Take A Step Toward Your Future With Expert UC Berkeley Admissions Counseling

Trinh earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarships, awarded to the top 2% of entering undergraduates. Then, she pursued an MA from San José University. Trinh has over seven years of mentoring and admissions experience, including serving as an undergraduate advisor and application reader on the admissions committee at UC Berkeley.

As part of the UC Berkeley admissions team, Trinh reviews applications to ensure they meet all the minimum requirements and assesses whether applicants have the potential to succeed at UC Berkeley. As an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, Trinh provides academic advising to students, including guidance on degree requirements, graduation eligibility, and academic progression. Additionally, Trinh has experience reviewing and making scholarship decisions. She has a strong understanding of what makes a scholarship application compelling—both in structure and in content.

Growing up in a first-generation household, Trinh did not have any guidance at home to help her apply to colleges. Fortunately, she connected with counselors who helped her navigate the admissions process, and with their support, she got accepted to her dream school—UC Berkeley. This experience showed her how life-changing the right support and resources can be in the college application process. 

Trinh’s personal experiences sparked a deep passion for higher education, particularly in college admissions. After earning her MA, she went on to help many students get accepted into top schools like UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, and UC Irvine. Trinh finds being part of a student’s journey—from the uncertainty at the beginning to the excitement of receiving acceptance letters at the end—incredibly rewarding. She loves knowing that she’s helping students lay the foundation for future success.

One of Trinh's greatest strengths as a coach is helping students recognize their true potential. She’s able to guide them in seeing the strength and resilience they already have, qualities that can make their college applications stand out. She is adept at building strong, genuine relationships with students and their families, which helps create a comfortable space for them to open up and share their stories. Trinh is deeply passionate about helping students succeed and is always willing to go the extra mile, whether that means finding additional resources, gathering information, or anything else to ensure each student builds a competitive application. 

In her spare time, Trinh loves getting outdoors, exploring new hiking trails, and strength training in the gym. She is also a huge foodie and loves checking out new restaurants and trying different types of cuisine from all over the world.

Trinh’s Pro Tip?

There is so much more that goes into a strong application than test scores. It’s important for applicants to show genuine passion, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose. Applications are reviewed holistically; a student’s background, experiences, and growth are all taken into account, not just their numbers. 

Prior to completing her Master’s at NYU, Kadie graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in chemical engineering. Professionally, she has years of experience working as a software engineer in the film and television industry. She has worked with some of the most reputed software engineering teams in the world, including teams at Disneytoon Studios, Disney ABC Television Group, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. She also has seven years of admissions consulting experience, guiding students toward acceptance to schools like UCLA, UChicago, UMichigan, and more. 

Katie’s passion for tutoring comes from the desire to pay forward the support she received throughout her own education and career. She loves helping students tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. She knows the application process intimately and how personal and taxing it is, so she aims to help other applicants work smarter and not harder!

Working in the film industry has strengthened Kadie’s love of storytelling and ability to recognize what makes a good story—one of her greatest strengths as an admissions coach. She believes that being able to tell a personal story as compellingly as possible is essential for differentiating an application from the thousands of others. From brainstorming to developing a captivating hook and maintaining reader engagement, she guides students through every step of the process. Her approach centers on cultivating a central "main idea" that highlights how their unique talents and qualities contribute significantly to their prospective class. Beyond securing college admissions, she aims to impart lifelong storytelling skills to her students. She believes these skills are invaluable for personal and professional growth. Additionally, Kadie excels at helping students identify and showcase their strengths and prepare for interviews.

In her spare time, Kadie loves paddleboarding, dancing, hiking, biking, snowboarding, scuba diving, attending concerts, putting together fun outfits, reading, and writing. She has also impressively been on the film credits of Frozen II, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, Wish, and the upcoming Moana II. 

Kadie’s Pro Tip?

Don't underestimate the power of storytelling. The applications of storytelling go far beyond your personal essays. They are essential in interviews, presentations, conversations, and everyday life!

Shannon holds a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. With extensive experience in admissions and education, she served as an alumni interviewer at Harvard for over 14 years and sat on the admissions committee at St. John’s College, where she reviewed applications and conducted interviews with prospective candidates. Shannon has helped students gain admission to top universities, including Harvard, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, UChicago, and others.

In addition to her work in admissions, Shannon has held several notable roles in academia, including serving as a Fulbright Program Officer and grant writer at the University of California, San Diego, a graduate student instructor at UC Berkeley, and an assistant professor at St. John’s College. She finds great fulfillment in helping students discover the ideal match between their interests and education or uncovering opportunities they never knew existed. 

As a coach, Shannon believes that crafting a coherent story about yourself as a student and learner is key to succeeding in the application process. Leveraging her experience and passion for writing and editing, she excels at helping students master the art of storytelling—a skill that will serve them throughout their lives. With her deep expertise, Shannon knows exactly how to guide applicants in writing personal narratives that not only help them gain admission to their top schools but also secure competitive external funding. She loves to help students find the perfect match when it comes to school selections and their unique interests, and enjoys shedding light on new and exciting opportunities. 

In her free time, Shannon enjoys crocheting, cooking, writing children's books, restoring old dollhouses, woodcarving, working on getting her pilot's license, and spending time with her six-year-old.

Shannon’s Pro Tip?

Ultimately, colleges are interested in what kind of student you'll be in the classroom and after you leave. It's crucial to use your application to demonstrate that you'll be intellectually curious, actively engaged, and committed to learning throughout your college years and in your post-grad life.