for a better counselor!

Kelly

Grade 12 College Counseling — UCLA '29

UPenn Wharton (Early Decision 1) Admit

It's always so reassuring to know that we have you on our team guiding the way. We got so lucky finding someone as awesome as you.

Jenny

Parent of Grade 10 student

USC (Early Action) Admit

Thank you so much for all of your help throughout the entire process; I couldn't have done it without you. You have seriously been a lifesaver with this process.

Jay

Grade 12 College Counseling — Harvard '29

University of Michigan (Early Action) Admit

Just wanted to share the good news that M got into Berkeley! Thank you so much for all of your work with him! It's our top choice and we couldn't be happier!

Perla

Parent of Transfer Student — UC Berkeley '29

UCLA Admit

I am so incredibly excited and wanted to send a quick note to express my gratitude. Thank you so much for all your help, advice, and mentorship during the application process. Having you in my corner made a huge difference, and I'm so grateful for the time and energy you invested in me.

G

Grade 12 College Counseling (International Student) — USC '30

Pomona College Admit

I got into USC! Thank you so much for your help, I have you to thank for my acceptance and I am beyond excited; I am DYING right now. This has been a dream of mine for years so thank you SO much for helping make this happen :)

Sofia

Transfer Student — USC '29

USC Admit

Thank you for helping me with my college journey!! And thank you so much for everything! I couldn't have come this far without your help.

Cynthia

Grade 12 College Counseling — Harvard '30

UC Berkeley Transfer Admit

We are very excited for H getting accepted to UC Berkeley! H speaks very highly of you. H doesn't usually connect with people easily, so it really surprised me to see how much he appreciates everything you've done for him and how close he feels to you. Thank you so much for everything.

Ning

Parent of Grade 11 student — UC Berkeley '30

USC Transfer Admit

I'm super thankful I got the opportunity to work with you this year, I literally could not have stayed sane in this process without! Thank you so much!!!

Maanasi

Grade 12 College Counseling — UNC '30