Navigating the University Application Process

John Liu is in his eighth year as a University Guidance Counsellor, and this is his sixth year at YCIS Shanghai. Before joining YCIS, John was the Director of College Counseling and Student Support in an international school in Taiwan for four years, and prior to that he worked as a high school social studies teacher and Dean of Students in a New York City public, magnet school for seven years. John has an M.Ed in Private School Leadership, and an M.A. in Educational Policy and Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a M.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education from CUNY, Lehman. John loves to highlight the diverse talents and tremendous intellectual ability of YCIS students to University around the globe.

Karen Ozkurt joined YCIS Shanghai in 2017, after spending the past five years guiding students through the university admissions process at a private school in Istanbul. Karen has a B.A. from Wellesley College and Master of Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina. She worked for many years for community organizations in New York City before moving to Istanbul. Karen is excited to work with the diverse students at YCIS to help them on their journey to higher education.

Sonja Phongsavanh is in her fourth year at YCIS Shanghai, having previously worked as Associate Director of International Outreach and Admissions at Rochester Institute of Techonology in the United States for several years. Sonja has travelled in Asia, Europe and the Middle Eastern regions, and has always been interested in learning about different cultures. Sonja received her B.A. in Social Science with a minor in International Studies and her M.S. in Service Leadership and Innovation. She is excited to share her university admission experience with the students.