Carlos Gooden
Former Director of Student Recruitment at the University of Chicago, and Application Reader at USC and UC San Diego
Carlos has spent more than 20 years in higher education, serving in admissions roles at nine institutions including the University of Chicago, University of Southern California, UC San Diego, and Xavier University. He holds a doctorate in Educational Administration and is currently publishing a peer-reviewed book on the subject. Carlos brings a research-based, student-centered approach to college counseling, grounded in both professional experience and academic study. Whether guiding students through applications or visiting campuses in his travels, he remains deeply committed to helping families make informed, meaningful choices.
Charles Lu
Former Director at UC San Diego, Associate Dean at Johns Hopkins University, and Executive Director at the University of Texas at Austin
Charles has led nationally recognized student success programs and reviewed thousands of applications at institutions including Johns Hopkins, UC San Diego, and UT Austin. A first-generation college student himself, he brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to his counseling. His students have gone on to schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, and UC Berkeley, and he has particular strength in guiding multilingual, multicultural, and first-generation students, as well as those pursuing STEM, pre-health, and research-focused paths. An avid traveler who has explored over 20 countries, Charles is also the co-founder of a nonprofit supporting first-generation students.
