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Victoria holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. As a first-generation college graduate, she understands students' challenges when navigating the admissions process. In her own experience, she was forced to find outside resources. Even in college, she networked to find alumni and professionals working in government to help her with job applications. Victoria completed approximately 100 informational interviews over four years, and now she wants to help students in the same place that she was in by becoming their guide and resource. Professionally, Victoria works at the US Department of State - Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

As a coach, Victoria’s teaching style is structured. She excels at helping students with ideas and an outline/plan without doing the work. Victoria likes to be a support system, encouraging people to do their best by being there for them when they need her and being a sounding board to make sure applicants are confident in the decisions they are making (i.e., ensuring that an essay topic is the right one, choosing what to put on a resume, etc.) 

Victoria is motivated by deadlines; she finds that having a set schedule and clear expectations helps students stay motivated, too. She considers herself Midwest-friendly. She is outgoing and always happy to help or be available when needed. Victoria is respectful, positive, and realistic. She is always looking for solutions to problems and sticking to a plan.

When she isn’t working, Victoria enjoys lifting weights, watching sports (basketball, baseball) and reality TV (Housewives, Selling Sunset, Vanderpump Rules, etc.), journaling, visiting museums, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops.

Jade holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Religion from Boston University. While there, she earned a scholarship to study in Cambodia and Vietnam, received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, won four academic awards, achieved high honors, and secured a U.S. government scholarship for teaching English abroad. With 12 years of tutoring experience, Jade volunteered as an English teacher for immigrants, served as a professional tutor mentor, and was a teaching assistant in Vietnam through a Fulbright scholarship. Despite facing obstacles from a limited educational background, Jade's success story is a testament to the transformative power of mentorship and education. These challenges fueled her determination to create a positive impact in the lives of students facing similar struggles.

As a tutor, Jade’s mission is to offer the same unwavering support and encouragement that proved instrumental in her own journey. She specializes in SAT and ACT tutoring, with an emphasis on the English, Reading, and Writing sections, as well as English, history, sociology, and anthropology courses at all levels, including AP and IB.

Jade employs an empowering and personalized tutoring style, fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment. In her approach, she recognizes each student's unique strengths and challenges, celebrating both small and significant achievements to boost confidence and underscore the progress made through practice. Empathy, patience, and practicality are also major components of her tutoring style, as she emphasizes both academic success and holistic development, including critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By fostering open communication, she encourages students to express their challenges and questions. With a focus on active participation and critical thinking, she aims to instill confidence and a passion for learning that extends beyond the tutoring sessions. 

Jade’s greatest strength as a tutor is her adaptability. She develops personalized learning plans and utilizes diverse resources to address the unique needs of individual learners, ensuring that the tutoring sessions align with their goals, preferences, and interests. She strongly believes that clearly defined and personalized goals give students a sense of purpose and direction. 

In her free time, Jade enjoys collecting passport stamps, gardening, ballet, paddle boarding, and practicing chado (a traditional Japanese tea ceremony). She immerses herself in art, explores the realms of literature, and treasures the beauty of learning languages. On a rainy day, you’ll find her cozily curled up with a book and a tea latte.

Jeannie earned a BA from Cornell University and currently serves as a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan. She has helped students get accepted to college through her work with Matriculate, an organization that helped underrepresented high schoolers succeed in college admissions. In this role, she helped students build college lists, craft essays, and apply for financial aid. Students Jeannie has coached have been admitted to top schools, including Cornell, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown.

Jeannie has also served as a teaching assistant at the Ross School of Business. While in college, she led a group of more than 120 women as vice president of her sorority and led a club called StartUM, a student-run incubator at the University of Michigan, where she helped students develop their business ideas from ideation and development to pitching.

 Jeannie excelled in the college application process by leveraging her strengths and crafting a powerful narrative showcasing her true identity. This experience ignited a fire within her—a passion to help other students achieve the same results. Jeannie wants to empower students to identify their unique potential, navigate the complexities of the application process with confidence, and overcome any hurdles they encounter.

Jeannie's coaching style is student-centered and strengths-based. She believes in meeting students where they are in terms of knowledge and motivation. The first step is building a rapport and uncovering their individual goals, strengths, and areas where they might need additional support. This personalized approach allows her to tailor her guidance and identify growth opportunities. Once she understands a student's potential, she likes to challenge and motivate them to reach high. She fosters a growth mindset and a sense of ownership over their journey by celebrating their successes, big and small. Ultimately, her goal is to guide students toward achieving their goals and priorities.

One strategy Jeannie finds particularly successful in keeping students motivated is creating a clear timeline with specific goals. This visualizes the journey, allowing students to see their progress and celebrate milestones like finishing an essay draft or securing a recommendation letter. Motivation also thrives on recognizing strengths. She can build confidence and showcase their competitiveness by highlighting what each student excels at and connecting those strengths to specific colleges or programs. Additionally, Jeannie strives to make the entire process relevant. By helping students visualize how their hard work translates into reaching their dream college and achieving future goals, they can see the bigger picture and stay focused on the end goal.

At her core, Jeannie is a highly empathetic listener who is naturally encouraging and optimistic. Having conducted hundreds of student interviews on college campuses through her series called Gen Z Mentality, she understands that every applicant comes from a unique background with their own challenges. She creates a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns.  She sees her role as a counselor not just as a guide but as a champion who motivates students to approach the application process with their best foot forward.

In her downtime, Jeannie runs Gen Z Mentality and interviews students about topics ranging from careers, passions, and relationships to money. She also loves spending time outdoors at the beach, traveling, listening to podcasts, trying new foods, and watching The Bachelor.