The mentor selects a university, analyzes and assesses the applicant's chances for admission, fills out all applications, and communicates with universities. But the most important and, in my opinion, difficult thing in our work is the psychological component. It is crucial to understand the client's request correctly. It often occurs that students don’t know exactly what they want, or can’t explain their desires with the right words.

My job is to decipher an entire life story from one sentence, "I want to study abroad" — to understand which countries are best suited for the applicant, and in which cities and even areas within the city he would like to study. Each institution has its own character, student community, and academic style. We not only have to choose a university based on the student's profile, but also properly gauge his or her character. More so, we have to find a balance between the expectations of the parents and the interests of the student, which, alas, do not always coincide. We select a university in a way that satisfies both parties.

I am often asked if it’s possible to study abroad for free. Unfortunately, not many countries offer an inherently free education, and it’s rather difficult to get a full scholarship. Not everyone immediately understands this.

Also, applicants and especially their parents ask not to consider private universities as options for admission. Many perceive private universities as some kind of commercial, short-lived projects that offer degrees which will not be recognized. In such cases, I usually explain that the most famous Ivy League universities (Stanford, Harvard) are private, and that they differ from public universities only in the principle of management. In the same light, private universities are in many ways ahead of state ones in terms of the curriculum and flexibility of thinking.

The languages I use for work are Chinese and English. Foreign languages ​​have always been easy for me, because I like to study the cultures of other people. At school, I regularly participated in open houses and cultural festivals. When the question of choosing a specialty arose, I decided to study at the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg State University, because it boasts the best academic base in the city.

I chose between the languages ​​of East and Southeast Asia, and eventually settled on Chinese, since I had already been to China and became acquainted with its culture. I also learned Burmese (the state language of Myanmar) at the university. I don’t use it at work, but I retain it as a radiant line on my resume.

I myself once went to an American university with a full-ride scholarship. It took me two years to find the specialty and university that I like, assess my chances for admission, and learn how to write a resume and motivation letters. After the admission process was behind me, and the letters of happiness from several American and European universities flooded my email, I realized that the ordeal was a great pleasure for me.

I enjoyed sharing my experience with fellow students and helping them with admission. Then, while studying and working in the United States, many came to me for advice, or asked to help choose a university or edit their motivation letters. I realized that I know a lot about the sphere of foreign education, and wanted to help others. That's how I came to UniPage.

I studied Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Massachusetts and worked as an Assistant Professor in the East Asian Languages and Culture Department. Granted, I know the American higher education system from two sides — both as a student and a lecturer. My responsibilities were to lead pairs with American students, help department professors with paperwork, run language clubs, communicate with future PhD students, and help them with their adaptation into the environment of American education.

Parallel to my studies in the United States, I did an internship at the Carnegie Think Tank under the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Region program. There, I tried myself as an analyst and journalist. Together with a team, I wrote news digests, analyzed English and Chinese media, and participated in master classes conducted by Russian and foreign orientalists.

I really love working with the United States (especially with admission to master's programs) and looking for assistant positions and scholarships. Since I worked at an American university for almost three years, I am very familiar with the principles of the selection process: I myself communicated and continue to communicate with professors who choose their own students. I know what to look at in the curriculum, which universities are good for which specialties, and where the acceptance rate is higher or lower. To advise and help in applying to the United States is what I genuinely enjoy.

I have been to 18 countries. As an orientalist by trade, I really love China and Southeast Asia. My most vivid memory is a trip to Tibet, a highland province of China. I flew there from Kathmandu — the capital of Nepal. The Himalayas and Mount Everest were visible from the plane window.

Four hours on an airplane, and you find yourself in a completely different world. Tibet retains a unique culture, and the people there astonish others with the resilience of their spirit. Not everyone can live at 4000 meters above sea level.

For many years, I have been a fan of figure skating. I personally skate at an amateur level, and plan to go to a figure skating school.

I listen to Career Coaches webinars at my university, which help keep abreast of the trends in the labor market and in education.

I also travel a lot. In the winter, I traveled to Lake Baikal and was delighted with the famous blue ice on the lake.

I embroider with beads as well. It is soothing during the peak of the admission period.