Jeannie is an experienced college counselor. We can’t wait to introduce you to her approach to counseling, experiences in the field, and what she loves most about working with students!
Not only is Jeannie well-versed in working with test prep and mock admission interviews, but she also has a knack for helping students understand their passions. Her ability to build each student’s best-fit future makes her a stellar counselor and mentor.
Let’s get started.
This interview is Installment 4 in our Coffee with a Counselor series. To read more profiles like this, check out other posts right here on our blog and subscribe to our newsletter!
About Jeannie
Jeannie graduated from Yale in 2004 with a BS in Computer Science and Economics (magna cum laude with distinctions in both majors). In addition, she holds an MS in Financial Engineering from the National University of Singapore.
After graduating, she helped conduct college admissions interviews for Yale for over a decade before becoming a college admissions counselor. She enjoys interacting with bright, driven students and helping them craft compelling personal narratives.
Outside of counseling at Empowerly, Jeannie is a data scientist focused on biomedical statistics. She currently lives in Malaysia.
How did you discover and join Empowerly?
“I love interacting with bright, driven students and helping them craft compelling personal narratives for their college applications. I have always found that guiding young people to become the best possible version of themselves can be a wonderful antidote to the cynicism of the corporate world,” Jeannie said.
What kinds of life experiences do you bring to the table as a counselor?
“I conducted Yale college admissions interviews until the 2018-19 admissions cycle, after which I transitioned into paid college counseling. I have also been teaching SSAT, PSAT, SAT, and TOEFL test prep for nearly 20 years, so I am able to help my students with every aspect of their college application journey from test prep to preparing for interviews.”
In regards to her approach to counseling?
“I always encourage my students to set ambitious yet attainable goals, such as earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award and getting high exam scores. I am also happy to work with students looking to strengthen their college applications in creative ways, such as by getting their first paper published in the Journal of Emerging Investigators, building useful apps or websites, or creating useful Udemy or YouTube tutorials.”
Counseling success story
When asked, Jeannie brought up one student who is now majoring in Computer Science at Harvard.
What is something you’ve learned from your students?
“It’s counterproductive to force people to be something they don’t want to be. Sometimes students and parents may have different goals, so as their counselor, I have to try to help them find some mutually satisfactory middle ground.”
What is one thing you would tell high school students?
“Always start prepping early. If you can master all the skills that you need as early as possible, you’ll be less stressed out. You’ll also have more time and energy to focus on more meaningful activities. A lot of students don’t realize that some kids start as early as age 10… it’s normal to be stressed if you start late.”
Do you have a piece of life advice that has stuck with you?
“My college orientation counselor told me to always start working on all my assignments the moment I got them so that if I needed help with them, I would have time to attend office hours and get the help I needed. This advice has served me well throughout my life.”
Final Thoughts:
The phenomenal counselor community at Empowerly understands the importance of each student’s unique journey. Book a free consultation below to receive a customized recommendation for your college application plan.
