College Admissions

I’m Becky Song, Founder & Executive Director of The Ivy Journey and a premium college admissions strategist with 15+ years of experience helping students build standout applications for Ivy League, Top 30, UC, and other highly selective universities. My students have earned admission to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Penn/Wharton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Duke, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Michigan, Cornell, and more. I specialize in helping ambitious students move beyond a generic “high-achieving applicant” profile and develop a clear admissions strategy, memorable personal narrative, polished essays, and a school list that fits both their goals and competitive positioning. My approach combines admissions insight, strategic consulting, and deep narrative coaching. I help students identify what makes them distinctive, translate their academic and extracurricular experiences into a cohesive story, and present themselves with clarity, maturity, and authenticity across all elements of their application. I’m especially strong with students targeting Ivy+/Top 30 schools, business or entrepreneurship programs, STEM/business crossover profiles, undecided high-achievers, international students, students who need stronger differentiation, and families who want a structured, high-touch process. If you want a coach who can help you think strategically, write powerfully, and build an application that feels both authentic and competitive, I’d love to work with you.

Welcome to my profile! With a J.D./LL.M. from Duke University School of Law and a B.A. in French and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I bring a strong academic foundation to my role as a college admissions coach. Over the past several years, I've served as Senior Admissions Counselor at AddedEducation, Strategy Consultant at Crimson Education, and Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the Chicago Booth Executive MBA program, roles in which I've successfully guided numerous students and professionals through the complexities of highly competitive application processes. My diverse experience also includes project management and business development, further strengthening my strategic planning, mentorship, and leadership skills. I'm passionate about helping students craft compelling applications that authentically highlight their unique strengths and aspirations. Let's work together to make your college dreams a reality!

With nearly two decades of experience in writing and editing, I specialize in guiding high school seniors through the college application process. As an Admissions Coach at College Essay Builder, I worked closely with students to develop compelling essay ideas and refine drafts into standout final products. My freelance work has helped students gain admission to prestigious institutions such as the BYU, University of Oxford, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Diego State University. I lived in in the multicultural and multiethnic country of Qatar for eight years where language and communication were at the forefront of life. Having coached many students to success, I'm here to help you craft a unique and powerful application. Let's connect and make your college dreams a reality!

I help applicants build targeted college lists, develop authentic personal narratives, and navigate admissions decisions with confidence and clarity. Every applicant receives personalized, strategic guidance grounded in both firsthand and advisory experience navigating competitive admissions. I’ve advised numerous undergraduate applicants both formally through a consulting company and independently. I’ve helped students earn 80+ acceptances to highly selective colleges and universities, including but not limited to Harvard, Penn, and Princeton. I also bring firsthand experience navigating competitive admissions, having personally earned acceptances to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Carnegie Mellon, and Tulane, along with a four-year, full-tuition Army ROTC scholarship, full room-and-board awards, thousands of dollars in national and local merit scholarships, and congressional nominations to the U.S. Air Force and Military Academies. Let’s work together to turn ambition into acceptance!

I have supported students in the college and graduate school admissions process for over fifteen years on the side. It started as a passion project, as I was a first-generation college student of immigrant parents and navigated everything on my own. It evolved to supporting many of my friends’ children and my children’s friends. I understand what it feels like to be lost as a student and want to accompany others in the process. I worked in admissions during my undergraduate years and learned an incredible amount about prospective students and their families. I also have a doctorate from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin for a few years, where I taught a senior-level writing course. At UT, I mentored students, assisted them with graduate school applications, and served on undergraduate scholarship committees, reading hundreds of essays. Over the last five years, I have used that essay reader experience to help many mediocre personal statements become standouts. Most importantly, these experiences uniquely positioned me to support my own three children through their college application process (2020-2026). So much has changed in the last few years! Each of them taught me a tremendous amount – one college athlete who opted to go to a small D3 liberal arts college in the northeast to study finance, one who went to a small school in the south with a full scholarship, and then went through the transfer process to a large state school in Texas to study interior design, and a third who is going to an out-of-state flagship for engineering. Each received significant scholarships, but it wasn’t without a collaboration between me as the admissions consultant and them as the student. Even though I was the in-house expert, I was also mom, so it was not without friction! As a result, my goal is to reduce that friction for other families. I truly love working with students through this discovery process and aim to reduce the anxiety that often accompanies it. I focus on holistic fit of the student with the university's academic opportunities and culture. While I have had an entirely different career in public health, this is what I love to do in my spare time. So much so that I am finishing up a Certificate for College Counseling from UC San Diego.

Pitchman and award-winning writer: I have successfully coached 300+ students in the college admissions process, so I understand the nuances of crafting standout applications for admissions committees. Among other things, I help with essay writing (my specialty), school selection, resume and interview preparation, and overall application strategy. I have an MBA, with a marketing concentration. I also have undergrad and grad degrees in writing, including from Northwestern, and I wrote and edited essays and human-interest stories for news outlets for more than 20 years. In addition, I've taught resume writing and interview prep at two junior colleges and helped students there apply to 4-year universities.

With a decade of experience in university enrollment and visitor experience, I understand what makes a college application stand out. At The University of Texas at Austin, I worked in undergraduate admissions, recruiting students, reading applications, and supporting admissions decisions. My experience at Stanford University and New York University further shaped my understanding of the college experience and the questions students face throughout the process. I also hold a graduate degree in Executive Coaching and Organizational Consulting from NYU and an International Coaching Federation certification. I combine firsthand admissions experience with a supportive, strategic coaching approach to help students articulate their strengths, tell their stories, and build applications that reflect who they are and what they bring to a campus.

Hello and welcome to my profile! With a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Stanford University and an upcoming MBA from Harvard Business School, I bring a wealth of academic experience to my coaching. I applied and was accepted to six business schools, including Stanford's GSB and both US-based and international universities. My professional journey includes roles as a Senior Program Manager at GoogleX (X, the moonshot factory), and Director at Tidal, where I honed my leadership and strategic skills. I've coached several students informally, helping them navigate the competitive college admissions process and secure spots at top institutions. I'm passionate about guiding students to craft compelling applications that highlight their unique strengths. Let's work together to ensure you put your best foot forward!

Welcome to my profile! With over a decade of experience as a College Admissions Consultant, I have successfully guided students to gain admissions into top-tier universities, including Ivy League schools and prestigious programs like BSMD and 7-year Dental programs. My students have celebrated over 50+ Ivy+ acceptances last year alone, with 90% securing a spot in their top five choice schools. As a former advisor at Empowerly and PrepScholar, I have honed my skills in hiring and training consultants, ensuring the highest quality of service. I specialize in providing comprehensive support throughout the admissions process, from college list development to essay editing and mock interviews. Let's work together to make your college dreams a reality! Reach out to start your journey today.

As a former Harvard admissions interviewer and Founder of Ivy League Potential, I have been guiding high school students through the college admissions process since 2011, helping them secure spots at the world's top universities (ivyleaguepotential.com). In addition to college admissions counseling, I have developed a virtual research program where students can work 1:1 with university professors from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and other top colleges. Some students publish their research papers and enter competitions. I have also developed an innovative leadership academy and creativity incubator so students can proactively develop 21st century skills as AI changes the future of education and the workforce. Let's work together to craft a stellar application that highlights your unique strengths and aspirations. Reach out to start your journey to success!