About Momentum

Momentum College Prep was founded to make college admissions more personal and clear. We help students navigate selective admissions with hands-on guidance, strong writing support, and strategy grounded in today's admissions landscape. Every plan starts with the student: their goals, interests, and context, built into an application that's authentic and competitive.

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Our Services

Our Approach

How we think about admissions

College admissions decisions aren't made by formulas or checklists. They're made by people, reading applications in context, often with far less time than the process deserves.

Our job is to help students make smart decisions, communicate clearly, and tell a story that holds together, so admissions officers see a real, complete person on the page.

Judgement over checklists

Admissions outcomes depend on how academic performance, interests, writing, and context come together for each applicant.

Clear guidance, at every step

We help students stay focused and confident throughout the admissions process, with personalized support, honest feedback, and a clear sense of what to prioritize and when.

About us

Thoughtful guidance for today’s admissions landscape

Momentum College Prep was founded after navigating the admissions process firsthand and seeing how it could be done better. What stood out was how stressful and impersonal the experience often felt, even for capable, motivated students.

We built Momentum to do this differently. Every student works closely with a near-peer advisor, a recent graduate of a top university who understands the process from the inside. Applications go through multiple rounds of review before submission, ensuring each student's story is presented clearly, honestly, and with confidence.

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Our Services

People

The Momentum Network

Students work with a small team who bring recent, firsthand experience navigating selective admissions. Our advisors understand how applications are evaluated today and work closely with students to provide clear strategy, strong writing support, and steady guidance throughout the process.

Raj Hamlai

Founder

Raj Hamlai

Founder

Raj founded Momentum College Prep and has advised students since 2019; he earned his BA in Economics with a minor in Geophysics from UCLA and holds early admission to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA program.

Raj Hamlai

Founder

Raj Hamlai

Founder

Natalie Baltimore

Principal Consultant

Natalie Baltimore

Principal Consultant

Natalie holds a BA from UCLA and an MS from Columbia University and brings a strategic, service-driven perspective to helping students navigate selective college admissions.

Natalie Baltimore

Principal Consultant

Natalie Baltimore

Principal Consultant

Natalie holds a BA from UCLA and an MS from Columbia University and brings a strategic, service-driven perspective to helping students navigate selective college admissions.

Dr. Joy Li

Senior Consultant

Dr. Joy Li

Senior Consultant

Joy holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell and an MS and PhD from Duke University; she has extensive interdisciplinary research experience and mentors students across academic stages with a strong foundation in research and teaching.

Calista Ordas

Senior Consultant

Calista Ordas

Senior Consultant

Calista holds a BS in Earth Systems with a minor in Data Science from Stanford University and is completing her MS in GIS and Spatial-Social Analysis. She served as Head Teaching Assistant for two of Stanford's largest sustainability courses and brings extensive experience helping applicants articulate their authentic narratives.

Katie Jain

Senior Consultant

Katie Jain

Senior Consultant

Katie is a magna cum laude graduate of Brown University with a double major in History and International & Public Affairs, with experience as a Teaching Assistant and SAT tutor, specializing in helping humanities-focused students craft compelling college applications.

Robert Farbman

Senior Consultant

Robert Farbman

Senior Consultant

Robert earned his BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and draws on his experience in legal writing and student mentorship to help applicants craft clear, compelling applications.

Audrey Wijono

Senior Consultant

Audrey Wijono

Senior Consultant

Audrey is a recent Brown University graduate with a B.A. in History and has experience working with the United Nations; mentors students on personal statements and supplemental essays with an emphasis on clear, individualized narratives.

Allison Nathan

Senior Consultant

Allison Nathan

Senior Consultant

Allison is a third-year student at Dartmouth College majoring in Biology with minors in International Studies and Spanish on a pre-health track, with experience in polio research, global health programs, and studying and working abroad in Peru and Argentina.

Ezekiel Wells

Senior Consultant

Ezekiel Wells

Senior Consultant

Ezekiel is a student at Harvard University studying statistics and economics, focused on political polarization and social mobility. He co-founded Crossroads America, a documentary project on trust and division across the United States, and brings a global perspective shaped by his upbringing and schooling in China.

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OUR REVIEW PROCESS

How we evaluate applications — before colleges do

Before applications are submitted, we review each student’s profile the way admissions committees do — weighing academics, activities, writing, and context together rather than in isolation. This process helps students make realistic choices and avoid common strategic mistakes.

Student profile review

Academic record, course rigor, testing, activities, and personal context.

Goals and college fit

What the student wants — and how those goals align with the realities of selective admissions.

Committee-style evaluation

How applications are read, compared, and discussed at target schools.

Clear next steps

A focused plan that prioritizes what will matter most for each application cycle.

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Our Services

"I met with three different college counselors before choosing Momentum, and I'm so glad I did. They were the only ones who really took the time to get to know me and my goals, and they helped me develop a realistic plan for achieving them. I couldn't have gotten into my dream school without their help."

Momentum Client -

UChicago '27

Momentum Client -

UChicago '27

Momentum Client -

UChicago '27

Reach Out Today

Book a consult here.

Email Addres

info@momentumcollegeprep.com