Professional College Admissions Consultants in San Diego, CA

Cole is a graduate of Stanford University, where he obtained both his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. He also obtained a second Master’s at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. 

Cole believes the college application process is an opportunity for students to crystallize what matters to them, what makes them unique, and what they hope to gain from the college experience. While Cole himself was applying to undergrad and grad school, he experienced this self-affirming impact of college applications. Cole understands that applying to college can be stressful. Still, it is also an incredibly exciting time and an amazing opportunity for students to think about what makes them who they are today. Professionally, Cole has worked at some of the most prestigious research institutions in the world, including the Center for Strategic and International Relations in Washington, DC. Currently, he works in tech policy with a focus on AI and other critical and emerging technologies, which allows him to further hone the analytical skills needed to help students identify and accomplish their goals.  

As a coach, Cole enjoys working with applicants to determine the most important 'watershed' moments that have shaped them. His strengths include: helping students incorporate past experiences and demonstrated interests to show, not tell; outlining a clear schedule with deliverables; creating a manageable application process; and creating a warm, welcoming environment in which applicants feel comfortable sharing their worries and concerns. Additionally, Cole prides himself on his ability to empathize and connect with applicants to create a stress-free and open working relationship. Cole looks forward to applying his expertise and advice to help support Quad applicants in this journey!

Students Cole has recently coached have gotten into NYU, Stanford University, McGill University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Emory University.

Cole grew up in the Bay Area in California, the DC area, and Moscow, Russia. English is his native language, but he also speaks and reads Chinese at the intermediate-high level. Cole enjoys cooking, playing basketball, hiking, and listening to podcasts in his free time.

Cole’s Pro Tip?

It’s essential to craft an intentional, revealing, and unique narrative throughout your application that remains absolutely true to who you are and what you have done.

Kerry holds a Master’s from Columbia University and a Master’s from Carnegie Mellon University. She has served as an international admissions consultant with multiple global companies, especially those that only hire Ivy League alumni. Kerry has worked on all aspects of admissions consulting, shepherding students through admissions season or working with special cases for over a decade. She has personally coached students accepted into prestigious institutions, such as the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, Rice University, Cambridge University, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, McGill University, and more!

After working as an adjunct professor throughout her PhD years, sometimes teaching three-hour lectures to 80 students, Kerry realized that her one-on-one work in private tutoring and admissions consulting was her greatest passion, with real-life results always visible. She loves getting to know each student as an individual, helping them figure out how to stand out and their brand, who they are, and who they want to be. Kerry loves leading students through the process, helping make it fun, alleviating anxiety, and watching their admission acceptances roll in.

Kerry excels as a coach due to her ability to navigate substantial work and pivotal life plans with a blend of humor, infusing the admissions process with genuine enjoyment and excitement. Her strengths lie in authenticity, characterized by honesty and diplomacy when offering advice and openly sharing her successes and setbacks in admissions consulting. Thanks to a rich tapestry of life experiences in academia, journalism, diverse careers, and extensive travel, Kerry possesses a unique perspective that enriches her coaching approach. She also excels in her ability to read students well for what makes them unique and how to make them stand out in the admissions process.

Furthermore, Kerry's expertise extends to a comprehensive knowledge of various schools, programs, admissions intricacies, and effective strategies. Over her years as a private admissions consultant, Kerry has learned the intricacies of the systems of the various schools. She has also learned how best to help students depending on their personalities, profiles, goals, and strengths and to let them take a lead role in their own admissions process so that they can grow into the best versions of themselves.

Moreover, as an international writer with over sixty publications in both scholarly and popular outlets, Kerry offers students an unusual opportunity to collaborate and edit with a working writer. 

As a journalist and digital nomad who has lived around the world, Kerry has an immense amount of knowledge to share about places, schools, degrees, and just about anything else, too. When she’s not working, Kerry enjoys studying languages and art. Kerry is extremely into fitness and training, and the gym is her happy place for stress relief.