Our mission at HelloCollege is to provide genuine, personalized college planning guidance that improves acceptance rates, minimizes debt, and matches students with their ideal college and career paths.
Every student's journey is unique. That’s why we work one-on-one to get to know and provide guidance that is best for your student.
We believe in equipping families with knowledge and tools for informed decision-making, so you can make the best college decision for your family.
Our advising is anchored in honesty and transparency. We navigate students towards their best fit, not just the most prestigious name.
The value of our service extends beyond college acceptance letters; we're invested in shaping futures that lead to fulfilling careers and lifelong success.
I founded HelloCollege with the intention of helping students and parents navigate the college path while raising awareness about the escalating costs of higher education. Over the past 20 years, my team and I have had the privilege of sharing our college planning and career readiness workshops, curriculum, and guidance with over 40,000 families. Looking ahead, we aim to leverage our expertise to assist more than 250,000 students in successfully navigating the college admissions process.
Together, we are on a mission to shape the next generation of scholars, ensuring they graduate within four years, free from overwhelming debt and equipped with a well-defined career plan.
We want the very best for you and your student. At Hello College, we get results.
Founder and Managing Director
Inspired by his parents, Kevin’s journey from a first-gen, diverse, low-income background to Northwestern University shaped him. After experiencing challenges, including student loan debt, he founded HelloCollege and has spent the last 25 years helping students successfully navigate college admissions.
VP of Client Services
As an MSA holder, Allison brings a wealth of experience supporting students in higher education. As the respected Service Leader at HelloCollege, she leads her team in expertly navigating admissions and academic advising, empowering students to achieve their goals with confidence and success.
Director of Tutoring
Ian has dedicated his life to helping others achieve their full potential and learn about the world around them. After graduating from UIUC with a BS in Electrical Engineering, he owned and operated a private tutoring business, where his team specialized in individualized curriculum development and helping students achieve their academic goals.
Director of Essay Services
Chris Bench, the Director of Essay, is a seasoned essay coach with a decade of experience. Holding an BA from Kenyon and an MA from University of Chicago, Chris's expertise shines through, particularly in the realm of commas, where his opinion is unwavering.
Director of Counseling
Amanda leads our counseling team with over 10 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Master's in Education with a counseling concentration and graduate certificates in Military & Family Education and Administration & Supervision (Educational Leadership).
Director of Culture & Senior Coordinator
Jeannine draws from personal experience as both a team member and client. As a mother navigating the college planning process for her son, HelloCollege provided invaluable support. Now, with over 20 years of customer service expertise, she compassionately guides families on their own successful college journeys.
Client Support Coordinator
With a DMA in Music Composition, Cody brings experience as an adjunct professor and higher ed administrator. A lifelong learner and dedicated advocate, he’s committed to helping students find their best path—while also being a proud dog dad.
Client Support
Niloufar has a BS in Marketing from Miami University, she loved her college experience and strives to help others find their SAFE school.
Financial Specialist
Kelly has 30+ years of experience in financial areas, including audits, consulting and advising clients, and real estate/property management. She’s looking forward to bringing that financial focus to assist HelloCollege families in navigating the financial decisions that come with the college application process.
Marketing Specialist & Essay Coach
Sarah Bellardini is a comedy and animation writer with nearly a decade of experience working in television. She graduated with a degree in Film & TV from Boston University.
College Counselor
Don is a highly skilled College Admissions Counselor, boasting a 20-year background in college admissions. Don's expertise includes admissions reading for UC - Berkeley and the prestigious Questbridge Scholars program, as well as many years as a high school counselor.
College Counselor
Raymond, a first-generation college graduate from the Bay Area, holds a Master's in Education from Harvard, a Master's in Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Social Work from University of Southern California. His diverse experience includes roles at Assist America and the UN, reflecting a commitment to global youth advocacy.
College Counselor
Miracle received her B.A. from the University of California - Berkeley and a M.Ed. from the University of Vermont. She has a rich background in higher education, founding her own College Advising company and roles in business academic counseling at Tulane University and college advising at UC Berkeley.
College Counselor & Essay Coach
Brooke Kent, a summa cum laude graduate of Rice University, a researcher for the White House Transition Project, and the former executive writer for the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, has spent two decades helping students tell their stories in a personalized, persuasive, and achievement-focused way. Her philosophy is simple: Your Story. Our Support. Your Solution.
College Counselor
Leslie has nearly 20 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and an Educational Leadership Endorsement from Longwood University.
College Counselor
Keira received a BS in Communications from the University of Miami and holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Columbia University. She has spent the majority of her career working in college admissions and college counseling as well as corporate recruiting. Her mission is to help students find and build their passions towards the next stage in their lives: college.
College Counselor
Dr. Bruce Watson is a seasoned higher education professional. With over 10 years of experience and a doctorate in education, Bruce has held leadership roles in admissions offices at several large universities.
Essay Coach
Will is an admissions essay expert, published author, and editor working on everything from national magazines to websites.
Essay Coach
Alisha has worked in higher ed for 13 yrs, teaching at MSU and USF. She has her Ph.D. in Educational Policy from Michigan State.
Essay Coach
With eighteen years of experience in international schools, Sara holds a B.A. in English from Notre Dame and an M.A. from SUNY New Paltz.
Essay Coach
Andi has over three years of experience working in a college admissions office. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics.
Essay Coach
Steven Flores is a writer and educator with 11 years of experience in higher education, including 4 years of one-on-one essay coaching. He is currently an AOP Fellow at UW-Milwaukee.
Essay Coach
Gina Twardosz is a curious lifelong learner with a BFA in English Writing and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction.
Essay Coach
Elena Van Lare is an Academic Dean and English Teacher with over 30 years of experience working with young adults from Grades 6 to college. She earned her M.Ed. from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY.
Essay Coach
Lauren Kay Johnson is an Afghanistan veteran, writing coach, and author of an award-winning memoir. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Boston Globe Magazine.
Essay Coach
Margaret has a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.A. from Lesley University. She has worked as a high school counselor in several states as well as abroad, and in a previous life she led an editorial department at an ed-tech company.
Essay Coach
Joëlle Santiago is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, and an adjunct professor at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She has four years of experience as an Essay Coach.
Essay Coach
Nik is a Korean adoptee, memoirist and poet based in Minneapolis. His creative nonfiction won the 2024 Annie Dillard Prize, and he was a finalist for the 2024 Iowa Review Award in Nonfiction.
Essay Coach
Lauren is a versatile professional with a background in theater, literature, and pre-medical studies. A former actor and writer in Los Angeles, she now works as a STEM tutor and admissions essay editor in New Orleans.
Essay Coach
Allison Hadley brings her background in academia and her love of storytelling to helping college applicants hone their essays. She earned her PhD in Italian Language and Literature from Yale University in 2018, focusing on the intersection of literature, theater, and the urban form.
Essay Coach
Bertrand has a B.A. in U.S. History from Fairleigh Dickinson and an Ed.M. in Education Theory & Policy from Rutgers GSE. His essays on poverty, policy, and culture have been featured in the NYT and The Atlantic. He loves writing and teaching and shall never retire from either.
Essay Coach
Stewart Lewis is an author, musician, film producer, and former creative writing professor at University of Maryland and Belmont University. He holds an MFA from the University of Southern California, and his latest YA novel is becoming a movie.
Essay Coach
Poet, teacher and editor Josh Kalscheur is the author of Tidal (Four Way Books). His work has appeared in The Nation, Boston Review, and Slate, among others. He currently serves as a Lecturer at UW-Madison.
Essay Coach
Sam is a PhD candidate who holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. Sam has taught writing for 10+ years and loves being outdoors.
Essay Coach
Emily Mack is a writer based in Chicago. She was born and raised in the city and returned after earning her creative writing degree from Columbia University in 2020. Currently, she is the senior editor at Chicago Agent magazine.
Essay Coach
Willow holds a B.A. in Dance and English from Kenyon College. They are also a performance artist and dance scholar. They have mentored students in various capacities, including as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.
Essay Coach
Meg has worked as a professional editor for more than 20 years. She has a BA in English and political science and is pursuing an MFA in creative nonfiction.
Essay Coach
Zainab (Zee) has a M.S. in Written Communication and M.A. in Psychology from National-Louis University. She loves teaching personal essay writing and building community around writing practices.
Essay Coach
Max holds a BA in English Literature from Bowdoin College. A former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, he has helped students from around the world strengthen their writing and develop their personal voice.
Essay Coach
Brenna Ehrlich is a journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience writing and editing for the likes of Rolling Stone, CNN, MTV, and more. She brings this expertise to HelloCollege students, as well as a BA in theater and english from Northwestern University and a master’s in journalism from Medill.
Essay Coach
Hee-Eun is an experienced Essay Coach with seven years of experience. She holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and an MSt in American History from the University of Oxford. She is passionate about helping students discover their unique voice.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Paul is an experienced educator with a background in math and science, critical thinking, ELL education, standardized test prep, international education, and individualized learning. Paul holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and science education and a master’s degree in teaching and learning.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Rees is a mathematician, software engineer, and lawyer with degrees from Duke University and the University of Georgia. He loves sharing his enthusiasm for all things learning to connect people’s education to their interests.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Asma recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in Biology. Over the past 3 years, Asma has worked with elementary, middle, and high school students on all subjects and has helped students prepare for standardized tests such as the ACT, SAT, and PSAT.
Test Prep Tutor
Shruti is a sophomore at Rice University majoring in Applied Mathematics and Sociology. In the past, she has worked with students of all ages preparing for schoolwork and standardized testing.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Tyler Pohlman is currently attending University of Colorado Boulder where he is double majoring in Physics and German. While attending University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he was an undergraduate research assistant at the Center for Plasma-Material Interactions. He has a passion for math and teaching and has a year of tutoring experience under Ian Simon.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Theofanis (Theo) Yianas is currently a second-year honors student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying Data Science and Business Administration. Over the past couple years, Theo has tutored students in various levels of math and has helped others to prepare for the SAT and ACT.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Daniel is a mathematical biologist. He holds a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago, during which he studied tropical forests. Daniel loves teaching and simplifying concepts for students at all levels.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Amulya is a sophomore at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a biology major in the BS/MD program with acceptance into Albany Medical College. She has not only tutored students across a wide range of ages and subjects but has also built meaningful connections with each of them.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Shelley has an M.S. in mathematics with a concentration in statistics, as well as 27 years of teaching and tutoring experience. Her passion is helping students achieve those dreams which seem impossible to them.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Jose moved to America from the Philippines at the age of 2. Through his love of piano, salsa dancing, speaking, and writing, he found his way to Stanford University, where he studied computer science. From giving college tours to tutoring students of various ages, Jose now loves sharing knowledge to learners of all backgrounds.
Academic Tutor, Test Prep Tutor
Darryl has over 17 years of experience as a teacher of wide-ranging math content, teaching students from the middle school level all the way up through college. He has a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Houston, in addition to a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Accounting from the University of Virginia.
Academic Tutor & Essay Coach
Brian has a B.A. in International Studies along with a minor in French from Miami University and an M.Ed. with a focus on Social Studies and Global Education from the Ohio State University. He has taught, mentored, traveled with and coached students in a wide variety of settings including high school and outdoor education for over twenty years.
Academic Tutor
Deme Yianas is a college senior, set to graduate from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in May 2025, earning a BS in Biochemistry with a concentration in Cancer Biology, and a minor in Public Health. For three years, she has served as an undergraduate research assistant in the CWRU School of Medicine Biochemistry department, and she loves to share all she learned while pursuing her degree with her HelloCollege students!
Academic Tutor
Lauren has always had a passion for education. Lauren has a PhD in Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education. She has conducted research across many topics and is currently teaching Engineering subjects at the college level.
Academic Tutor
Automotive engineer and weekend mechanic with a passion for solving complex problems through mathematical precision. When not fine-tuning engines, I am exploring the art of exceptional coffee and various cuisines.
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