"ILUMIN helped me get into my dream school and
I can’t thank them enough for everything that they've done for me."

- Student Admitted to Washington University, St. Louis

GENERAL QUESTIONS
 

Why should I work with a college admissions or educational consultant? Isn’t a school counselor enough?

We’re committed to student direction, passion and voice. While public school counselors do an excellent job, they may have up to 400 students under their care, which makes it difficult to provide personalized attention. We meet one-on-one with students as a mentor and coach, helping students prepare to be both better applicants and better people. We help students help them plan their courses, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and summer plans for every year of high school.

ILUMIN Education consultants have helped hundreds of students reach their dream colleges. Based on our experience, we provide a clear roadmap to help students achieve their college admissions goals, knowing exactly what they need starting from the freshman year.  
 

What makes you stand out from other consultants?

Focus: Most educational consulting companies assign 60 - 100 students per consultant.  Our student load is significantly lower which allows us to have the time, space and focus to provide our families with personalized service, attention and care.

Experience: Our students have been admitted to some of the most prestigious schools including: Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT, Carnegie Mellon and UC Berkeley to name a few. We’re committed to keeping up to date with the changing landscape of admissions and working with the best academic resources to help our students be their best. Our entire staff including our essay consultants have extensive experience helping students apply to all ranges of schools from Ivy League universities to small liberal arts colleges.

Care: Our coaching philosophy is built on the tenets of trust and respect. We take our role as mentors and big brothers and sisters seriously. Many high school students need a safe adult, besides their parents, who’ll listen and encourage. We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with each of our students, so they know it is safe to confide in us and ask us for guidance with anything they need. 
 

What population of students have you worked with?

We work with all population of students, ranging from 4.00 GPA students who want to further standout in the admissions process to students who struggle to effectively manage their time and schedule.
 

My son/daughter struggles with motivation. Can you help?

Absolutely! We believe all students can find healthy motivation--it’s all about discovering what they’re motivated by and directing that energy towards healthier motivations be it academic, extracurricular or college goals. While this is a process, we understand the steps needed to get students moving toward their full potential.  
 

What are your college admissions results?

We’ve helped students gain admission to many top schools in the US including: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, UPenn, MIT, Columbia, University of Chicago, Harvey Mudd, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, CalTech, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, USC and many more.

SERVICE QUESTIONS

How can I sign up for a free consultation?

You can sign up for a free consultation here, and we'll contact you promptly. 
 

How much does this service cost?

Great question! We would be more than happy to share with you during our free consultation. 
 

How often do we meet?

For grades 8 through 11 students, we usually meet once a month with our students, but can meet more depending on specific student needs. For grade 12 students, we meet more often to help them progress confidently and steadily through the application process.
 

What happens in a coaching meeting? 

During these meetings, we design a personalized academic and extracurricular plan for each student's unique personality, strengths, and goals. Academically, we review the student's school courses, tutoring needs, standardized testing plan, and study habits. In terms of extracurricular planning, we help students find volunteering and internship opportunities, determine which clubs and competitions to be involved in, apply to academic summer programs, and design signature projects to showcase the full potential of their abilities and passion.
 

What is a signature project? 

A signature project is one where students find a local, regional, or national problem that they want to help solve with their blend of leadership skills, passion and abilities.  We help students discover the problem, design a solution, and execute a plan that produces genuine impact.  Here are some projects we've helped students do:

• Performed research with a university Biology professor, eventually getting published in a research journal

• Started a painting business that generated over $5,000 for cancer research

• Started an after-school math tutoring club for over 20 low-income elementary school students

• And many more!
   

What ages do you work with?

We usually work with students from 8th grade through 12th grade.
 

Do I have to be in the Bay Area to meet with you?

Not at all--we meet with students from all over the U.S. and the world (including China and India) on Skype or Google Hangouts.
 

When do students typically start working with you?

We usually suggest that students begin coaching in 8th or 9th grade so they have more time to discover their interests and accomplish their academic and extracurricular goals. However, it’s never too late to start and we make the most of our time with our students no matter when they start.