Lisa T.

Lisa Tsou

5.0

(13)

Stanford Alum, Former Interviewer | College Essay Expert | 50+ Ivy+ Accepts

Stanford University Logo

Studied at Stanford University

The Winning Pitch Logo

Works at The Winning Pitch

Successful clients at

+12

Available tomorrow at 5:30 PM UTC

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Lisa's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $199/hr

Get help with Essays, Secondary Review, and .

Lisa’s College Qualifications

Coaches professionally

150+ people coached for College

Lisa has helped clients get into these schools:

Greetings! My name is Lisa, and I am here to help you craft the most compelling college essays and application package possible so you can achieve your college admissions goals. As a Stanford alum and former interviewer for Stanford, I have literally read the book on what these admissions committee look for and value. I have sat across the table from dozens of students, evaluating them as candidates for admission so I know what makes an application stand out from the crowd and shine! My comprehensive approach to college admissions combines helping students write college essays that stand out to college admissions offices and preparing a college application package that they can’t forget. In addition to college admissions success, my students come away from the process with a new understanding of who they are, what they want from their education, and their long-term goals for the future. Many have even told me they enjoyed writing their college essays! :) I have been blessed to work with so many amazing students! My students have gained admission to a wide array of schools including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, The University of Pennsylvania, Duke, Carnegie-Mellon, all of the UC campuses including UCLA and UC Berkeley, The University of Virginia, The University of Michigan, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of Southern California, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Notre Dame. My students have also received full merit scholarships to schools including Washington University in St. Louis, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, and the University of Southern California. I am an alum of Stanford University (B.A.), Columbia University (J.D.), and the University of Southern California (M.B.A.). I love working with students and their families so please reach out to schedule a free consultation! More About Me After graduating from Stanford (B.A. in English and Economics) and Columbia (J.D.), I spent most of my career in Wall Street finance, working with startups to raise the money they needed to realize their vision. What this really involved was spending hours with founders, teasing out their story, building out the narrative, and strategizing how to present it all in the way that most would appeal to investors and get them to write a large check. And I was terrific at it! Because of my storytelling expertise, I have been featured in such diverse publications as “The Huffington Post,” "Entrepreneur," "Inc.com,","Fortune," and "Business Rockstars," and my startup alumnae have raised over $100 million. I now leverage those same storytelling skills to work with high school students to present their best versions of themselves in their college essays. Moreover, because I have spent years as an alum interviewer for Stanford and have interviewed dozens of candidates, I can help you identify the qualities you have that will most appeal to a college admissions committee and help you bring those out in your essay.

Lisa can help with:

Essays

Secondary Review

Application Strategy

Interviews

Editing

View all of Lisa’s categories

About Lisa

Hi, I’m Lisa! And I am a storyteller who provides independent strategy, solutions, and coaching for students, entrepreneurs, and startups so they can reach their goals. I believe deeply that authentic storytelling combined with thoughtful strategy and excellence in execution leads to amazing outcomes! I received my undergraduate degrees in Quantitative Economics and English from Stanford, my J.D. from Columbia Law School, and my MBA from the University of Southern California (USC). During a long career in finance on Wall Street, I became passionate about helping founders bridge the gaps needed to get their innovative ventures off the ground. I started mentoring and coaching startups with a number of organizations that including Techstars, CTIP and the Greif Center at USC. For seven years, I ran the coaching program at Women Founders Network, an accelerator that connects women building high-growth businesses with the tools and resources they need to achieve business success. Since 2013, WFN alumnae have raised over $100 million in funding. If I look familiar, it may be because I speak regularly on issues related to startups, tech and women in business and have appeared in publications including The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Inc.com, Fortune, CNBC, StartupNation, Women 2.0, and GenHERation. Whether you are a startup on the track for traditional venture-capital financing or a student crafting a compelling application for their dream school, I can collaborate with you to develop and implement a creative and practical strategy for success!

Why do I coach?

Early on, I struggled with figuring out my path. Even though I was good at achieving things, they weren’t getting me to what I wanted, and I often felt like I was just spinning my wheels and just getting exhausted in the process. I knew I was missing things, but I didn’t know what they were, and it was frustrating! In time, I connected with mentors and coaches who helped me understand my purpose, clarify my goals, and start mapping ways to get there. With their invaluable guidance and unwavering support, I’ve been able to accomplish things I never knew were even possible. Now, helping others find that magical combination of strategy and purpose, giving them the tools to reach their goals, and supporting them on every step of the journey is the most rewarding work that I do. I’ve seen the difference that a coach and mentor can make in a person’s life. Let me be that person for you.

Work Experience

Aces College Essay Coaching Logo

Educational Advisor

Aces College Essay Coaching

July 2023 - Present

I work with students to help write college essays that stand out to college admissions offices and prepare a college application package that they can’t forget.

"Untold Silicon Valley" Logo

Podcast Host & Producer

"Untold Silicon Valley"

June 2022 - Present

During the pandemic, I created “Untold Silicon Valley,” the podcast dedicated to exploring the forgotten and-almost-forgotten histories from Silicon Valley’s first decades with one part history, one part storytelling, and a pinch of snark. "Untold Silicon Valley" is the story of brilliant founders, forward-thinking innovators and the groundbreaking technology that has changed all of our lives. It’s also the story of seismic shifts in American culture in how we view work and business: why we work, how we work, who we work with and who we work for (if anyone!). It’s also a story of changing technology and innovation, the beginning of what we now call “venture capital”, the development of organizational culture, and successful (and in some cases, very unsuccessful) leadership. Available now on Apple Podcasts. More information is available at UntoldSiliconValley.com. Tech Savy, Growth Strategies and +2 skills

Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP) Logo

Entrepreneur in Residence

Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP)

December 2019 - Present

I advise the brainy and exciting innovators at CTIP on a range of issues including from getting their businesses off the ground to business planning and growing those initial businesses, and seeking outside funding. CTIP services the Southern California community by helping innovators understand pediatric commercialization challenges early in the process and to identify viable paths to market through innovative business models and collaboration. Tech Savy, Fundraising and +5 skills

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Mentor

Techstars

September 2016 - Present

I mentor the portfolio companies at Techstars in Los Angeles as they as preparing for their Demo Day for investors. Techstars is a Worldwide Network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Techstars was founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2006 by David Cohen, Brad Feld, David Brown, and Jared Polis. Tech Savy, Fundraising and +5 skills

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Founder | Startup Funding Strategist

The Winning Pitch

June 2012 - Present

I advise and coach early-stage entrepreneurs on how to perfect their pitches and get the funding they need to succeed. I guide founders on how to demonstrate the viability of their businesses, intelligence and passion to investors, by developing and refining their messaging, content and delivery. I also provide my clients with high level growth strategy and business planning as they move to take their businesses to a higher-level. Tech Savy, Fundraising and +6 skills

Education

University of Southern California Logo

University of Southern California

MBA, Business

2010 - 2012

Columbia Law School Logo

Columbia Law School

Juris Doctorate, Law

1994 - 1997

Stanford University Logo

Stanford University

Bachelor's Degree, Economics

1990 - 1994

Stanford University Logo

Stanford University

Bachelor's Degree, English

1990 - 1994

13 Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0


Lisa has helped clients get into these schools:

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Lisa T.

Lisa T.

5.0

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