Priya Singh: Senior College Admissions Counselor

Hi, I am Priya. I am very glad to be a part of the counseling team at Insight and hope to be working with you soon.

I have been a native of the Bay Area for the past 31 years and have lived in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Palo Alto. My family and friends work in Silicon Valley, so I am very aware of the ever-changing landscape that makes up technology. That being said, my own education and background has been very varied; prior to being a college consultant, I worked as an Integrative Health Coach and had the pleasure of coaching some of the senior executives in the Valley. After my MBA, I was employed as a consultant at one of the top consulting firms in the country; this experience was a revelation to corporate America and extensively enhanced my exposure to the product industry. Subsequently, I worked as an events coordinator on the UC Berkeley campus where I met a wide range of intellectuals, all of whom kept me constantly learning. After that, with over 30 years as a yoga practitioner and teacher, I dabbled at being an entrepreneur when I ran my own yoga studio in Berkeley.

My journey towards becoming a college consultant started in 2014 when I had to support my high-functioning son for his college apps. He graduated college with a degree in the classics and my daughter graduated with a BS in computer science. Even prior to this however, I had been working with students with their essay writing and editing for undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. work. My experience as a parent made me aware of the stress that surrounds the college application process, and I decided to get certified as a college consultant because I felt that each student bought something unique to the table and needed to be treated as an individual with his or her own strengths.

I always go out of my way to know my students, so I can support them in a way that works best for them. Working on their activities and summer plans is a great way for me to understand their academic, creative, athletic, and social skills. This also helps when we research colleges that best fit the student’s personality, goals, and needs. Additionally, knowing that the essays provide the foundation of a strong application, I like to spend time brainstorming ideas and I encourage students to keep enhancing each draft with subtle nuances that help in transforming an essay from good to great. I feel that I can handle any situation in a very grounded manner, and always bring a calm presence to the consulting sessions.

After working in this industry for the past eight years, I have had the pleasure of seeing my students do well at colleges like Johns Hopkins, UIUC, Syracuse, LMU, Georgetown, NYU, Cornell, Yale, Amherst, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Boston University, Northeastern, University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, Rice, CMU and many more. The positive emails that I receive from parents and students after the application process are very heartwarming. I absolutely love to know that my students are happy and thriving.

On a personal note, I am an enthusiastic amateur golfer and an avid yogi. When I am not working with students, I enjoy long walks, watching TV shows, meeting friends, and trying out new restaurants.