Red Gateways: College Consultants & Essay Specialists

We are a team that is passionate about helping students discover what they are looking for in a college – and find the right fit.

Working together with students and parents, we advise with college selections, evaluate families’ college financing options, facilitate essay writing, and create a strategy for compelling applications .

Our students have been accepted to highly selective national institutions, liberal arts and faith-based colleges, engineering schools, and public universities, including Cornell, Emory, Tufts, Northeastern, USC, Purdue, UT Austin, University of Washington, and Wheaton, to name just a few.

Ultimately, nothing gives us greater satisfaction than seeing students find their true college home.

Darran earned a BA from Colby College and an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) from Vanderbilt University. He has worked as a teacher and administrator in private secondary schools and as a corporate communications executive. He has been a college consultant and essay writing coach since 2016.

Li Er earned a BSc from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in banking and as a financial and business consultant. She has been a college consultant and essay writing coach since 2019.

Together we provide each student and family with the benefit of our differing strengths, experiences and expertise. Along with our shared passion for the process.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) Do you work in person? Online? Location? Time-Zone?

We are in the Greater Seattle area (PST) and are able to meet in person locally by arrangement, particularly for the initial session. But we generally communicate through FaceTime/Zoom and shared Google Docs and Sheets. We find that effective and efficient for all parties. And so no distance is too far!

2) How early do you start working with students? How late?

We focus on working with students in their sophomore or junior year but can begin the process as early as middle school with students and families who are ready to begin thinking seriously and actively planning for college. Students in their senior year are also considered, depending on their needs and circumstances.

3) What’s the first step in the process?

Email us to set up a complimentary initial consultation so that we can learn more about your needs and college interests. We can answer any other questions you may have about our services and the college application process.

4) What do you charge?

• $150 per hour for essay coaching and college consulting

• Please contact us for preferential pricing on college consulting and college essay packages.

5) What kinds of students do you work with?

The majority of students we work with are in the top 10% of their graduating class (in public and private schools) and are aspiring to attend elite and highly selective institutions. We have also enjoyed working, however, with motivated students who are seeking an optimal college experience. We see each student as unique and believe every young adult can benefit from a thoughtful and thorough application approach. Ultimately, finding each student the right fit is our gold.

6) How do you help students with college essays?

We first help with generating ideas for the main Common App (or Coalition App or equivalent) essay, as well as college-specific supplementary essays, through interactive discussions. Those then go through a rigorous, interactive editing process to reach a final draft, while coaching good writing techniques. We usually work with students individually but can do development work in groups.

The essays are also reviewed in context within the entire application. To that end, we also review the student's academic profile and extra-curricular activities so that the student can be seen as a whole in their application.

7) What kind of support do you give families for financing college?

After speaking with a family about their own unique situation, we provide information about various college financing options. Our focus is to educate families on the tools and options available to them, including the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

8) How do you help students and families decide which colleges to apply to?

We ask and listen. Then we ask more and listen more. Reviewing a student's activities and academic record, and through questionnaires and interviews, we seek to understand both the student's strengths and aspirations along with the family's needs and objectives. Using a 30+ point metric customized to each client, we then explore, discuss and shortlist specific colleges collaboratively. We help develop for each student a robust list of Reach, Target and Safety schools, with strategies for ED, EA and RD applications and considerations for institutional scholarships, need-based financial financial aid and merit aid.