Justin Obcena is a Graduate Coach at InGenius Prep with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience in higher education. He received his BA in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara, followed by an MA in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, and has completed PhD coursework at UC Santa Cruz. Justin’s mentoring experience includes roles in student affairs, research assistantships, university teaching, as well as serving as a resident advisor, where he helped first year students navigate the crucial transition to college life.
Over the last decade, Justin has coached hundreds of applicants through the college prep process, helping them to develop their profiles and craft compelling applications. His students have gone on to attend top-ranking universities, getting into their reach schools. Justin calibrates his feedback accordingly to meet each student where they are at while still pushing each individual to be the best versions of themselves. His students can expect honest, prompt, and detailed appraisals that will push them past their comfort zone so that their college applications can shine. Justin is known for delivering smooth counseling experiences, excels at strategic profile development, and is genuinely passionate about counseling and mentoring students.
Justin’s experiences have honed his wide array of skills in college coaching. At InGenius Prep, he specializes in helping students aiming for top-ranked programs strategically enhance their profiles, and crafting exceptional admissions essays. Justin encourages his students to not only focus on application strategy and outcomes, but also on personal reflection, critical thinking, and personal growth through the application process so that they can succeed in college and beyond.
