Hee-Eun Kim headshot

Hee-Eun Kim

Essay & College Application 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.

What Families Are Saying About Working With Hee-Eun

As a parent, navigating the college application process for the first time seemed daunting, but Hello College supported us all along the way! The financial webinars helped answer my questions and set realistic expectations. Kim S was a wonderful counselor. With her guidance my daughter identified schools, honed in on possible paths of study, and submitted her applications ahead of schedule. Brenna E was an excellent essay coach, providing valuable feedback before my daughter submitted final writing samples. Thanks Hello College!!

Meryl Petraitis

Parent of Sarah

St. Laurence High School

As a high school student, HelloCollege was extremely helpful. I could tell that they always had my best interest at heart. With the help of my counselor Kim and essay coach Brenna, I felt supported throughout the entire, intimidating college application process. Because of their guidance and all the knowledge I gained from workshops, I had all of my applications submitted before my senior year even started, allowing me to focus on my daily schoolwork, sports, and senior year activities to a more full potential. They are an amazing resource for something that can seem very overwhelming and impossible. They know the process like the back of their hand and my whole family got all of our questions and concerns answered at any time.

Sarah Petraitis

Student

St. Laurence High School

I worked with Kim and Brenna throughout the college admissions process and they’ve both been great. Kim has helped me from the very beginning, making sure that I had a balanced list when applying. When it became time to write essays, Brenna made sure that I was on a steady schedule so that I was able to submit all of my applications weeks before the deadline. Even when I wanted to rewrite my personal statement for the 5th time, Brenna was always super patient with me and helped me brainstorm several ideas. Throughout the entire process, I was never stressed and that was all thanks to Hello College. Whenever I had any questions, both Kim and Brenna were quick to respond and now I’m happy to say I got accepted into my top school!

Kailee Tu

Student

Hinsdale Central High School

Incredible from top to bottom! They provide a truly comprehensive amount of assistance from any angle you could conjure up. My college counselor, Kim, was incredibly kind and helped me all throughout the process, from realizing what kinds of schools to look at for my specific interests and needs, to what to do to bolster my resume, to ultimately narrowing down my list. And my essay counselor, Margaret, was also greatly supportive; she helped me think deeply and make sure that was reflected in my essays, from my personal statement to supplementals. From brainstorming to making my essays more engaging and rhetorically strong, she was with me the whole step of the way. And if that wasn’t enough, I also had the help of one of their SAT coaches, Daniel, to improve my score by 50 points. All in all, could not recommend enough.

Charles Coppelman

Parent

Oak Park and River Forest High School

Hello College helped get me into my dream schools and I would recommend their services to anyone. My counselor, Brooke Kent, was consistently supportive and energetic while guiding me through the application process and keeping me organized. My essay coach, Hee-Eun Kim, went above and beyond to ensure my essays were excellent without sacrificing my voice or creativity. It’s clear that Hello College is invested in ensuring success for their clients.

Sean B

Student

Glenbrook South High School

Hello College has been an incredible support system throughout my college application journey.
At the end of junior year, I remember feeling lost and unsure about how I would start my applications in the fall. Thankfully, I was introduced to Hello College and had the privilege of working with amazing staff members like Mr. Krebs, my counselor, Mrs. Shipman, and my essay coach, Ms. Green. From the very beginning, the program welcomed me warmly and gave me a sense of relief and confidence as I navigated the college process. I especially feel lucky to have had Kim Shipman as my college coach. She was a tremendous help when it came to making decisions about schools, emailing admissions offices, and keeping me on track. Kim is kind, understanding, and thoughtful, and I always enjoyed our conversations about life, school, and sports during our meetings. Her positive and insightful feedback helped me gain confidence in myself and my abilities. Having a college counselor was a game-changer, especially when I felt confused or needed advice. Thanks to Hello College, I was accepted into 9 out of the 11 schools I applied to, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve committed to Boston University! I would 100% recommend this program to anyone who feels behind or unsure about how to approach the college application process. I’m incredibly grateful for the guidance and support I received from Hello College, and I hope others can experience the same sense of accomplishment that I did.

Grace Twum

Student

Westhill High School

Boston University

Profile

Hee-Eun is an experienced Essay Coach with seven years of experience helping students gain admissions to top-tier universities and law schools in the United States. She is passionate about guiding students through the entire writing process, from brainstorming unique topics to refining them into essays that reflect each student’s personality.

Hee-Eun graduated cum laude from Columbia University with a BA in Political Science and earned her Master’s in American History with distinction from the University of Oxford. Her Master’s dissertation explored the fashion of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, reflecting her interest in the intersection of the arts and storytelling. Building on her love for fashion, she has worked as a buyer at Bloomingdale’s and Amazon in New York and London. She believes that writing is much like getting dressed: choosing the right stories and details creates an essay that is personal and memorable.

Raised in both the UK and South Korea, Hee-Eun moved to New York for college and considers it her forever home, even though she is currently based in Boston. She prefers New York to any other city, is often overdressed, and loves to play squash.

More about Hee-Eun

Location

Somerville, MA

Trusted Guidance Partner of Students Who’ve Been Accepted to:

Featured Publications by Hee-Eun

Ready to unlock college success? Let's Talk!