Academic Pathfinding
The right college shouldn’t cost you your peace of mind.
I'm Dr. Terry Kung, an internationally recognized college admissions expert, former Ivy League Assistant Director of Admissions, and education consultant with over 30 years of experience helping students, families and schools navigate the path to college with ease and strong outcomes.
Thirty years and counting…
Since the 1990’s, I have had a front row seat in highly selective college admissions and college counseling at top private schools across the U.S. I understand the nuances of the process from being on the ground and doing the work.
Results that speak for themselves
As college admissions continue to be ever more selective and nuanced, every year my students outperform the national admissions rates with over 80% admitted to their first-choice school.
Calm and confident
My role is much more than just getting students into the college of their choice; it's giving them the calm and confidence needed to navigate the process on their own terms.
For families
navigating it alone.
Most families are inundated with too much information and are left patching together fragmented, inconsistent advice from forums, other parents, and even school counselors. Every family I work with gets direct access to me personally, so the guidance stays consistent from the first conversation.
For schools
ready to evolve.
Whatever phase your institution is in, and whatever circumstances it is facing, I offer a clear, experienced point of reference for building and strengthening the systems behind your outcomes.
It’s my calling...
I'm sharing what three decades in college admissions and counseling taught me in this essay on Substack.
Here's what I wish every family knew.
College counseling at most schools starts too late, typically the second semester of 11th grade. Yet everything counts from the first day of high school. Long before any application is written, decisions are already shaping the story a student tells: which classes and activities to pursue, how to make the most of summers, when to prep for and take the SAT/ACT, when to visit colleges. Too often, these decisions happen without timely guidance.
Along the way, families are left piecing together advice from a patchwork of people: a teacher-advisor wearing many hats, a dean managing daily fires, a college counselor juggling many students–each brings their own perspective, but no one holds the full four-year picture. That's why the ideal guidance starts well before 11th grade and spans all four years of high school.
What working with me actually looks like.
My goal is to help students and parents experience the college process as something to look back on with pride, not just relief that it's over.
We start with a conversation about your student, your family, and what success truly means to you.
1.
I then look at the whole student, not just the academic record, and identify where the real opportunities lie.
2.
Together, we build a strategy that is intentional, bespoke, and designed for long-term results.
3.
You'll always know exactly where you stand, even as you grow and change directions–I'm in your corner the whole way.
4.
Guidance for every stage.
Comprehensive College Counseling
I guide students and their families through every stage of the process with a steady hand, an insider's perspective, and an enviable track record.
Boarding School
Concierge
For international families in particular, I serve as an advocate and cultural bridge, fluent in the system (and Mandarin).
Long-term Academic Planning
Starting as early as middle school, I build a roadmap that ties every part of the process together, timed to open doors years before applications are due.
School Systems
Consulting
I partner with schools to evolve or rebuild college counseling systems from the ground up, aligning culture, curriculum, and process to strengthen outcomes, retention, enrollment, and reputation.
Academic Crisis
Consulting
From school interruptions due to health or family reasons, to expulsion and academic probation, I've navigated it all. When a situation feels like the end of the road, I help you find the path forward.
Milestone Education
Planning
The big decisions get the most attention. I make sure the smaller ones (transfers, program changes, gap years) get the same level of thought.
Let’s start a conversation.
