Daniel is a career educator with over a decade of experience as a college counselor, creative writing instructor, and adjunct English professor. He is known for helping students identify their genuine academic interests and develop cohesive application narratives that highlight unique personal qualities to admissions officers.
After studying International Relations as a John Carroll Scholar at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, Daniel was awarded a full scholarship to the Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. There, he earned an MFA in Creative Writing and taught undergraduate courses in the English department for three years. Later, he taught creative writing for competitive summer programs at Stanford and UCLA and lectured on essay writing at community colleges in and around Los Angeles. His classes were always ranked well above school and departmental averages, and student feedback consistently praised Daniel for helping them grow as people and as writers.
As a college counselor, Daniel emphasizes emotional connection and relationship-building with his students to understand what makes them tick. He works with students to identify authentic passion projects that can help them stand out among the countless applications that universities receive each year. Over the years, he has mentored students from diverse backgrounds, including international students, student-athletes, neurodivergent students, scientific researchers, creative artists, and academic Olympiad winners. Through clear guidance, creative application strategy, and careful planning, Daniel’s students have received dozens of acceptance letters to the Ivy League, elite liberal arts colleges, leading research universities, and prestigious programs in the UK, EU, Canada, and Hong Kong.
Beyond helping students achieve successful admission results, Daniel’s goal is to minimize the stress that accompanies the college application process. His public lectures on effective application strategies, changes to the college admissions landscape, and tips for applying to highly selective universities have provided calm and reassurance to many families.
- He was hired to translate Alberto Chimal's award-winning allegorical novel "Gente del Mundo" from Spanish into English.
- Daniel was a DJ in Los Angeles who presented at college symposiums on the use of ambient music to relax students, improve focus, and stimulate creativity.
- He made an experimental film, “Pink Elephant,” which was selected for the Los Angeles IFS Film Festival
- He enjoys caring for his three dogs, twelve chickens, nine rabbits, four geese, five quails, eight ducks, and hundreds of koi fish.
- He likes to read, paint, meditate, garden, and listen to ambient music in his free time.
- Daniel loves to travel and has lived in Mexico, Spain, Malta, and Thailand. He has been awarded research grants to explore the Amazon jungle and the Atacama Desert (to write his first novel).
