Customized Admissions Counseling for Hong Kong Students: Boost Your Chances of College Success

Jay completed his Bachelor’s degree from Duke University on a full merit-based scholarship. He also holds a Master’s and PhD from the University of Oxford, completing the latter on a Rhodes Scholarship. During his time at Duke, Jay served as an Alumni Interviewer and the lead student organizer of Duke's undergraduate merit-based scholarship selection process. Jay has over 10 years of experience coaching students applying to college. He also has extensive experience coaching students applying to graduate school with a particular focus on prestigious post-graduate scholarships and fellowships such as the Truman, Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell programs.

Jay is passionate about helping students unlock their full potential during this formative and challenging transition to college. He firmly believes in instilling habits of self-reflection and curiosity, ensuring students are prepared for success in all their future endeavors.

As a coach, Jay excels in helping students identify their strengths and transform them into a compelling narrative that enhances their college applications and fosters critical reflection and self-discovery. He possesses a unique ability to see the big picture while paying attention to intricate details. With a strong background in writing and editing, Jay has published multiple academic articles and contributed to public-facing writing in venues such as The New York Times.

Throughout his coaching career, Jay has witnessed the transformative power of reflection and narrative creation in students' application journeys. He firmly believes that writing goes beyond merely transmitting beliefs; it is a bidirectional process that shapes convictions and inspires introspection. He values maintaining a warm and approachable personality and believes in combining high standards with unwavering support when working with students.

Jay looks forward to collaborating with applicants and their families, providing guidance and expertise as they embark on the college application process. Over the past decade, Jay has successfully coached numerous college applicants, facilitating their acceptances into renowned institutions such as Oxford University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, and the University of Virginia.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Jay enjoys leisurely walks with his beloved St. Bernard, Betty, exploring new parks, experimenting with new recipes, and indulging in reading and writing.

Brittney earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at UC Berkeley and a Master's in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has extensive experience in higher education, having served on the Academic Affairs Committee at Harvard University and worked at the Student Learning Center, coaching students in writing and research methods at UC Berkeley. Brittney also worked at the Transfer Center at UC Berkeley, which gave her an in-depth insight into what schools look for in transfer candidates.

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Having coached dozens of candidates over the last few years, Brittney is a specialist in selective school admissions. Her greatest strengths as a coach are helping candidates identify their strengths and effectively communicate their story as a cohesive narrative across all aspects of their application. Brittney loves helping candidates draw upon their life experiences to find a compelling, authentic story that brings out the best in them.

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Brittney has been formally trained in coaching and facilitation and, as a Quad counselor, brings the art of appreciative inquiry to helping students shine from within. Students that Brittney has coached have gotten into several top schools, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. Brittney also enjoys helping students build storytelling, writing, and organization skills through the application process to help them succeed in the future.

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In her free time, Brittney enjoys cooking, salsa dancing, and hiking with her rescue dog Odi.

Alec has a Bachelor’s degree in both Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Asian Studies from Rice University and an MBA from Stanford University. He has several years of experience helping college candidates get into their dream schools.

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As a coach, Alec enjoys helping others find confidence and pride in what sets them apart. Essentially, he loves to see students embark on journeys to further cultivate their individuality. His greatest strength when working with Quad applicants is his ability to help them find their confidence and voice. Alec understands the difficulty in articulating the “why” behind your experiences and decisions when applying to college. He prides himself on his ability to help students dig deep so they can determine the motivations behind their choices, whether it's their reason for pursuing an activity, a school, or a program.

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Students Alec has recently coached have gotten accepted into UC Berkeley, Yale University, Princeton University, MIT, Stanford University, Washington University St. Louis, Rice University, and Vanderbilt University.

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In Alec’s free time, he enjoys taking courses online, making up games, and solving computer science problems.

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Alec’s Pro Tip?

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Students do better in the interview when they answer extemporaneously from the heart rather than when they memorize what "should be said".

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Josef has a Bachelor's degree from Harvard University and has almost a decade of experience as an admissions coach, reviewing hundreds of applications. Josef's involvement in higher education admissions allows him to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry's latest changes and trends. One of his most significant learnings is the difference between an on-the-fence application and an accepted application: proving passion without actually using the word "passion."

Josef's journey to coaching began while tutoring his younger sister and mentoring students while he was in middle school. He has implemented coaching strategies from his state- and nationally-recognized football coaches over the years, some of whom are now coaching on the collegiate (NCAA) and professional levels (NFL). Josef is very competitive by nature, likely from 12 years of playing football and competing for a national championship senior year of high school! He loves the challenge of helping Quad applicants get into the best (and best-fit) programs and schools in alignment with their goals for how they envision themselves making a positive impact on the world. 

Josef is passionate about coaching Quad applicants and places significant importance on bringing his best version to coaching sessions. Similarly, he strives to push applicants to put their best selves forward when crafting their applications and essays. Josef's greatest strength as a coach is helping students find the intersection between their passions and talents. Josef enjoys forming strong bonds and deep connections with Quad applicants, creating a safe and comfortable space for them to share their narratives. It is in the depths of some of Josef's students' dearest hobbies that he's found some of the most endearing stories around which to craft their narratives and establish their unique differentiators. 

Students Josef has recently coached have gotten accepted at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Brown University, UPenn, Cornell University, Stanford University, and MIT.

When Josef isn’t coaching, he enjoys writing screenplays for movies and TV pilot scripts for shows. He also likes making music, doing karaoke, and exercising.

Josef's Pro Tip?

Those who are the best at what they do are constantly driven by pure passion for doing whatever it takes to be their best. Finding that balance between talent and passion is thus pivotal in paving the way for optimal quality of life in college and beyond.

Thomas has a Bachelor’s degree from New York University Abu Dhabi and a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford. While at NYU, Thomas served on the admissions committee as an Interviewer. This experience taught him about the interplay between test scores and GPA, personal narrative, and being the right fit for a school. Overall, a personal narrative that fits with a school and adds flavor can make a big difference.

 Thomas is passionate about coaching college applicants and finds it rewarding to help students achieve their dreams. He enjoys helping students show their best selves to colleges and helping them confidently start their adult lives. He understands the importance of the application process and believes that a helping hand can make all the difference. 

As a coach, Thomas excels at editing and helping applicants showcase their best qualities in their essays and resumes. He has an eye for what makes candidates stand out and how to best position themselves amongst their cohort pool in the application process. He is also flexible and happy to set a framework to help structure and organize the application process. Thomas sees the application process as a team effort and is invested in each student’s success.

Thomas has helped candidates gain acceptance to several prestigious universities, including Harvard, Georgetown, Tufts, NYU, Oxford, and Cambridge.

In his spare time, Thomas enjoys listening to podcasts, doing Crossfit, traveling, and cooking.

Tori has a Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a Master's from Yale University. She is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Cambridge. Over the past three years, Tori has helped numerous students with their college applications, allowing them to secure acceptances to the country's top colleges. 

Tori understands that the higher education system can overwhelm students and families. Her passion for coaching stems from her desire to pay it forward by helping younger students achieve their dreams. She finds it personally rewarding and fulfilling to connect with students one-on-one and to support them along this often stressful journey. 

As a coach, Tori's greatest strengths include being a great listener, flexible, and compassionate. Tori is a great listener. Additionally, she can easily extrapolate winning themes to tie together a student's college application. Tori is skilled at taking a student's perceived weakness and working on it together to turn it into a favorable narrative. She loves connecting with students and getting to know them personally to help them craft individualized narratives. 

Tori's coaching philosophy is centered around a peer-to-peer approach that respects and empowers her students. While offering guidance, she expects self-motivation from her students, fostering a collaborative and empowering atmosphere. Tori meticulously plans each engagement with students to ensure they gain maximum value from their time together.

In her free time, Tori loves to go on walks, practice yoga or pilates, and catch up on the latest movies or shows.