Testimonials from Clients & Colleagues

"Working with Lisa was an exceptional experience. She took the time to truly understand our daughter and our family, helping us present our story with both authenticity and strategy. Thanks to Lisa’s deep expertise and insider knowledge, we gained clarity, confidence, and a genuine understanding of the admissions process. Her calm, thoughtful guidance made what could have been a stressful journey feel entirely manageable. We’re beyond grateful to be heading to our first-choice school—and we couldn’t recommend Lisa more highly. She was a true partner every step of the way." 

Anna & Patrick 

Parents

"Lisa brings so much thought, professionalism and dedication to everything she does. She was a mentor for me as a new Admission Director and her experience, knowledge and willingness to support me is something I am forever grateful for. Combine Lisa's amazing ability to connect with people and her vast understanding of the Bay Area independent schools and the admission process she is the perfect person to help you find a best fit school for your child. 

Any family would be lucky to work with Lisa!"

Brooke Jenkins

Director of Admission & Tuition Assistance, Town School for Boys

"Working with Lisa on our elementary school application process was an absolute gift. She is thoughtful, professional, and incredibly clear in her communication. Her organizational skills kept us grounded and on track throughout the entire journey. Most importantly, Lisa provided trusted guidance and true partnership—we always felt supported, informed, and confident in every decision we made. We’re so grateful for her help and would highly recommend her to any family navigating this process."  

Lan L.

Parent

"Lisa Aquino is a consummate professional who always has the best interests of families at heart. Over the past two decades as her colleague, I have gained profound respect for her consistent dedication to guiding families toward their ideal school environments. Her kindness, warmth and compassion coupled with the strength of her knowledge of the Bay Area independent school landscape ensures that any family would benefit from her experience." 

Yvette Bonaparte 

Director of Admission, San Francisco Friends School

"Lisa has a wealth of knowledge about Bay Area schools - from preschool to high school! She knows and understands each school community well and helped guide my family in navigating the Kindergarten admissions process. She has been in the parent seat as well as the admissions director seat, so she not only understands both sides of this process, but she really makes the admissions process feel less overwhelming. She helped us focus our search on the schools that are the best fit for our son and our family, and she offered answers to our questions along the way. Lisa is an absolute pleasure to work with and we highly recommend working with her."

Helen O.

Parent

"Working with Lisa was an incredible experience. She was caring, direct, and exceptionally knowledgeable—everything we needed in a school admissions consultant. Lisa took the time to truly understand our daughter, offering thoughtful, personalized advice throughout. She demystified the entire process, making it far less stressful and far more manageable. 

Her thorough guidance gave us clarity and confidence every step of the way. We’re so grateful for her support and can’t recommend her highly enough!"

Michael

Parent

"We will cut to the chase – Lisa’s deep knowledge and insight into the nuances of the admissions process helped lead our family to an incredibly happy outcome: admission into our first choice private school (and second choice too!). Outcome aside, having Lisa along the journey of the admissions process, specifically leveraging her own experience and applying it to fit our own unique situation and inform our approach throughout was invaluable.

Lisa kept us even keeled and focused on what mattered most: telling our daughter’s story authentically while hitting across all the salient admissions criteria to best showcase our daughter and family’s fit with our choice schools. If you are looking for the best partner and support in the admissions process, no matter if you are just starting or already far along, look no further than Lisa. We are forever grateful for the impact she has had on helping us find the right fit for our educational goals for our daughter." 

Eric Z. & Jan E.

Parents

"I have known Lisa Lau Aquino for over twenty-five years, first as a parent at our preschool, and more recently as the Admissions Director at The Hamlin School. Lisa has a deep understanding of child development and the full range of different learning styles, honed by many years as a teacher and in admissions. In addition, she has an intimate knowledge of Bay Area Independent schools, and an informed sense of where a particular child is likely to thrive. 

Given her knowledge, decades of experience, and understanding of the importance of each family finding the right educational match for their child, Lisa is uniquely positioned to provide support, in what can sometimes be an overwhelming and challenging process.

If you’re looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable and thoughtful person to guide you in your school search, I enthusiastically recommend Lisa."

Jacque Grillo

Executive Director, Lone Mountain Children’s Center

"Lisa was an absolute lifesaver in our kindergarten search process! With her expert guidance, we felt confident and prepared every step of the way. She walked us through the entire process, sharing her unique expertise and insights that helped us make informed decisions. From applications to interviews, Lisa's support was invaluable. Her prompt responses to emails and willingness to chat whenever we had questions or concerns were truly impressive. We can't recommend Lisa enough! Her dedication, knowledge, and passion for early childhood education made a huge difference in our journey."  

R.K.

Parent

"Lisa Aquino is someone that I feel confident in recommending to families who are looking for an admissions consultant. My husband and I have benefitted from Lisa’s expertise from a prospective family looking to have our child attend her school. We were also fortunate to have her guidance as we looked for a school for our second child. 

As prospective families we were impressed by the high touch, personal attention that we received. Lisa always responded quickly to our emails and strived to truly get to know us and our child.  Words can’t express how grateful we are to Lisa."

Patrice M.

Parent

"It was a great pleasure working with Lisa Aquino for decades while I was the Executive Director of Pacific Primary. Lisa's knowledge is impressive and combined with her calm and confident approach she has helped countless parents and directors navigate the sometimes arduous admission process. Lisa's humor and kindness helps make the process even enjoyable at times! 

Parents feel her warm and caring manner which helps them to relax and better understand the decisions ahead."

Belann Giarretto

Former Executive Director, Pacific Primary 1995-2022 

"Lisa is the epitome of knowledge and caring professionalism in the world of Admissions. She is invested in helping families find the best fit school for their child and values. I’ve often been in awe of just how attentive and responsive Lisa is, giving each family the time that makes them feel seen and heard. I have grown so much as a preschool director in this process of admissions from working in partnership with Lisa. I am both grateful and inspired by Lisa’s dedication to the field of education. She is simply the best at what she does."

Michelle Lawton

Director, Stretch the Imagination

"I have had the pleasure of working with Lisa Aquino for over two decades. Lisa takes great pride in the relationships that she builds with families, children and administrators. Lisa is caring, compassionate and has a wealth of knowledge of the Bay Area school systems. One of the greatest gifts you can give your family is to have Lisa Aquino assist you in navigating your next steps!"

Karla Cianci

Site Director of the Helen Diller Family Preschool, JCCSF

"Lisa is a Sorting Hat. She listens and considers what families want but more importantly, what is best for each child. Her intentionality, humor and intuition paired with her practical experience with the Bay Area schools will give parents confidence they  are in the right hands. Lisa will work tirelessly to assure her clients are in the best school to thrive and shine."

Lonna Corder, M.A. Ed

Director, Playgroup 

"Lisa is one of the most authentic, genuine, and knowledgeable admission directors in the industry. Her depth of experience, coupled with her care for every student and family, makes her a huge asset to any family looking for guidance or any admission professional looking for support." 

Amy Pearson

Director of Admissions & Marketing, Mount Tamalpais School 

"Lisa's dedication to reducing our stress was truly remarkable. She took the time to understand our daughter's unique needs and personality, ensuring that we found the best possible fit for her. Her willingness to listen to us as parents and respond promptly to our concerns made the entire experience smooth and reassuring. We wholeheartedly recommend Lisa to any family navigating the admissions process. Her professionalism, empathy, and responsiveness are unmatched."

N.S.

Parent

"Lisa is an incredible resource for families. She truly shines in guiding them through the admissions process with exceptional support. Working with Lisa is a pleasure, and she is an excellent support system." 

Barbara Figone Hogan 

Director,  Little Gators Preschool  

"Lisa was a tremendous coach, guide, and supporter. As new parents to the independent school system, she helped us navigate the multitude of steps to a very successful outcome. We would highly recommend her to any parent!" 

R.S.

Parent