About

Hello!

 

I’m Eric, a former UCLA history professor who now works directly with high school students.

 

I’ve been working with students most of my adult life, starting shortly after college, when I began working at a small school for low-income Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants. I then began a PhD program in history at the University of Minnesota, tutoring on the side during this time. After graduating with honors in 2012, I then worked at Macalester college and UCLA as a professor, where—in addition to teaching college history classes—I worked with students individually on writing, choosing college majors, and plotting out possible future career paths.

 

While being a professor was amazing, it also made me realize that my true passion lies with mentoring people one-on-one.  For this reason, I (mostly) left academia to become a full-time tutor and counselor for high school students. (I do continue to teach part-time at Pitzer College).

 

Today, I work primarily as a professional college counselor and essay editor, helping students find schools that best fit their aptitudes and interests, and guiding families through today’s increasingly complex application process.

 

My students have gone on to a variety of colleges, from local state universities to top-ranked Ivy League schools. Recent student admittances include Stanford, Princeton, the University of Chicago, Amherst, UC Berkeley, Wellesley, Yale, and others. I've also helped students finish a variety of competitive graduate school, law school, medical school, and fellowship applications.

 

Beyond working with students and families, I’m a current member of the WACAC, NACAC, and IECA counseling organizations, and maintain numerous professional contacts with high school and college admissions officers. Finally, I'm also a board member and chief college counseling consultant at Middle Tree, a nonprofit college readiness center for low-income students in western Los Angeles County.

 

While I help students with a variety of college-readiness tasks, my overarching goal remains the same: teaching students how to live self-aware, meaningful lives. Being an outstanding high school student helps to get into college, but its greater value lies in helping you become a mature, responsible adult.  

 

If all this sounds good to you, feel free to reach out! I offer free introductory meetings to further explain my process, to see if we are a good fit, and you can ask as many questions as you like during that time.

Thanks for reading. I hope to hear from you soon!

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