Katie Whitman
Independent College Counselor
Feeling confused or overwhelmed about college applications? I can give you personalized guidance on your college admissions journey.
I work directly with students and their families to help them develop an admissions profile based on individual strengths and interests, and effectively highlight academic and extracurricular achievements in their college applications.
Free Consultation
Finding the perfect fit
Application guidance
Free Consultation
Just like picking colleges, finding the right college counselor is all about fit. I want you to be able to get to know me, and for me to get to know you, before making a decision about working together long term, so I offer a free first meeting to all students and their parents.
Contact me anytime using the form below to set up a free consultation.
Finding the perfect fit
Without a solid knowledge base, building a balanced list of colleges that are a good academic and cultural fit is a daunting challenge.
I help students build a portfolio of target universities that match their personal interests and long term goals.
Application guidance
I take a long-term holistic approach by helping students identify key interest areas early on and advising them on choosing classes and extracurricular activities that will help them become more competitive applicants.
As students begin to draft their applications, I advise them on how to highlight achievements, activities, and interests in the strongest way possible, including guidance on writing effective admissions essays
About me
I began guiding high school students over ten years ago while attending Columbia University, as a resident advisor for Columbia’s summer high school program. After graduating from Columbia with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics, I joined Credit Suisse’s Investment Banking division in New York, where I honed my analytical skills and attention to detail, but missed working with students.
In 2012, I moved to Beijing to study Chinese language at Tsinghua University’s Inter-University Program (IUP) and achieve working fluency in Mandarin. Upon completing IUP, I transitioned into a full-time career in education.
Since then, I’ve worked with over 400 American and Chinese students as Resident Director for CET Academic Programs’ Intensive Chinese Language program, Associate Director of Student Life for Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, Director of Residential Life for the Middlebury Interactive Languages Beijing Academy, and an admissions consultant to Chinese students planning to attend college in the US.
In August 2018, I moved back to the US with my husband and our orange tabby cat, Huang Di. From my home base in Bellevue, WA, I specialize in advising high school students and their families from around the US and abroad in the areas above in both English and Mandarin.
Get in touch today!
Thank you for reaching out. I usually respond to messages via email within 48 hours.