Our Philosophy
In line with the holistic review in U.S. college admissions, we are committed to fostering students’ holistic development. We have successfully innovated a comprehensive and systematic counseling curriculum that embodies the three pillars of our educational philosophy: academic progress, career exploration, and personal growth.
We are not helping students just look better on college applications, but actually become better persons. On the road to great colleges, we guide them to develop a sense of self and find meaning in life. We see the process as a journey of self-discovery and fulfillment. At the end of the journey, students grow wiser, deeper, and stronger. We feel honored to be part of this exciting transformation.
Private Counseling Programs
①
Grades 8-11
High School Planning Q&A Hourly Counseling
②
Grades 10-11
High School Comprehensive Counseling
③
Starting from
Grade 11 Spring
College Admission Comprehensive Counseling
(8 Application Packages)
④
Grades 12
Dream School Application Package Review
① High School Planning Q&A Hourly Counseling
Grades 8-11
Due to capacity, we might not have room for every student interested in our High School Planning Comprehensive Counseling Program. However, through hourly counseling sessions, we would like to share with more families our years of experience in making long-term academic and extracurricular plans.
*IMPORTANT* This program is now closed as we head into the busy application season. Please check back in early 2024.
(1) Regular Hourly Session (Grades 8-9), $300/session
This meeting is designed to help students make the first successful step on their road to college. We will guide students to holistically understand the expectations of college admissions, form long-term goals, and make important academic and extracurricular decisions at the early stage of their high school career.
Please collect all your questions and follow the instructions to arrange a session.
(2) High School Course Planning Session (Grade 8-11), $350/session
We will guide the family to make a four-year high school course plan and answer all kinds of questions about course selection.
Please collect all your questions and follow the instructions to arrange a session.
** 8th graders who are required to select high school courses are welcome to contact us before high school.
(3) Admissions Profile Booster Session (Grades 10-11), $400/session
This session is open to sophomores and juniors (and advanced freshmen) who have accumulated some experience and are wondering about the next steps in preparation for applying to selective colleges.
We will provide an in-depth assessment of and expert advice on all the elements in the student’s academic and extracurricular life that will be factored in during the college admissions process. During the meeting, we will help the student form a holistic picture of his/her current situation, understand his/her strengths, tease out important themes in non/academic investments, set priorities among myriad tasks, build a compelling personal brand, and eventually stand out in even the most competitive applicant pool.
Please collect all your questions and follow the instructions to arrange a session.
§§ The hourly counseling session does not include progress follow-up, summer program/internship application guidance, college list development, and other tasks that require our post-meeting investment.
¶¶ We highly encourage students to contact us at least 5 business days to arrange a counseling session as we might get too busy during the spring course selection season and fall college application season to accommodate all the requests.
② High School Planning Comprehensive Counseling
Grades 10-11
We offer individualized mentorship to effectively address each student’s different needs. Below is a list of popular tasks through which we guide students to develop their full potential and position them competitively in the college admission process:
• High school course selection
• Summer camp application
• Volunteer activity selection
• College major exploration
• Personal passion project
• Time management strategy
• Reading plan development
• Standardized testing plan
• Work experience
• Research experience
• Talent development
• Future career discovery
• High school resume/cover letter writing
• College visit planning
• Recommendation letter preparation
③ College Admission Comprehensive Counseling (8 Application Pakages)
Starting from Grade 11 Spring
We guide students every step of the way in applying to great colleges that best fit their long-term personal and professional growth. Our guidance covers all aspects of college admissions including:
• Reviewing the student’s academic and extracurricular profile
• Branding the student uniquely among millions of applicants
• Developing and executing an individualized application timeline
• Identifying possible majors and careers
• Securing strong reference letters
• Creating a clear and concise college resume
• Identifying college selection criteria and developing a personalized college list
• Crafting exceptional college essays from brainstorming to drafting to revising to editing and proofreading.
• Applying to scholarships
• Preparing for college interviews
• Reviewing offer letters and making the final decision
• Promoting a successful transition to college
④ Dream School Application Package Hourly Review
Grade 12th
Due to capacity, we might not have room for every student interested in our College Admissions Comprehensive Counseling Program. However, we would like to share with more students our years of experience in college admissions, especially in applying to highly selective colleges, by thoroughly reviewing and critiquing their applications to dream schools.
• One-Time Review Fee per Application: $500. (Multiple reviews will incur additional fees commensurate with further time and intellectual investment.)
The student will be contacted to schedule an online review within 5 business days before October 1st. We highly encourage the student to contact us as early as possible. The 5 business day turnaround is not guaranteed between October and December as we will prioritize the needs of the students in our comprehensive counseling program.
The meeting lasts about an hour and is highly intense. We expect the student to get ready to absorb a large amount of information and advice.
• Documents Needed for a Thorough Review
1. All the essays and short-answer responses saved in one Microsoft Word document.
2. All other parts of the application saved through the application system as one PDF.
3. Unofficial 4-year high school transcript.
Please complete the Dream School Application Review Form to arrange a review.
* This program best fits students with solid to excellent writing skills applying to highly selective colleges as our review focuses on personal branding, application strategies, essay topics/themes/foci, and writing styles rather than on technical issues such as grammar. Students are expected to improve their application materials on their own after the meeting.
** We highly encourage students to contact us at least one month before the deadline as we might get too busy close to the deadline to accommodate all the requests and guarantee the 5 business day turnaround. Students will also need enough time to fully incorporate our suggestions into their applications.
*** Please make sure to submit a polished application package rather than a rough draft as this program is NOT designed for students who have just started the process.