U.S. Education Consulting
Daeyang Education Consulting is a boutique consulting practice for students and families preparing to enter U.S. middle and high schools. From day one, the same consultant takes full ownership of a student's academic record, personality, and family goals, and designs the plan together with them.
Premium Education & College Admissions Consulting Led by Harvard-Educated Director Inny Hu
We discover each student's potential and design a bigger future beyond the target college.
Meet the distinctive consulting services of Daeyang Education Consulting Group, the newest addition to Daeyang Immigration Law Firm.
“Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Boutique Study-Abroad Consulting Focused on Each Student
Limited Caseload
We cap how many students each consultant handles so every student receives the same depth of attention.
Focus on the Top 50 Schools
We build school-specific strategy centered on the top 50 U.S. private and boarding schools.
Expanded Reach to the Top 100
If a better-fit school exists, we broaden our review from No. 51 through No. 100.
Support After Admission
Our work doesn't end at the acceptance letter — we stay with the family through enrollment and college preparation.
Why Daeyang Education Consulting?
- Consistent oversight from diagnosis through graduation by the same consultant
- A capped cohort size that protects the depth of every consultation
- Proprietary data on the top 50 U.S. schools, refreshed every year
- School recommendations based on fit, not rankings
- Essay coaching in the student's own voice — we never ghostwrite
- Continuity from admission through enrollment and college preparation
- A monthly status report in Korean and an in-depth consultation each semester
- I-20, F-1 student visa, and SEVIS procedures coordinated with Daeyang Immigration Law Firm
What changes the outcome isn't the amount of information, but whether that information was interpreted for your child.
Given the same list of schools, one student thrives and plays to their strengths, while another spends two years just adjusting.
Our Approach
Why We Operate as a Boutique Practice
What sets study-abroad preparation apart is how deeply we understand the student. Taking on more students grows revenue, but it always dilutes the depth of consulting. We chose to protect our caseload instead.
One consultant manages dozens of students at once
A capped cohort per intake; once full, new students join a waitlist
Reuses last year's list or leads with rankings
Redesigned every year based on the student's temperament, academic intensity, and support needs
Fits student information into a standard template
Starts from the student's own words and experience, revised together multiple times
A different consultant at each stage breaks continuity
The same consultant stays involved from diagnosis through graduation
Contract ends once the acceptance letter arrives
Continues through enrollment management and college preparation
Our Promise to Parents
- We never overstate a school's chance of admission. If the odds are low, we say so and explain why.
- When we recommend a school, we back it with actual school data explaining why it fits the student.
- What the student writes stays the student's own work. We never ghostwrite.
- Every consultation is documented and shared with the family.
* We do not promise unsubstantiated financial aid or guaranteed admission. Every judgment is based on official school data and recent admissions outcomes.
Cases Where We're Especially HelpfulWho We Work Best With
First-Time Applicants
Families preparing to study abroad for the first time who need help figuring out what to do and when.
Undecided on Direction
Families weighing early study abroad versus 9th-grade entry, or boarding school versus day school.
Students With Clear Strengths
Students looking for a school that showcases a specific talent in music, art, athletics, or research.
Students Already Enrolled
Families reconsidering transfer or direction because the current school isn't the right fit.
Student Diagnostic & First Consultation
Six Dimensions for Understanding Each Student
In the first consultation, we map the student across the following six dimensions. This diagnostic becomes the basis for every decision that follows — school selection, test scheduling, and essay direction.
Grades over the last three years, subject-by-subject strengths and weaknesses, and how the current school evaluates students
Reading, writing, listening, and speaking assessed separately, with the preparation time each one needs
Fit for boarding life, resilience in a new environment, and self-management habits
Activities the student has sustained over time — music, art, athletics, research, service — and how deep that involvement runs
Ultimate career direction, budget range, sibling plans, and guardian circumstances
Religious background, dietary needs, and preference around the size of the Korean student community
Helpful to Bring to the First Consultation
Report cards from the last two or three years
English test scores, if available
A list of activities the student has kept up consistently
Target enrollment timing and grade level
An annual budget range you have in mind
* A consultation is possible even without these materials, but having them on hand lets us give more concrete guidance on the spot.
Questions We Hear Most Often at the First ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
My child's English still isn't strong. Is it too early to start?
Not at all. What matters isn't the current score but how far it can realistically rise in the time remaining. After the diagnostic, we set a realistic target score and timeline, and include schools with strong international-student support on the list.
When is the best time to start preparing?
18 months before departure is the most stable timeline — it leaves room for more than one test attempt and time for school visits. Within 12 months, we move to a compressed schedule and start by narrowing the realistic range of schools.
What should we budget for the total cost?
It varies significantly by school and region. During consultation, we build an annual cost estimate — tuition, boarding, insurance, flights, allowance, and vacation costs — based on each candidate school's published figures.
How are school breaks and guardianship handled?
Dormitory policy during breaks and guardian requirements differ by school. We check each school's rules in advance and build in guardian arrangements, break-time housing, and airport transfers.
Full Preparation Timeline
Starting 18 Months Before Departure Is the Most Stable Approach
Applying with less than 12 months of preparation is still possible, but it narrows your test schedule and school options. Below is our standard timeline.
18 months before departure
In-depth student diagnostic, organizing grades and activity records, confirming family goals, budget discussion, finalizing the overall timeline
15 months before departure
Review centered on the top 50 schools, expanding to 100; balancing reach, target, and safety schools; organizing each school's required documents
From 15 months before departure
Selecting a combination of SSAT, ISEE, TOEFL, TOEFL Junior, and Duolingo; scheduling test dates; setting target scores
9 months before departure
Coaching student and parent essays, guidance on requesting recommendations, organizing the activities list, building the portfolio
7 months before departure
Analyzing each school's interview format, repeated mock interviews, preparing questions for the student to ask, planning campus visits
March
Providing a comparison of admitted schools, reviewing financial aid terms, supporting the final enrollment decision
3 months before departure
Confirming the I-20, F-1 visa interview preparation, SEVIS and insurance procedures, vaccination records, dorm assignment, guardian designation
After enrollment
Reviewing semester grades and teacher comments, course-selection consulting, break planning, linking into college preparation
- * Boarding school admission results are typically concentrated around March 10.
- * Step 7 — visa and departure procedures — is coordinated with Daeyang Immigration Law Firm's dedicated staff.
Recommended Start Time by Current GradeWhen to Begin
U.S. Grade 7 or 8
Build the English foundation first; begin test prep about a year later.
U.S. Grade 8 or 9
Complete the diagnostic and schedule tests no later than this semester.
U.S. Grade 9
The most competitive applicant pool — leave room to sit each test twice.
U.S. Grade 9 or 10
Move to a compressed timeline and confirm the realistic school range first.
U.S. Grade 10
Fewer openings — cast a wide net and consider day schools as well.
- * General guidance based on the Korean school system; adjusted to each student's English readiness.
- * If less than 12 months remain, we design a separate compressed schedule that runs test prep and document work in parallel, and also review schools that accept students after January or offer fall-semester re-application.
School Selection Strategy
Focused on the Top 50, Expanding to the Top 100
We focus primarily on the top 50 U.S. private and boarding schools, maintaining and updating our own data each year on academic intensity, teacher-to-student ratio, international-student support, and college placement outcomes. At the same time, we never recommend a school on ranking alone — schools ranked 51st through 100th clearly include some that are stronger in specific areas or offer more robust international-student support.
2–3 schools
Schools whose requirements exceed the student's current profile. We include only ones where admission would clearly be worthwhile.
3–4 schools
Schools where grades and test scores fall within the range of recent admits. This tier anchors the overall strategy.
2–3 schools
Schools with a high likelihood of admission that the student would still genuinely want to attend — never added just to fill a slot.
What We Actually Check When Choosing a SchoolCheckpoints
School size and class size
Share of boarding students
Academic intensity and workload
AP or IB availability
International-student share and nationality mix
ESL and academic-support systems
Depth of arts and athletics programs
Co-ed status and religious affiliation
Location, climate, and airport access
Size of the Korean student community
Recent college placement outcomes
Financial aid and scholarship policy
Location Is Part of the School Decision TooRegions
New England
Home to the traditional boarding schools. Academically intense, with long winters.
Mid-Atlantic
Strong access to major cities, making visits and travel easier, with more day-school options.
West Coast
Convenient flights to Korea, a milder climate, and a large Korean community.
South & Midwest
Many schools with strong facilities relative to cost, and a comparatively lower share of international students.
We Also Consider Options Beyond Boarding SchoolOther Options
- Day School Plus Homestay · For students not yet ready for boarding life, or for siblings studying abroad together
- Faith-Based Schools · We check how religious life actually operates day to day and how much participation is expected before recommending
- Schools With a Specialized Strength · For students strong in music, art, ice hockey, or math and science research, this can outperform chasing rankings
- Entering at the Middle School Level · Schools that admit from grade 7–8, giving students an earlier runway to adjust to the U.S. academic style
* Financial aid for international students is limited among U.S. private schools, and schools differ on whether applying for aid affects the admissions decision. We check each candidate school's actual policy and track record before deciding where to apply for aid and where not to.
Post-Admission Support & Program Structure
The Real Work Begins After Admission
Students have to manage language, academics, and boarding life all at once, and time zones and language make it hard for parents to communicate directly with the school. We treat this stage as the core of our service.
We translate semester grades and teacher comments into Korean and work with the family to choose next semester's courses in line with the student's college goals.
We handle or summarize communication with academic advisors, dorm staff, and the international-student office as needed.
A monthly status report in Korean plus an in-depth consultation each semester, covering grade trends, activity involvement, teacher feedback, and next steps.
For unexpected situations — academic probation, disciplinary proceedings, health issues, roommate conflicts — we explain the school's process and help decide how to respond.
We plan summer programs, research and volunteer activities, travel home, and break-time guardianship in advance, aligned with each grade level's goals.
Starting in 9th grade, we manage a four-year course plan and activity portfolio, and check in on family goals separately from the school counselor.
* Consultation times are scheduled around both Korean and U.S. time zones; emergency contact procedures are explained at the start of the engagement.
Program StructurePrograms
Comprehensive Management
The full journey from diagnostic through post-admission enrollment support
- In-depth student diagnostic and goal setting
- School list design and updates
- Testing and English roadmap management
- Full essay and document coaching
- Mock interviews and campus-visit planning
- Visa and departure support
- Includes the first year of enrollment
Focused Application Support
Centered on application-stage support for families who already have a direction
- Reviewing and refining the school list
- Essay and document coaching
- Guidance on requesting recommendations
- Mock interviews
- Comparing results and final-decision consulting
Enrolled-Student Support
Ongoing management for students already enrolled in the U.S.
- Analyzing semester grades and comments
- Course selection and activity planning
- Support communicating with the school
- Monthly report in Korean
- Transfer review and college-prep continuity
* All three programs run on a capped-cohort basis; once full, new students join a waitlist. Program capacity and fees are provided after an individual consultation confirms the student's situation.
Daeyang Education Consulting Group
Daeyang Education Consulting Group is the education consulting division dedicated to U.S. middle and high school admissions and enrollment support.
Daeyang Immigration Law Firm connects clients preparing to immigrate to or establish themselves in the U.S. with top experts for their children's education as well. Daeyang looks even more closely at the education and future that naturally follow immigration.
Inny Hu
Education & College Admissions Consultant
- Founder, Daeyang Education Consulting Group
- 25+ years of experience in U.S. education and admissions consulting
- B.A., Amherst College
- Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Developed curricula for international education organizations including Princeton Review, CollegeBoard, Scholastic, and Disney English
- Delivered a special lecture on international recruitment at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Business
- Served four years as a Harvard alumni admissions interviewer
- 10th President, Harvard Club of Central Florida
- (First Korean-American woman elected president)
Minnie Hu
Education & College Admissions Consultant
- Director, Daeyang Education Consulting Group
- Senior Director, Education & College Admissions Consulting, EdMissions Office
- 10+ years of experience in U.S. admissions and education consulting
- Education Director, Educational Guidance Group, LLC
- Curriculum and program development, project management, and marketing
- B.S., University of Florida
- B.S., University of the Pacific
Request a Consultation
If you share your student's recent report card and test scores with us, we'll give you an initial read on the realistic preparation timeline and range of schools. Consultations are conducted by email or Zoom, and a dedicated consultant will follow up in the order requests are received.
