College Admissions

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!

As a Senior Admissions Consultant at California Ivy Admissions Consultants, I've successfully guided clients into prestigious programs at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and more. My background includes serving on the admissions committee at UCLA, giving me insider insights into what top schools are looking for. Whether you're aiming for college, JD, MBA, or other graduate programs, I'm here to help you craft a standout application. Let's work together to get you into a top school.

I’m an MIT alum (Class of 2014), was also accepted to Harvard, and previously served as an interviewer for MIT undergraduate admissions. Beyond admissions strategy, I understand firsthand the academic intensity, pressure, and identity shifts that come with entering highly competitive environments. As a certified coach (CPCC, ACC) with a background in strategy consulting, I support students not just in presenting themselves authentically during admissions, but also in building confidence, self-awareness, and resilience as they transition into college. My approach helps students not only stand out in the interview but also clarify what motivates them, manage pressure and expectations, and step into the next chapter with intention rather than fear.

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.

With a B.A. in Government from Harvard University and nearly 10 years of international education and admissions experience, I specialize in guiding students to highly competitive colleges. As a former Head Admissions Consultant at Prepstart, I led a team that successfully helped students gain admission to Top 20 schools like MIT, Cornell, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern . At Crimson Education, I perfected the art of personalized strategy. I help students discover their most meaningful stories before crafting compelling applications that have resulted in successful admission to Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, and many others. Having coached over 100 students, I am adept at navigating the admissions process from high school freshman year to college matriculation by creating precise roadmaps for profile development. In addition to domestic students, I have worked with internationals from China, South Korea, South Africa, The UAE, and many others. I understand how to help students stand out within their context. Let's work together to create a standout application that gets you where you want to go.

I've gotten people into Harvard undergrad and into the UCLA MBA. I've lived in Japan for 8 years, been one of MIT's undergraduate interviewers (an "Educational Counselor") for 10, transferred to an Ivy League for undergrad (and was admitted to a lot of other top schools before that), and got into all my grad schools of choice, including my dream one, MIT. I turned down multiple top PhD programs to go do my 2-year Master's there. I've interviewed dozens of students for MIT, both international and domestic, from across the US and across Asia. Not only do I know what you need to be doing with your time (the most important thing) leading up to your application, as well as how to write your essays and how to get those letters of rec, but I know how to prep you for the hardest part: the interview. I even taught in MIT's Oral Communication for Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists class during my time there, where I coached dozens of undergrads multiple times each week in giving presentations, pitches, and down-to-earth technical speaking. To top it all off, at my first job in Japan as a researcher, I also frequently coached my non-native-English-speaking coworkers on giving conference talks, and revised their research submissions (another competitive process). Do you want a mentor who's been around the block, will go the extra mile for you, and yet is somehow still so chill? Whether you're domestic or international, an English or Japanese speaker, doing test prep, college admissions, want to transfer, or are applying to grad school, if you want someone who knows what's up, I got you.

I wasn’t the typical profile for Carnegie Mellon University’s undergraduate class. With a 3.5 GPA and limited extracurricular involvement because I was supporting my mother at home, I assumed top schools were out of reach. What I underestimated was the power of a compelling narrative. Despite my lower GPA, I became a QuestBridge Scholar, earned a full ride to College of William & Mary and significant scholarships from University of Notre Dame and University of Virginia, and was admitted as a Science and Humanities Scholar at Carnegie Mellon University. Since then, I've helped students of different backgrounds get into their dream schools by crafting an application that highlights their strengths and mitigates their weaknesses. Whether you're looking for an extra set of eyes or to start from scratch, I'm happy to help!

As a first-generation college student and graduate of Harvard University, I know firsthand how powerful the right guidance can be. My background as a marketing consultant also means I bring a strong storytelling and strategy lens to every application. Students I’ve worked with have been accepted to their dream schools — from leading private high schools to universities such as Harvard University, Cornell University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Georgetown University. I tailor my approach to each student, helping them discover their voice, shape a powerful narrative, and submit applications they feel proud of. Let's work together to craft a compelling narrative that sets you apart in the competitive college admissions landscape.

I have experience as an admissions interviewer for both Penn and Harvard. I've also spent the past 8 years as a mentor to high-potential high schoolers attempting to get into top 20 undergrad programs. We can work together to identify your safety, target, and reach schools, drafting strong essays that help you stand out to admissions boards. My students have received acceptances to: Brown, Columbia, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania (Penn), University of Washington, Stanford, Smith College, Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt.

I’m qualified to support college applicants because I’ve personally navigated the highly selective admissions process with strong results. I was admitted to over 15 top colleges and Ivy League Institutions, including MIT, Brown, Penn, and Cornell—representing a personal admissions success rate of over 90%. Through this experience, I developed a deep understanding of how top colleges evaluate academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and personal narrative. I now help students apply these same principles to clarify their story, highlight their strengths, and present applications that are authentic, thoughtful, and compelling. What distinguishes my coaching is my focus on storytelling and self-understanding. I help students move beyond resumes and accolades to clearly express their intellectual curiosity, motivation, and personal values. The result is applications that feel authentic, intentional, and aligned—qualities that selective colleges consistently look for.