Testimonials
Lida, we want to thank you so much for your help with Eric. Your knowledge of our metro Atlanta middle school opportunities was extensive, contacts at these schools invaluable, and when applied to your personal evaluation of Eric, we got the best possible fit. Eric loves everything about Galloway and has never been happier at school. Thanks again for all your help.
— Parents of Middle School Student
Working with Lida was a joy! She was there for both our girls for all aspects of the college process, from testing to applying to making those final decisions. She recognized that they were very different people, with very different needs and expectations, and she tailored her approach to each of them. Anytime they needed to see her, she was available for them, and the schools she helped them choose were the perfect fit. They not only got accepted to virtually every school to which they applied, they were offered substantial merit aid. Without Lida, we never would have been able to do all this, and make it so enjoyable, too!
— Parent of College Students
Mrs. Griest is fun to work with! The college process is notoriously stressful but I always leave her office more relaxed and at ease after a productive session.
— High School Student
Lida has been an invaluable resource and mentor to my two children during their respective college searches. Not only has she assisted in the thorough evaluation of school and career choices for my daughter and son, but she has gone above and beyond the call of duty by learning their interests, researching the towns and cities in which college choices are located, and taking into account their unique needs. When my daughter fell ill her freshman year of college and had to withdraw temporarily, Lida visited her in the hospital and is now helping to coordinate her summer school placement and eventual return to college. My son is an athlete, and Lida has been hugely helpful in finding suitable recruitment opportunities for him. It is this personal investment in her clients that makes Lida a remarkable college counselor. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her!
— Parent of College Students
Lida was an integral part of the college-selection process for our daughter. She took the time to get to know our daughter’s personality and strengths and was thus able to give her excellent feedback and recommendations for her college selection journey.
We were mentally prepared for the college-selection process to be grueling, but Lida made it a pleasant adventure. She truly became an important part of our family during the year and half before graduation. We are delighted that, with Lida’s guidance, our daughter is happily ensconced in her first-choice university.
Lida is not only professional and in touch with the myriad of college/university choices out there, but she’s a delight to work with, too. We were so pleased with Lida’s role in our oldest daughter’s college selection process that we decided to keep Lida ‘on-board’ to help our younger daughter through this journey, too.
— Parents of a College Student
When we were considering private schools for 6th grade, we did not know where to begin. We had an Atlanta Magazine issue on private schools and suggestions from friends and neighbors, but we were pretty clueless about the private school market. A friend of mine recommended that we meet with Lida Griest. How fortunate for us that we listened to my friend’s advice!
In our first meeting, Lida and I talked about my son — his interests, his goals, his friends, and his academic record. We talked about the private school options in the Atlanta area, and Lida described the strengths and weaknesses of each school with respect to our son’s educational experience. It was clear that Lida had in-depth and personal knowledge of the private school market, and that she was committed to finding the right fit for our son. My son came to our second meeting, and Lida put him right at ease as she got to know him better. We narrowed down our choices to four schools. Lida walked us through the private school application process, and she was helpful at every stage. When the acceptance letters arrived (my son was accepted to three out of the four schools), I couldn’t wait to give Lida the good news. My son is now in 8th grade, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the school we selected.
When it was time to apply our younger son to private school, we did not hesitate to call Lida again. Lida really listened to my son as he shared his social and academic interests. She recommended some different schools that would best suit him. Once again, Lida’s advice was right on target. He loves his new school! He tells us all the time that Lida picked the perfect school for him. What more could we ask for?
I recommend Lida to all of my friends who need help selecting private schools or colleges for their children. I have never heard anything but stellar feedback. Wading through the private school selection and application process can be daunting. Lida held our hand every step of the way and was there to celebrate with us at the finish line. I could not be more pleased with our school choices, or with our decision to enlist Lida’s help.
— Parent of Middle School Students
When we began preparing to look at schools to consider for our son Ian, we started early — even visiting the parent sessions at a number of local private schools the year before we would be applying. It became quickly evident that there was a great deal to consider, and that we would want to narrow down our choices before applying. I was mentioning all of this to a friend who recommended we talk to Lida, after a friend of theirs had worked with her.
The thought of having someone help us felt a bit unnecessary — after all, we were competent adults. But knowing that we did not have any contacts at these Atlanta schools, having grown up in other states ourselves, we thought it could not hurt. We have never been so right.
Lida met with us first, before meeting Ian, to see what our priorities as a family were – to see what type of environment would be a good fit based on her experience. We walked through our backgrounds and she helped us understand the timetable we would want to follow as far as tours, testing and interviews were concerned. She also gave us the invaluable recommendation of an SSAT tutor to work with, so that Ian was as prepared as possible. Like any parents, we wanted to be sure that we were doing all we could ensure a successful outcome for our child.
Lida really took the time to get to know us, and Ian — her instincts on what was going to be a good match were incredible. Ian had the opportunity to talk to Lida at length, and based on those discussions she helped us understand how to prepare him for the interviews that would occur with the schools as part of the application process. She had the confidence in us to introduce us to some of her contacts within the private school communities that we were then able to meet with, and form our own relationships.
We ended up being accepted to the school that had been our top choice and we could not be happier. Ian is thriving and never missed a beat in a transition that could have been one of the most daunting of his school career. He already has met a great group of friends and is whole-heartedly enjoying things. We feel very fortunate and believe that the help that Lida gave us, prepared us to be as successful as we could have been.