Practice areas · Engagement options

Five practice areas. One consultant.

Every engagement starts with a free thirty-minute conversation. From there we agree on which practice areas apply, the right cadence, and a written scope. Pricing is introduced after the consultation, when the engagement is concrete enough to discuss honestly.

Diagnostic

Before any ongoing engagement begins, every student starts with a ninety-minute Blueprint session. It is the moment in the practice where we are explicitly not selling anything — we sit down, look at the student's profile honestly, and decide together what (if anything) they actually need.

The output is a written consulting roadmap: academic posture, a first read on direction for the college list, and a recommended engagement scope tailored to the student's grade level and situation. If the right answer is "no consulting yet, here is what to do for the next year on your own," that is what the roadmap says.

II.

Strategic engagement

Long-term 1:1 mentorship through high school — academics, activities, college list, early essay work. The right level for most students aiming at selective US programs, particularly when the engagement begins in 9th, 10th, or early 11th grade. The three tiers below differ only in cadence; the scope of work is the same across all of them.

Most students settle into Core after a term or two on Lite or Elite — weekly sessions are usually the right rhythm for academic pacing plus narrative development. Lite is right for students with strong academic momentum already; Elite for situations that need closer support or who are targeting the most selective programs.

III.

Research & Science portfolio

Research experience is increasingly decisive at top STEM programs. The four engagements below build, in order, from a focused topic sprint through a full six-month portfolio with multiple projects, a finished paper, and a narrative ready to anchor a college application.

The earlier we start, the more genuine the research can be. Eight- and twelve-week builds are realistic for a student with a topic in hand; the six-month portfolio is the right scope for a student who plans to enter ISEF, Regeneron, or similar competitions, and who wants the work to be the spine of their application rather than a supporting credential.

IV.

Admissions completion

For students entering the application process in 11th or 12th grade. The work is focused and high-intensity: college list finalization, Common App strategy, all essay drafts, and deadline management. The student writes and submits everything; I coach every word.

The four-month track is the right fit for students starting in summer or early fall of senior year. The six-month track gives enough runway to build the essay narrative from scratch, refine the list thoughtfully, and arrive at the application season already ahead — recommended whenever the student starts in spring of junior year.

Continuity

Acceptance is not actually the end of the work. Students who have been admitted often face the most consequential decisions of the year in the four months that follow — financial aid packages, scholarship negotiations, gap-year considerations, waitlist movement, and the practical preparation for a new country and curriculum.

Continuity is the post-admission band of the practice. Light-touch by design, but high-leverage at the moments when those decisions come due.

Operating policies

How the practice runs

Response window

Forty-eight hours

All messages through the portal receive a reply within forty-eight hours on business days. Faster on Mentorship Elite.

Cadence

By appointment only

All sessions are scheduled in advance over video call. There are no walk-in calls; the small roster exists precisely so that every appointment gets full attention.

Authorship

No ghost-writing

Essays must be written by the student. I coach structure, voice, and strategy — the words on the page are always the student's own, and they have to be defendable in interview.

Submission

Student-submitted

Every application is submitted by the student or family. Authent Ed guides; the family owns the process. This protects integrity on every side — admissions, the family, and the practice.

Scope of mentorship

Beyond admissions

Stress, family pressure, and identity come up in sessions, and they belong there. Outside the practice I also run an anonymous open chat on KakaoTalk where anyone can drop in to talk things through. Counseling certifications in progress this year are part of the same work.

Pick a practice — or several. The first conversation is free.

A thirty-minute call to walk through your situation. We'll figure out which practice areas apply and whether working together is the right fit before either of us commits to anything.

Book a free consultation →