About Dan Kim
Dan Kim is an experienced and passionate college counselor and tutor, having worked with dozens of students over the last 10 years. He has provided college counseling for students interested in engineering, computer science, pre-med, nursing, and government/policy, among other fields. His former advisees have been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, and numerous other schools. In addition to college counseling, Dan has tutored students in SAT English (Reading and Writing), essay writing, creative writing, and math.
Prior to starting an independent college counseling business, Dan worked at Matriculate, a college access nonprofit that provides college counseling for high-achieving, low-income students. At Matriculate, Dan managed 80+ college advisors and 150+ high school advisees through the college application process. He also worked at uAspire, a college access nonprofit that provides financial aid counseling for college-bound students.
Dan is a proud alumnus of Princeton University (’21) and South Brunswick High School (’17). While at Princeton University, he worked in the Princeton Admissions Office and served as a panelist for admissions events for prospective and accepted students. He also studied sense of belonging at higher education institutions for his senior thesis at Princeton University. Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) in Sociology from Princeton University, with certificates in Statistics & Machine Learning and Computer Science. Since then, he has also served as a Princeton alumni interviewer.
About college counseling by Dan Kim (i.e., my philosophy)
I am passionate about helping you achieve two things:
- Maximize your potential by crafting an authentic and personal story.
- Apply to the best colleges that are right for you.
ONE: Maximize your potential by crafting an authentic and personal story.
The reality is that by the time you meet me, you have already done most of the work necessary for getting into college. College applications rely on the foundation of work and effort that you have built up over the course of your life, both in and out of school. This includes, of course, your grades, extracurriculars, and test scores, but also your personality, interests, passions, goals, relationships, and more—all of which is part of your story.
I get to work with you, then, at the most exciting moment(!)—when you reflect on your story and think about the best way to present yourself, your story, and your unique talents in the best light possible. Many students I’ve worked with have shared that they don’t feel like their lives were particularly interesting before we started working together. My job is to help you figure out (and then show colleges) how amazing you actually are! We do this by working on essays, short answer responses, extracurricular activity lists, and resumes together, polishing your story and identity to make it as authentic and personal as possible.
TWO: Apply to the best colleges that are right for you.
There are many lists online about the “best” colleges and universities, created by companies and organizations to try to convince you that one school is better than another. While those lists are helpful to measure certain characteristics of schools, the only list that really matters is your college list, with all the best schools for you.
I can help you figure out what that perfect list looks like! Factors to consider include academic rigor, professional opportunities, financial affordability, cultural fit, location, and reputation. Working with me guarantees a fully personalized list that takes into account all your needs and wants, so that you can apply strategically and successfully to all the best schools for you. Applying to the best list of schools is the first and perhaps most important step in attending your dream school!
Testimonials
See what others have said about working with Dan!
Want to work with me?
If you want to start working with me or have any questions about me or my approach to college counseling, I’d be happy to chat!
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