My Background

My Personal Experience

I remember how scary the college admissions process was for me. For years, I had been surrounded with the family & family-friend-instigated anticipation of “What school are you going to go to? Have you started apps yet? Did you get accepted yet?” Suffice to say, the pressure of getting into and choosing a school for 4 years, that seemingly dictates the trajectory of your life….is a lot for a 17 year-old.

I now realize that it doesn’t have to be this way. After having experienced both the collegiate and professional world, I realize that the process isn’t scary at all - in fact, we are given the choice of making decisions, which allows us to push ourselves closer to being who we truly want to be! While I wish I had this same perspective back then, I now hope to translate this to current college students. The admissions process is an opportunity rather than a barrier, and I want to be here to help you make the most of your opportunity.

Starting the Path

I realized that this was something I wanted to do (and could do successfully) by nature of me being interested in helping others craft their life stories. I have supported family and friends who have been looking to go into Masters programs or pursue some sort of further education without feeling like they had a strong story. The truth is - they all did have a strong story, they just didn’t yet know how to verbalize it.

One of my strengths is the ability to channel in each person their “story” and dig deeper into “why” they want to do the things they say they do. These skills, which are similar to life coaching, apply effectively to creating a compelling essay for admissions officers, and for yourself, as it captures your true story. Through this process, I have helped family and friends in their admissions journey to their target schools.

Finding Your Story

“I want to study computer science but I really don’t know why - and I’m having a hard time even thinking of an essay that explains why.”

This is the type of question that I can help dig into - because odds are - you do have a very good reason for why you intuitively want to study computer science - you just need to dig beneath the soil to find the answer. I will give you the shovel to dig.

How My Services Are Differentiated

Affordability. Traditional college admissions services charge steep prices for their services and often require purchases in bundles. I provide my students the option to pick what they want a-la-carte, so you do not have to commit to a large package. This way, you can use me only when you need to - and you are free to explore other options if you don’t think it’s the best fit.

Visioning. Everyone has a story. For those who would prefer it, I will spend time with you to uncover what your story is - why are you looking to go to college, why do you want to pursue your selected majors, what are your priorities in a college, what types of studies are you interested in, etc. It is fine even if you do not know the answers to the above - I will take an approach that will help you think through this and subsequently write a more effective essay. Thus, our process will be more holistic and ensure we write an essay that is true to yourself.

Relatability. As someone who went through the undergraduate admissions process and a secondary process to get into my business program, I am well-acquainted with the process. Many other services’ counselors are far removed from the admissions experience and have a hard time empathizing with the student’s struggles and overall journey. I will work with you to understand your point of view as a student and put your needs first. If at any point, our approach doesn’t feel like it’s working for you, let me know - and we’ll find find a way to customize your experience.

Methodological Approach. As a management consultant, I have developed a depth of experience both in visioning and communications. A key part of my work involves creating project frameworks that ensure successful project execution. I take a similar approach to the admissions process - I think it should be intentional and guided, rather than arbitrary. I will guide you through a clear approach that, if followed, should result in a compelling personal statement in the end. Furthermore, I leverage my experience in putting together client-ready communications to recommend how you can strengthen your language in a compelling manner.

Commitment to you. As my commitment to you, I am limiting my quota for the 2023-2024 cycle to 5 students. I understand that college application times are stressful, and having someone available to help you is important. I will do so by not focusing on the quantity of my clients, but providing quality service.

Services Offered

Visioning

Essay Development

Decision-Making Consulting

~5 hours

✔️ Visioning workshop - digging deeper into the question - “What types of things do you like and not like?”

✔️ Personality trait assessment

✔️ Two unbiased 1:1 talk / counseling sessions

~30 hours

✔️ Brainstorming workshop - uncovering your story

✔️ Review potential essay structures to leverage

✔️ 1:1 guidance and suggestions throughout your essay writing process (the bulk of our time)

~5 Hours

✔️ 1:1 Life coaching - digging deeper into the questions - “What do I want to do and what options make the most sense for me? What are my objectives in college?”

✔️ Rubric for weighting your decision-making factors

✔️ Your intended college major / minor (if unsure or need to prioritize for applications)

✔️ Your priorities in decision-making (i.e., “How should I decide which college/s I should even apply to?”)

✔️ Your personal statements (common app, UC app, college-specific apps)

✔️ “Where should I go?” (note: I will not give you the “answer” as there is no right answer - but I will probe you to arrive at this answer for yourself. This is the best way to go about it and will make you feel confident in your decision :))

(*note: this is a proposed structure, and we can adjust this as needed based on what is most effective for you!)