A Private Desk for Your College Journey

Universities are massive, complex bureaucracies where it is incredibly easy for students to feel lost. I built this practice to provide the exact opposite: a private, dedicated advising desk.

Without a clear roadmap, students waste tuition money, take redundant classes, and burn out trying to figure it out on their own. Admissions consultants help students get in, but navigating university systems to actually graduate requires a completely different skill set.

That is where I come in.

As your personal academic strategist and wayfinder through the labyrinth of degree requirements and college portals, I deliver the attentive, individualized support that students may not receive on campus. This commitment to genuine, student-centered guidance earned recognition when graduating students surveyed rated me one of the top UC Berkeley major advisors in 2018.

With over two decades of experience inside higher education, I know how the system works from the inside out. I specialize in helping community college students execute seamless transfer strategies, guiding international students through the complexities of the US higher education system, and coaching university students through the real-world hurdles of academic life.

I provide the strategic planning, honest reality checks, and career-focused encouragement students need to aim high and reach graduation day.

Let's make sure your college experience is Well Dunn.

(Note: To maintain strict institutional integrity and ethics, I do not offer private advising to current or prospective UC Berkeley students.)

Wooden desk with a laptop, camera lenses, smartphone, and other tech items near a window overlooking a snowy forest.
A woman with short dark hair and glasses is sitting at a desk using a laptop. The laptop is showing a video conference or an online meeting. There is a smartphone placed vertically on the desk next to the laptop, displaying the time 8:24. The desk is small with a lower shelf, and the wall behind is plain. There is a window on the left side letting in natural light.

About Our Advising Services

Our approach to advising is rooted in clarity, strategy, and honest reality checks. We believe that navigating a massive university system should not feel like wandering through an impenetrable maze. When students or families join us for our web-based sessions, we sit down together at our virtual desk to decode the bureaucracy and build a clear, actionable roadmap.

Our Advising Philosophy: Finding the "Yes" Our core philosophy is built on a simple premise: it is never our place to dissuade a student from their goals and dreams. When a student brings us an ambitious or unique target, we do not say "no." Instead, we find the rational path forward. We reframe the impossible into the possible, mapping out the exact reality of what it takes to achieve their highest aspirations. We are here to champion their vision and provide the concrete, strategic roadmap required to get there.

We do not do the work for the student. Instead, we draw upon decades of institutional knowledge to equip them with the exact strategies they need to take ownership of their education. Our core areas of guidance include:

  • Transfer Strategy & Planning: We untangle complex prerequisites and articulation agreements, ensuring community college students have a foolproof plan to reach their target four-year university.

  • Semester Success Coaching: We provide the ongoing support needed to manage time, navigate rigorous course expectations, and self-advocate, ensuring students stay on track to graduation.

  • Bridging Academics and Careers: We help students connect the dots between their scattered coursework, part-time jobs, and their future, building the real-world hustle needed for the professional landscape.

  • International Student Support: We offer specialized navigation for international students from across the globe, guiding them through the complexities of the US college system. (Note: All advising sessions are conducted in English to ensure absolute clarity of academic policies.)

  • Navigating AI & Academic Integrity: We provide structured, supportive strategies to wean students off AI shortcuts, helping them rebuild authentic critical thinking and protect their academic standing.