College Admissions

With a strong academic background in cognitive science from Johns Hopkins University and a medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, I bring a unique perspective to college admissions coaching. As a coach, I have guided many high school students in crafting compelling college applications that stand out, from every step in the process. My experience as a former MD Admissions Reviewer and Pre-Health Advisor has equipped me with the skills to help students present their best selves to admissions committees. I am passionate about helping you achieve your college dreams. Let's work together to make your application memorable and successful!

Hello and welcome to my profile! With a strong foundation in business and marketing from Columbia Business School and George Washington University, I bring a wealth of experience in strategic planning and execution to college admissions coaching. In the past I have worked with Student from the Urban League of San Diego to help map out an SAT study plan and application timeline. Whether you need guidance on personal statements, extracurriculars, or interview preparation, I'm here to help you stand out in the competitive college admissions landscape. Let's connect and create a personalized strategy to achieve your academic goals!

I'm glad you're here! With over 18 years of experience as a college counselor, I've guided 600+ students to success in their college admissions journeys with hundreds of acceptances to elite colleges. My career began at Hunter College High School in NYC, where I helped students achieve their dreams of attending top-tier universities. I was instrumental in founding the college counseling program at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, leading to exceptional college acceptances. As a professional college admissions interviewer and a contributing writer for admissions platforms, I possess the knowledge and experience to help you craft an exceptional application that showcases your strengths and ultimately leads to you being the one chosen among all the others. My international experience includes leading the college counseling department at elite international schools in Tokyo (IB) and Shanghai (IB/AP), where I supported students from diverse backgrounds while exploring the world. Three years ago, I pivoted to private practice to support students in this process, taking on only a handful of clients each year. Let's work together to showcase your strengths and navigate the college admissions process with ease and confidence!

Hello and Welcome! With over a decade of experience in college admissions, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you navigate the competitive landscape of higher education. As the founder of Trieu Consulting, LLC, I've guided hundreds of students, achieving an 80% success rate in securing admissions to top 30 U.S. colleges. My approach is personalized and tailored, focusing on highlighting your unique attributes to make your application stand out. Previously, I served on the admissions committee at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, and UC Berkeley, where I reviewed applications and interviewed candidates, giving me firsthand insight into what top institutions are looking for. Let's work together to craft an application that truly reflects who you are and opens doors to your dream school. Reach out to start your journey!

You have a story worth sharing—I am here to help you tell it. As a successful former collegiate applicant, accepted into multiple Ivies, securing various merit-based scholarships, and attending WashU on a full-tuition scholarship, I bring a unique perspective to the college admissions process. My academic and professional journey has equipped me with a deep understanding of what top programs seek in applicants. I have successfully coached multiple individuals and have sat on professional panels, helping students craft compelling applications to best highlight their strengths and communicate their unique story. Whether you need guidance on personal statements, recommendation letters, interview preparation, or anything else, I am here to personally help you navigate your path to achieving a place in your dream program. I am excited to work with you!

I’m a seasoned college admissions coach with experience across elite admissions, competitive high schools, and high-growth business leadership. I attended a top 10 liberal arts college (Claremont McKenna) on a merit scholarship and was accepted into over a dozen universities (including Pomona, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury, Bowdoin, WashU, USC). I've spent time working in college admissions, serving as an admissions interviewer and leading the campus tour guide program. Since graduating, I’ve built a decade-long career in strategy and business operations, including serving as VP of Strategy & Analytics at AllTrails. Most recently, I’ve returned to education as a high school educator, bringing together my lifelong love for learning, mentorship, and student development. My strength lies in balancing worlds: connecting with high school students and understanding the pressure they face, knowing firsthand what selective colleges are looking for, and offering real-world perspective from a successful career beyond college. As a former college athlete, I also love working with student-athletes navigating the admissions process. Unless you’re a top-tier D1 recruit, getting recruited takes real initiative - building the right list, crafting outreach, showcasing your strengths, and balancing athletics with a strong application. I’ve been through that process myself and have helped others do the same. successfully I know how to guide student-athletes through it with intention and strategy. As a coach, I can help with reflective school list strategy, application storytelling, essay development, extracurricular preparation, athlete recruiting, and interview prep. I bring both empathy and strategic rigor to the process, and I love helping students discover and tell the story only they can. Looking forward to connecting and building a tailored plan for your college journey!

I achieved the highest possible level of scholarship (Presidential Scholarship, "Thomas S. Monson Scholar") coming into undergraduate study at Brigham Young University (BYU), awarded to only 50 students in each incoming class of 7000+ students. I've since helped students of many backgrounds successfully apply to BYU, including international students.

Seasoned college counselor with 10 years of experience mentoring dedicated students to gain entry into elite undergraduate programs that truly match their personalities, values, and goals. In the last five years, my students have gained admission to Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, U Penn, U Chicago, Dartmouth, Brown, Rice, Duke, Vanderbilt, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Washington University in St. Louis, Amherst, Bowdoin, Wellesley, Pomona, Middlebury, UVA, UNC, UT Austin, U Michigan, U Washington, NYU, USC, and many other highly selective colleges. I'm proud to have cultivated the industry acumen and 1-1 mentorship skills to guide students with diverse interests and personalities to pursue successful application strategies for top-choice colleges, particularly in the early admissions rounds. For the Class of 2023 alone, my students had a 100% acceptance rate in the early admission round and will be attending Stanford, U Chicago, Brown, Vanderbilt, and Washington University in St. Louis (among others). I've worked hard to refine my coaching methods to achieve such success. Having studied screenwriting at Middlebury College, I relish helping students craft compelling application stories that communicate their identities, showcase their passions, and crystalize their visions. My comprehensive guidance through extracurricular and personal development enables my students to stay authentic and confident — and it achieves results. I'm proud to have worked effectively with students with a diverse range of intellectual, social, and personal interests. I seek to help each student elevate their genuine passions on their own terms, developing not only their intrinsic motivation, but their productivity and vision for the future. I have been blessed to guide and learn from more than a hundred top students interested in STEM and engineering, business or economics, or humanities, arts, and social sciences. I am confident that I can help any teenager explore their future pathways while capitalizing on their present opportunities to craft the most compelling application package possible.

I was the first in my family to go to college in the United States. I know what it's like to navigate a system with no roadmap — and I know what it takes to stand out. Since then, I've read over 600 personal essays and life stories through my mentorship program and coaching work. I've helped students articulate what makes them unique — not what they think admissions wants to hear. My clients have gone on to land roles at Big Tech, the White House, and top startups. I was Instagram's first hire in Latin America and built my career by learning to tell stories that cut through noise. I bring that same approach to your essays and interviews: find the authentic and cutting-edge story, then make it impossible to ignore.

I've spent the last 16+ years helping ambitious students get into the country's most competitive colleges, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, MIT, UChicago, NYU, and UCLA. Across 300+ college applicants, 95% have been admitted to at least one of their top-choice schools, and over 75% have placed at Top 25 universities. I work best with students who are coachable, motivated, and ready to put in real work - students who arrive with strong but scattered material and need help putting it all together. That's where I add the most value: helping students find a clear narrative across their application, build a school list that's strategic (not aspirational), and write essays that actually sound like them. The goal is applications that feel inevitable instead of cobbled together. I work with students from freshman through junior year, with tailored support depending on where they are in the process: early profile-building and direction in 9th and 10th grade, strategic execution in 11th, and full application support heading into senior year. The earlier we start, the more leverage we have. I graduated from NYU and earned my MBA from Columbia Business School in 2020, which gives me a current, first-hand perspective on what selective US adcoms are actually looking for. My career started in test prep and admissions consulting in Singapore, where I helped expand the company I worked for into Shanghai before returning to New York to found my own practice. I work with both US-based students and international applicants navigating the US system for the first time, particularly the kinds of students who often have the strongest stories but the hardest time articulating them. If you want a structured, strategic partner for your college process, let's talk.