The FLEX Team

Principal Consultant

In his time at Yale, Ben mentored and counseled other students through his campus activities. His published senior thesis explored how local culture influences the college applications of students in urban versus rural settings, inspired by his experience growing up in rural Nebraska.

As a Yalie, Ben knows first-hand what Yale is looking for in their students, as well as the challenges students face once on elite campuses. His counseling style takes a holistic perspective, and he has coached students into many competitive schools including Cornell, NYU, Santa Clara University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and USC, as well as selective Aviation and Art programs. Ben is dedicated to helping students pursue their passions while still in high school, as well as finding the perfect college for them.

In his spare time, Ben enjoys keeping up with family and friends around the globe (London to Singapore!), singing with others, and understanding the stories that motivate us.

Education
B.A. Sociology — Yale University

Carmen graduated magna cum laude from UCSD and went on to earn her Master’s in School Counseling and PPS School Counseling Credential at California State University, Long Beach.

Carmen has over eight years of experience working with students from 6th through 12th grade and beyond. From working with middle school students as they explore college and career options to assisting high school students as they navigate athletic and academic scholarship pathways, Carmen is able to successfully guide students through the college application, essay and selection process.

Her former students are Gates Millennium Scholars and have gone on to top-tier universities including Cornell University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, UCLA and UC Berkeley.

Education
B.S. Psychology — UC San Diego
M.S. School Counseling — CSU Long Beach
P.P.S. School Counseling Credential — CSU Long Beach

Dan Kwon is a Principal Consultant at FLEX and has over 7 years of experience working with students interested in a wide range of schools. His students have been placed at top-caliber universities, including all of the Top 20 Private schools.

A Bay Area native, Dan graduated from Mission San Jose High School. He attended UC Berkeley and graduated with a BA in English and then earned a JD at the Santa Clara University School of Law. While at SCU, Dan was a Judicial Extern for a United States District Judge. Prior to joining FLEX, he previously worked at a speciality scientific instrumentation technology company.

uring his collegiate years, Dan played volleyball for both UC Berkeley and SCU earning a League Championship and 2nd Team All-American Honors. Later he went on to coach at Mission San Jose High School and Archbishop Mitty High School earning league, section and state championships. Dan also co-founded and directed a successful junior club volleyball program that earned multiple JO bids.

Dan specializes in working with high-level students, athletics, and Ivies.

• B.A. English – UC Berkeley
• JD – Santa Clara University School of Law

Danny Byun is the Chief Principal Consultant at FLEX and is one of the top college admissions experts in the world. He is the founder and President of FLEX and has helped thousands of families find the right college fit and navigate their way through the complex American college admissions process.

Danny began his career in consulting with PriceWaterhouseCoopers & KPMG. He worked in the Mergers & Acquisition department of a Fortune 300 company and was the founder of a boutique human resource and executive recruitment firm.

Danny is also the author of “Getting In”-a book on insider tips on college admissions for immigrant families. He has been a columnist at India West, Korea Daily and the World Journal newspapers.

Danny specializes in working with high-level students, digital humanities, Ivies, international students and student entrepreneurs.

Jay has extensive experience working with a wide range of students including international students and transfer students with college admissions, as well as younger students with private middle and high school admissions. He is a certified Strong Interest Inventory counselor who can help students explore their academics interests and determine a suitable major for college admission.

Jay has been with FLEX since 2012. In this time, he has worked with hundreds of students throughout Northern and Southern California and internationally to help them get into their dreams schools. Jay has supported students to gain admittance to colleges including Columbia University, Brown University, Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan, NYU, USC, Boston College, and all UC campuses.

Education
B.S. Microbiology – UCLA
M.S. Global Medicine – USC

Mr. Jon Wei studied Electrical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and later at Northwestern University for his master’s degree. He began his career in IT, working for companies like Kaiser Permanente and Oracle. During this time, Mr. Wei found himself consulting numerous students for their graduate school applications, providing them with valuable advice from his own experiences. This ignited his interest in admissions consulting and prompted him to begin working as a college admissions and guidance counselor in 2004. Mr. Wei went on to earn his certificate in College Planning and Applications from UC Berkeley.

Over the years, Mr. Wei has been a featured guest speaker on Chinese TV and radio, as well as at numerous educational seminars. He is passionate about students’ college readiness and has helped more than 100 students gain admission into top tier universities.

• B.S. Electrical Engineering – Carnegie Mellon University
• M.S. Electrical Engineering – Northwestern University
• College Admissions and Counseling Certificate – UC Berkeley

Judy has over 16 years of experience as an educator, working with students spanning preschool to high school graduates. A native of the San Gabriel Valley, she graduated at the top of her class from La Canada High School, going on to earn her B.A. in Social Studies magna cum laude from Harvard University. At Harvard, she was awarded the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Travelling Fellowship to teach English at a private boarding elementary school and magnet high school located on the outskirts of Beijing.

Upon returning to the US, she became a founding teacher at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy near Downtown Los Angeles and received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. In addition to her public education experience, she taught high school history and human rights at Wildwood School, an independent school in West Los Angeles. During her tenure at Wildwood, she also worked with students on the college application process. Judy later attended UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute, earning her M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Preliminary Administrative Credential.

Judy has been at FLEX since 2014. She loves building relationships with students, drawing out their stories and mentoring them. Her students’ college placements include MIT, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Cal Poly Pomona’s Honors Engineering Program, and more.
Judy’s experience with her own three daughters, combined with her teaching and counseling experience, allows her to observe the educational spectrum from birth to high school graduation. She strives to support families and students to make informed choices and to attend a university that best fits their talents and personality.

Education
B.A. Social Studies – Harvard University
M.Ed. Educational Administration and Preliminary Administrative Credential – UCLA

Lydia is a college counselor certified through the UCLA College Counseling program and has been with FLEX since 2012. She has enjoyed assisting college-bound students since her college years at the University of Pennsylvania and graduate studies at Harvard University. Now a dedicated college counselor with a strong sense of commitment, she has worked with a broad array of students ranging from inner-city schools to private school students in the Los Angeles area.

Lydia is a current alumni interviewer for UPenn and a member of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling. She continues to learn and stay informed on the latest admissions news by attending counselor conferences and workshops at the regional and national level.

As a bilingual counselor, Lydia has the strengths to help Korean immigrant families navigate the often-puzzling college admissions practices. Having been an international student herself, she also enjoys guiding international students through the application process.

At FLEX, Lydia has worked with students who have been admitted to Brown University, Boston University, Case Western University, Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvey Mudd College, MIT, Northwestern University, Occidental College, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Washington, Washington University at St. Louis, all of the University of California campuses, and more.

Education
B.A. Architecture – University of Pennsylvania
M.S. Architecture – Harvard University
College Counseling Certification – UCLA

Paul has over 19 years of years of teaching and counseling experience, 12 in a university setting and 7 in a private academy. As a former professor in American Cultures and Asian American Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Paul understands the expectations and rigors of college life and strives to prepare students for that next stage of their educational journey.

Paul believes that fit is more important than ranking when it comes of choosing a college and that success is defined more by one’s achievements than by a school’s academic reputation. That said, his students’ college placements include Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Penn, Cornell, Duke, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, USC, Carnegie Mellon, and more.

Paul graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a BA in English (Honors) and a minor in Art History. As an undergraduate, he also studied abroad at the University of Kent at Canterbury, where he earned a University Diploma, with merit, in English and American Literature. While in graduate school at UC Irvine, Paul also attended the School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University. He has delivered numerous conference papers around the country and has published a scholarly article on James Joyce and Irish colonial subjectivity.

In his spare time, Paul likes to travel, eat good food, and learn about wine.

Education
B.A. English (Honors), Minor in Art History – USC
M.A. English – UC Irvine
Ph.D. English (Candidacy) – UC Irvine

Robert has been with FLEX since 2013, and in this time has helped hundreds of FLEX students achieve their college dreams. Robert has worked with students who have been admitted to Stanford University, Brown University, NYU Stern, Santa Clara University, University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, and all University of California campuses.

Robert has a passion for working with students. He has led Spiritual and Diversity Retreats at Los Altos High School and Archbishop Mitty High School. Robert has wide knowledge of private schools in the South Bay, and he personally attended Archbishop Mitty High School. Robert graduated from Santa Clara University cum laude, with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara.
Robert enjoys backpacking and Ultimate Frisbee in his free time, previously coaching the SCU Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. He has hiked and backpacked in California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Montana.

Education
B.A. Psychology and Philosophy – Santa Clara University
M.A. Clinical Psychology [in progress] – Santa Clara University

Sunny has been with FLEX since 2013. Before this, Sunny worked as an Admissions Counselor at Shepherd University. She also worked for a non-profit organization to develop English teaching materials for underprivileged children around the world. During her master’s program at Biola University, she travelled to China for two years to teach English to high school students.

Sunny’s college placements include all the UCs, Princeton, USC, U Michigan, Santa Clara, Purdue, UIUC, Case Western, University of the Pacific (Pharm), Northeastern (Pharm), Cal Poly-SLO, Occidental, Colgate, Brandeis and more.
Sunny strives to be a nurturing counselor at FLEX and also has a soft spot for students who immigrated to the U.S. in adolescence. She herself came to the U.S. at age 15 as an international student from Korea. Sunny’s years of experience working with children of all ages show how much she enjoys interacting with and helping students.

Education
B.S. Biology – UC Berkeley
M.A. Education – Biola University

Tiffany has been with FLEX since 2007, where she started as a science and math instructor. Her previous work experiences include positions in land development, children’s ministry, and oncology research. Tiffany spent her undergraduate years at Stanford University, where she majored in the Biological Sciences and minored in Economics. She also holds masters degrees in counseling and history from Westminster Seminary. An avid reader, she is always up for a good hike and enjoys noodles of all shapes and sizes.

While Tiffany has guided hundreds of students to top-caliber schools in her tenure at FLEX, she most enjoys finding the best fit school environments for each individual student. She encourages students to focus not only on application strategy and outcomes, but also on personal growth through the application process and on long-term goals beyond the undergraduate years.

Her specialties include STEM, digital humanities, international school students, motivational challenges, scholar athletes, and building personal narratives.

• B.S. Biology, Minor in Economics – Stanford University
• M.Div. Counseling – Westminster Seminary

Master Consultant

As the valedictorian of her senior class, Yvonne chose to attend UC San Diego and later graduated cum laude in psychology and ethnic studies (with special honors distinction in ethnic studies). Yvonne went on to earn a M.A. in education at UCLA and a M.A. in sociology at UC Santa Cruz. She also completed her Ph.D. in sociology—and received many research fellowships and distinctions for her work on Asian Americans, trauma, mental health, and education.

Yvonne is currently a Society of Fellows postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth College. She joined FLEX in 2012 and has worked as an SAT/ACT instructor and curriculum expert, college essay specialist, and counselor.

Yvonne has been working in counseling and education for over 11 years. In addition to previously serving as a supervisor in a program run by the California Student Aid Commission, she has been an instructor and teaching assistant for numerous courses at UCLA, UCSC, and Dartmouth College. Yvonne is also a reader for the UCLA Alumni Scholarship program. Yvonne’s students’ college placements include Boston University, Case Western, Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Georgia Tech, Oberlin College, NYU, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, USC, UT Austin, Washington University at St. Louis, all UC campuses, and more.

Yvonne tends to be more assertive in her counseling style. She sets clear but high expectations and challenging deadlines for her students, but she also recognizes the need for holistic counseling that involves candid discussions about academic, family, and individual pressures. As a first generation college student who has not only worked extensively with high school and college students, but also conducted systematic research on educational access and inequities, Yvonne enjoys working with a wide array of students who may have very different backgrounds and interests.

Education
B.A. Ethnic Studies and Psychology – UC San Diego
M.A. Social Science and Comparative Education – UCLA
M.A. Sociology – UC Santa Cruz
Ph.D. Sociology – UC Santa Cruz

College Essay Instructor

Bio coming soon.

Master Consultant

Corbin graduated from Williams College with a degree in Comparative Literature, certificate in Spanish, and concentration in Africana Studies. He has more than seven years of experience counseling students from middle school to applying for medical school. Having worked at his college’s Writing Center, at a local high school, and at a test prep academy, he brings multiple years of teaching experience to the FLEX team.

Corbin is a caring, yet firm, counselor who believes in his students’ potential to become effective thinkers and doers as globally-aware citizens. His approach is methodical, creative, and personalized to each student’s needs and goals. Additionally, having grown up in a multicultural family in the San Gabriel Valley, Corbin gets along well with students and families who are from diverse backgrounds.

He has advised students who were admitted to the University of Chicago, all of the UC campuses, Rice University, as well as selective engineering and business programs, in addition to helping them earn millions of dollars in scholarships and grants.

Those who know Corbin think of him whenever there is good sushi or new museum exhibit. He has a sarcastic sense of humor and loves dancing to salsa and bachata music. Otherwise, he can be found traveling across the globe or brushing up on his Japanese and French.

Areas of Specialization

• Students seeking admission to highly-selective schools
• Students seeking admission specifically to Williams College, University of Chicago, and Rice University
• International students and families new to the U.S.
• Students with a strong interest in the humanities and linguistics
• Students who are not sure what they want to major in when they go to college
• Students with challenges sharing their personalities through their personal statements

Languages

• English
• Mandarin Chinese
• Spanish
• Hokkien/Min Nan Dialect

Education

• Williams College – BA in Comparative Literature (Spanish Certificate, Africana Studies Concentration)

Associate Consultant

Esther has been working with high school and undergraduate students since 2014. In her current position as an adjunct faculty member at USC, she served in the application review process for the Rossier School of Education. Prior to joining FLEX, Esther worked with students in China to apply to college or graduate school in the U.S. In addition to being an associate consultant, Esther also serves as a college essay instructor and SAT verbal teacher.

Esther earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Esther also spent two years teaching at Beijing Foreign Studies University in China as a visiting professor. She continues to work part-time at USC, where she teaches research methodology, diversity in higher education, and professional seminars. In her professional seminar course, she works with students on applying for graduate programs, preparing for interviews, and writing compelling essays and resumes.

Esther has helped students gain admittance to Georgetown, George Washington University, Syracuse, Bryn Mawr, UCSD, UCD, USC, Cambridge (UK), and Oxford University (UK).

Areas of Specialization

• Humanities students
• Building cohesive narratives

Language(s)

• English
• Korean
• Mandarin (Basic)

Education

• UCLA – B.A. Sociology, minor in Education
• University of Pennsylvania – Master’s in Education, emphasis in culture and society
• Yale University – Ph.D. in Sociology, specializations in research methodology, immigration, inequalities, and urban sociology

Associate Consultant

Tiffany Chi has four years of admissions consulting experience mentoring students to navigate the undergraduate and graduate admissions in the allied health professions. She started her consulting journey by helping her colleagues get accepted into Pharmacy, Physician assistant, Dental, and nursing professional schools.

Tiffany graduated from UC Irvine on a full ride scholarship achieving a B.S. in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Business management. She continued her stem academics by attending Pharmacy school.

Tiffany continued her career in the medical marketing consulting field, where she became the top marketing manager for Fortune 500 clients in healthcare, business, technology, and education environments. Tiffany’s varied life experiences include becoming Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Princess. She served as a cultural liaison in business, foreign trade in China, philanthropist who championed for Alzheimer’s Awareness, abused children, and supported PAMC cancer fundraisers through her art. She was also editor of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles Newsletter.

Tiffany’s passion includes art, integrative medicine, and mind-body holistic wellness. She teaches meditation and yoga classes in her spare time. Tiffany’s counseling approach is motivating, supportive, and mentoring. She assists students with their college and graduate application, admissions preparation, personal statement review, resume and interview techniques.

Areas of Specialization

• Students seeking admission to highly-selective schools
• Students seeking admission specifically to the University of California
• Pre-allied health students
• International students
• Student entrepreneurs
• Transfer students
• Students with difficulty crafting effective college application essays

Languages

• English
• Mandarin Chinese

Education

• Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy – Pharm.D.
• University of California Irvine– BS in Biological Sciences
• Minor in Business Management

Associate Counselor

Cristina graduated from Stanford University with distinction and has awards in both fiction and nonfiction for exceptional work in Creative Writing. She has more than two years of experience teaching students of all ages: elementary school students in Paris, high school students in East Palo Alto, and first generation immigrants at the Palo Alto Adult School. Her application essays were published in 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays and 50 Successful University of California Application Essays.

Cristina is a patient, compassionate counselor that sees her students as young adults capable of taking the responsibilities necessary to achieve their highest potential. She guides students by setting concrete, manageable objectives that help them achieve their long-term goal. She is empathetic to their needs while pushing them to strive for more than what is expected of them. Having grown up in Venezuela, Cristina has an easy time bonding with students that have recently moved to the United States.

She has advised students who were admitted to Stanford University, USC, and UC Berkeley, among others.

Those who know Cristina think of her when they come across boba shops or James Baldwin quotes. She is a believer in the importance and relevance of art, and enjoys a good cup of tea with a bit of dark chocolate.

Areas of Specialization

• Students seeking admission to highly-selective schools
• Students seeking admission specifically to Stanford, USC, UC Irvine, or Emory
• Underrepresented students
• International students
• Students with a strong interest in the humanities
• Students who have experienced personal challenges in their lives
• Students with difficulty crafting effective college application essays

Language(s)

• English
• Spanish

Education

• Stanford University – BA in English (Distinction)

Associate Consultant

With over 10 years of teaching experience in higher education, Justin knows what it takes for students to succeed and thrive. After receiving his BA from UCSB, Justin went on to earn his MA in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz. Justin has also enjoyed his time at the University of Cambridge and Columbia University. Privileged to travel to over 25 countries, Justin brings a unique global lens to the work that he does: seeing problems from multiple angles and finding new solutions and insights.

Justin’s mentoring experience includes roles in student affairs, research assistantships, university teaching, as well as serving as a resident advisor, where he helped freshmen navigate the crucial transition to college life. At FLEX, Justin has worked as an essay specialist in addition to his position as an admissions consultant. Justin’s mentoring style is one of tough love and high expectations. He calibrates his feedback accordingly while still pushing each student to be the best versions of themselves. Justin’s students can expect honest, prompt, and detailed appraisals that will push them past their comfort zone so that their college applications can shine.

Justin’s students have been accepted into schools such as: CalTech, UCs, Dartmouth, USC, John Hopkins, Northeastern, Swarthmore, and Washington University in St. Louis.

When he isn’t mentoring students, you will likely find Justin engrossed in books, savoring delicious food, watching an NBA game (go Warriors!), or jamming out to show tunes.

Areas of Specialization

• Students seeking admission to highly-selective, research-oriented universities and programs
• Students seeking to build a strong research profile
• Students specifically targeting UCs
• Crafting exceptional scholarship and admissions essays
• Social sciences/humanities students, especially those interested in sociology
• Students managing and navigating adversity.
• First-generation college students
• Students who are driven to do social justice/activist/community work

Education

• UC Santa Cruz – Ph.D. Coursework & Research
• UC Santa Cruz – M.A. Sociology
• UC Santa Barbara – B.A. Sociology