As elite university acceptance rates plummet to historic lows, with Ivy League institutions now admitting fewer than 4% of applicants, a former Stanford admissions officer has built a global consulting firm delivering exceptional results: students working with HelloFAO are seven times more likely to gain admission to their target schools, with 100% of those working directly with FAOs securing placement at top-50 universities and their top three choices.

Families across the world are navigating an admissions landscape that has become more selective, more global, and more difficult to interpret. Acceptance rates at elite institutions continue to decline, evaluation criteria evolve year to year, and students from different countries increasingly find themselves competing in the same applicant pools.

Founded by Daniel Chung, who evaluated and held final committee voting rights for undergraduate applications at Stanford, Rice, and Swarthmore, HelloFAO has scaled from a US-based consultancy to 6 countries while maintaining personalized, expert-driven guidance. The firm’s recent expansion across Asia, with HelloFAO leading engagements in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines, reflects surging international demand for admissions expertise from families and schools hungry for genuine institutional knowledge.

“In an industry characterized by aggressive sales tactics and cookie-cutter approaches, we’ve proven that sustainable growth and exceptional outcomes are not mutually exclusive,” said Daniel, who brings 20 years of student advising experience. “We are growing successfully without VC investment, and our uniquely high ratio of former admission officers (FAOs) who are also former coaches, teachers, and counselors catalyzes our results. We care deeply about our students. That structural advantage translates directly into better outcomes.”

The Former Admissions Officer Advantage

HelloFAO’s model centers on insight from FAOs (former admissions officers) who understand the evaluation processes from the inside. This expertise shapes every aspect of the firm’s approach: advisors are hired for their experience working with top global universities and coaching students. Each student works with one dedicated advisor from start to finish, and comprehensive support spans college selection, essay development, test prep, interview coaching, and bespoke mentorship.

“The difference between a former admissions officer and a consultant who doesn’t have that experience is immeasurable,” Chung explained. “We know what admissions officers are looking for because we’ve been in those rooms making those decisions.”

Proven Results Across Global Markets

Over the past months, Chung met with students, parents, and education partners in Vietnam, China, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines, regions where interest in US and UK universities continues to grow rapidly. Despite differences in culture and education systems, the concerns raised were strikingly similar. Families wanted clarity on how admissions decisions are actually made, how international applicants are evaluated, and how to navigate an increasingly competitive process without relying on rumors or outdated advice.

In Vietnam, Chung spoke with students about the realities of competing in global applicant pools and the rarity of encountering former admissions officers who have evaluated applications at the highest levels. In Kazakhstan, he joined education leaders and local partners in Astana to discuss how students from emerging education markets can translate strong academic profiles into applications that resonate with Western universities. In the Philippines, Chung led a public seminar attended by families from both public and private schools, unpacking recent US and UK application cycle results using proprietary data.

“Across every market, families want guidance they can trust from advisors who genuinely understand the institutions they’re targeting, and how to lean into the unique localized aspects of their opportunities and culture,” Chung said. “That’s what we deliver. Not generic consulting.”

A Business Model Designed for Trust

HelloFAO’s leadership argues that trust is closely tied to how a company is built. Unlike many admissions consultancies that rely on aggressive sales funnels or investor-driven growth targets, HelloFAO is independent and bootstrapped, which enables reinvestment back into serving students better.

The company reached profitability in its first year and continues to grow primarily through referrals, a model Chung says reduces pressure to oversell or scale prematurely like many existing competitors. Approximately 96% of HelloFAO customers come through word-of-mouth referrals.

“The admissions advising industry today is bloated, preying on student confusion and parental anxiety, aggressively selling unnecessary services, saddling students with multiple team members who over-promise, under-deliver, and never bother to build a real coaching relationship.” said Ramish Zaidi, HelloFAO’s Chief Operating Officer. “HelloFAO was built by educators who truly care. With no corporate bureaucracy or investor pressure, we can say no when something doesn’t serve our students’ best interests. That’s a competitive advantage you can’t buy.”

In an increasingly crowded admissions consulting market, HelloFAO’s model emphasizes trust, relationship-building, and long-term student success. That structure has allowed HelloFAO to maintain personalized consultant-student matching, even as it expands internationally. Its consultant network includes former admissions officers, educators, and alumni from leading

global universities, offering institution-specific and culturally informed guidance to applicants pursuing undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs.

“We’re not trying to be the biggest admissions consulting firm. We are trying to be the most effective, which means staying true to genuine institutional knowledge from FAOs, dedicated advisors fostering student relationships, and unwavering focus on student success,” Chung concluded.

About HelloFAO

HelloFAO is a global admissions consulting firm delivering exceptional university placement outcomes globally. Founded by Daniel Chung, a former Stanford admissions officer with 20 years of student advising experience and on track to receive a master’s degree from Harvard in 2026, HelloFAO achieved 100% top-50 university placement in 2025. The firm’s methodology centers on institutional expertise from former admissions officers, personalized one-on-one advising, and comprehensive support spanning college selection through ongoing mentorship. All advisors have experience working in admissions at top-20 global universities, or are trained directly by a former admissions officer.

For more information, contact:

Geronne Abad geronnea@hellofao.com hello@hellofao.com