Introducing ILUMIN Education’s New Consultant: Brian Kang

We are incredibly excited to welcome Brian Kang to our team!

Brian brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our organization:

1. Over nine years of experience as a college admissions consultant

2. Advisor of multiple “Impact Clubs” addressing issues from arts education to homelessness to athletics

3. Guided numerous students through leadership and passion projects 

In addition to his counseling career, Brian is also passionate about soccer, E-Sports, and music! You can read more about his background and approach below.

1. What is one of your favorite aspects of working with students?
Even after working with hundreds of students, I find myself continuously surprised by the intelligence, character, and ambition of my clients. The average person would be shocked by the maturity and drive of today’s teenagers. Whether it’s publishing original research or raising thousands of dollars for charity, they frequently do things that even college students and adults have yet to achieve.

I truly enjoy working with these young, bright minds and giving them the resources they need to flourish in the next stage of their lives. The most satisfying feeling as a counselor is seeing your student take what you have taught them and not only apply it to their own life but also use it to make the world a better place. 

2. What is your approach to guiding students?

My approach is simple: empower students to spend high school the way they want to spend it. In my opinion, getting into a top ranked school should never be the main goal; it should be an inevitable side-effect of simply living one’s best life and pushing the boundaries of one’s potential. 

Too many students waste their time (and sanity) grinding away at things that they hate but think that colleges covet. They fail to realize the most successful applicants are authentic, not only in their self-presentation but also how they spend their lives. By bridging the gap between what students love and what universities value, I help my clients to position themselves for top schools without sacrificing the joy of being a teenager.

3. What advice do you have for students as they start writing their personal statements?

Don’t be afraid to take a risk with your topic. Writing your personal statement might be the most terrifying part of the entire process. You feel like every paragraph, line, and word you write will eventually make or break your application. That fear, though not unfounded, leads students to “play it safe” and write about conventional topics. But being conventional and being unique are mutually exclusive. How can you possibly stand out if you’re not willing to deviate from the crowd? 

I’m not suggesting that you write about something controversial or politically incorrect. What I am suggesting is that you write about something so personal that only you could have written it. Again, I’m not advocating for trauma-dumping for the sake of evoking sympathy. But don’t be afraid to take on a challenging and complex topic, as doing so will not only help you grow as a writer but also lead to the intellectual depth that top colleges look for.

4. What do you feel is the most important quality for success?

If we’re defining “success” relative to college admissions, then the most important quality is courage. This courage comes in many forms. It’s the courage to apply for that president position. It’s the courage to start that passion project. It’s the courage to ask a mentor for that opportunity. 

Once again, too many students make the mistake of “playing it safe”. In a process filled with talented and high-achieving applicants, the key to success is having the courage to pursue greater and greater heights. 

5. What can students do to “stand out” in such an ever-changing, competitive application pool? 

Become a pizza delivery driver. No, seriously. I once read an Ivy League admission officer admit that they accepted a student because they had a part-time job as a pizza delivery driver. To them, it was such a refreshing departure from the usual laundry list of “sparkly”, impressive-sounding activities. It showed the reader that this student was humble, hard-working, and mature enough to handle what is a pretty thankless job. Starting a non-profit or doing published research is impressive, but when everyone is doing the same thing, it quickly loses its luster in the eyes of admission officers.