Recently, domestic popular culture, including K-pop, drama, and movies, has been gaining immense popularity worldwide. Although they have not achieved notable success like these, Korean startups are also gaining recognition for their potential in the global market. At this moment, young Koreans armed with fresh ideas and innovative technologies, dreaming of becoming the next key players, are preparing to showcase their abilities on the world stage. ChosunBiz met with these youth who aim to embrace the world and heard their dreams and goals.
Leaving behind a perfect elite path with a diploma from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a career in big tech, Choi Mi-ri, CEO of Admission, made an unexpected choice. After graduating from a prestigious engineering school and building her career at global information technology corporations, she chose the field of admissions consulting as her new stage. Boldly entering an admissions market so competitive it's been termed a real-life 'Sky Castle,' CEO Choi is proposing innovative methods that break existing frameworks by incorporating data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The AI admissions consultant 'Unni.ai' that Admission is developing analyzes data input by students to recommend colleges and provide real-time answers to inquiries. Her own experience of succeeding in admissions without consulting or tutoring during her time as an international student served as the foundation for this service. CEO Choi aims to dismantle the high expense barriers of traditional admissions consulting and provide equitable educational opportunities to more students.
Why did she choose uncertain challenges when everyone else opted for stable paths? I met CEO Choi at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to hear her story. The following is a Q&A.
-I'm curious about the reason you transitioned from a promising career to admissions consulting.
I majored in computer engineering at MIT and built my career at big tech corporations like IBM and Amazon. However, I didn't feel happy during my working life. I had a sense of doubt thinking, 'Did I study so hard to do work that doesn't suit me?' After realizing that getting into college was not the end but another beginning, I started to explore what I wanted.
Based on that, I returned to being a student and started sharing what I would have done differently through my YouTube channel 'MIT College Sister.' After those videos, inquiries about MIT admissions secrets surged, and what initially began as a hobby grew to the point where consulting income surpassed my salary. So, I decided to officially start admissions consulting.
-Have you ever thought about going back to big tech?
Not once. Since the small consulting business exceeded my Amazon salary within three months, it has seen consistent growth in revenue every year. Recently, we have been hiring more employees, including engineers, to develop the artificial intelligence (AI) consultant, and we now have over 20 employees.
-What prompted you to incorporate AI into admissions consulting?
The American college admissions consulting I run provides services to Korean students in 32 countries. However, the number of students we can accommodate is limited, while those seeking consulting has been steadily increasing. Currently, there are over 1,000 students on the waiting list.
So, while thinking about how to provide consulting to more students, I thought of utilizing my major in computer engineering. I began developing a personalized AI admissions consultant based on data, and recently, I placed third in a startup competition with that idea. We plan to launch the beta version soon.
-How does the AI admissions consultant 'Unni.ai' operate?
Unni.ai recommends suitable college lists by analyzing the student's GPA, SAT scores, activity records, etc. It also includes a chatbot feature that provides answers to frequently asked admissions questions. Currently, it is designed to reduce repetitive tasks, allowing for more focus on personalized consultations where human interaction is needed. The goal is to create a 'one-stop' platform that includes everything necessary for U.S. college admissions. Through the AI consultant, we aim to reduce traditional admissions consulting expenses to one-hundredth of current levels.
-Shouldn't high consulting expenses be beneficial for the company?
That's true, but there are more people who do not receive consulting than those who do. Besides the aforementioned issue of accommodating students, consulting expenses are exorbitant. I didn't receive consulting when preparing for college admissions, either. If more students can gain admission to U.S. colleges through the AI consultant and discover what they want to study during the process, that would be fulfilling for me.
-What do you think Korean students find most challenging?
They struggle to build their own branding. Many Korean students believe that if they study hard, that's enough, but U.S. college admissions are different. It's crucial to know what you enjoy and excel at and to create your narrative based on that. Every student has unique qualities, but Korean students tend not to find theirs and often prepare for admissions with similar profiles. From the admission officer's perspective, there aren't many Korean students that stand out. In fact, the proportion of Korean students admitted to Ivy League schools is decreasing.
-When do you feel most fulfilled in your work?
I feel great fulfillment not only when students succeed in gaining admission to college but also when they realize who they are and establish a clear vision for their future. Additionally, I am truly happy when parents say, 'We understand our child better now.' I believe our service contributes not only to admissions but also to improving family relationships.
-What are your future goals?
In the short term, I aim for the successful launch and expansion of the AI admissions consultant application. In the long term, I want to help more students in education and career paths find their ways healthily. To achieve this, I want to highlight the importance of education through YouTube and broadcasting activities, taking on a leading role in the ed-tech field as a top edutainer.
Choi Mi-ri, CEO of Admission, graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in computer engineering. She then served as a technical program manager at Amazon and was a global technology sales lead at IBM. The name 'Admission' implies the meaning 'I will help you find your path (mission) using ed-tech.'