MEET OUR TEAM

With over 200 combined years of experience in education, our college consultants have collectively dedicated over 100,000 hours to become world-class experts in helping 6th–12th graders get into Ivy League/Top 25 universities, or at least a tier or 2 better university

Daniel Abarca

Daniel Abarca

College Consultant

  • Graduated from Harvard University & 4+ years of experience as an alumni interviewer
  • 10+ years of education experience across tutoring, college counseling, success coach, and teacher at Teach for America (one of the most competitive teaching positions to get in the US and distinguished within the top 5% of teachers)
  • Demonstrated track record of helping students get accepted into Ivy League & Top 10/20 universities for both STEM & non–STEM majors and some of the most competitive programs/internships in the US (MIT Research Science Institute (RSI), Bank of America Student Leaders, etc.)
Albany Vega

Albany Vega

Former Admissions Reviewer: Stanford & UC Berkeley

  • Graduated from UCLA and holds a Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania
  • Reviewed 1,400+ applications for undergraduate admissions between Stanford and UC Berkeley across a variety of STEM & non-STEM majors
  • 8+ years of education experience, including helping students gain admissions to the Ivy Leagues and Top 25/50 universities including earning full-tuition scholarships
Paige Hasson

Paige Hasson

Former Admissions Officer: Columbia University

  • 6+ years of education experience at Columbia University including having reviewed 5,000+ applications across STEM and non-STEM majors
  • Served as an application reviewer and program manager for Columbia's Pre-college program, having reviewed 3,000+ applications
Stefan Waldschmidt

Stefan Waldschmidt

College Consultant

  • Graduated from UCLA & received a PhD from Duke University
  • 10+ years of education experience across college counseling, tutoring, and serving as an instructor at Duke
  • Demonstrated track record of mentoring STEM & non–STEM students who matriculated to Top 10/25 universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, Boston University (BS/MD program), and more
Samuel Fung

Samuel Fung

College Consultant

  • Graduated UC Berkeley from their Department of Engineering (ranked #2 in the country; tied with Stanford)
  • Specializes in working with students who are interested in pursuing STEM, healthcare, and business (along with other fields) and has successfully guided them into Ivy League and top 20 universities across the US
Christina Van Epp

Christina Van Epp

Former Admissions Comm.: Georgetown University

  • Graduated from Georgetown University (Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree) and former Georgetown Academic Counselor
  • Served as a member of Georgetown admissions committees and was an alumni interviewer for 7 years
  • 10+ years of education experience across college counseling, high school & college teaching with a strong track record of helping students get accepted into the Ivy Leagues & Top 10/25 universities
Melissa Benski

Melissa Benski

Former Admissions Officer: New York University

  • 5+ years of college counseling experience helping students gain admission to Ivy Leagues and top 25 universities (i.e. Yale, Penn, Dartmouth, Duke, Rice, NYU, USC, etc.)
  • Former Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at New York University where she's reviewed over 10,000+ applications including those for Stern School of Business & Tandon School of Engineering before making final admissions decisions
Ray Firmalino

Ray Firmalino

College Consultant

  • Graduated from UC Berkeley & holds a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Master of Science from Columbia University
  • 10+ years of counseling and education experience including teaching, academic advising, and career coaching roles at UC Berkeley, Columbia, and Harvard
  • Strong track record of helping students get accepted to the Ivy League, UCs and other top universities including MIT, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, etc.
Samantha Fifield

Samantha Fifield

Former Admissions Officer: Boston University

  • Graduated from Boston University (Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree) with 10+ years of undergraduate admissions experience at Boston University (7+ years as an Assistant Director)
  • Regularly advised students on the application process and evaluated 10,000+ applications across multiple academic disciplines as a member of the Board of Admissions
  • Current member of the National & International Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC & IACAC) to keep up with college admissions trends & network with admissions officers at universities across the US
Yohan Ahn

Yohan Ahn

College Consultant

  • 9+ years of experience working with students to gain admission to the top 25 universities for both STEM and non–STEM majors (Columbia, University of Penn, University of Chicago, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins)
  • Helped students get accepted to competitive programs and research internships, including Penn’s M&TSI, MIT BeaverWorks, UCSC SIP, and Harvard Med research labs
Sydney Stein

Sydney Stein

College Consultant

  • Specializes in advising families with 6th-12th graders interested in attending Ivy Leagues and other top universities for STEM, Business, and Healthcare
  • Experienced in providing actionable strategies, roadmaps, and recommendations for prestigious & competitive summer programs/internships and other extracurricular activities 
Shivani Suresh

Shivani Suresh

College Consultant

  • Graduated from Cornell College & holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics
  • 6+ years of education experience with a proven track record of guiding students to gaining admission to Ivy Leagues, Top 10/20/50 universities, and competitive pre–college programs/internships
Chris Haley

Chris Haley

College Consultant

  • Graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English Literature and secondary degree in Economics
  • Demonstrated track record of successfully reviewing and consulting on hundreds of domestic & international applications to Ivy League & Top 10/20 universities for undergraduate majors (STEM, Healthcare/pre-med, Business) & graduate programs (M.S., PhD, MBA, JD)
Ian Collis

Ian Collis

College Consultant

  • Graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) & received a Master of Science in Education, with a specialization in secondary education (6–12) from Johns Hopkins University
  • Experienced working with 6th–12th graders across tutoring, teacher at Teach for America (one of the most competitive teaching positions to get in the US), and college counseling by guiding families regarding admissions to top universities and competitive pre–college & undergraduate programs
Haley Tudor

Haley Tudor

College Consultant

  • 5+ years of college applications/essays editing experience and has worked with over 500+ students to develop, shape, and showcase compelling & unique college application profiles
  • Demonstrated track record of guiding students on college applications/essays with prior students gaining admissions to Top 25 universities (Stanford, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Caltech, John Hopkins University, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley, etc.) for both STEM and non–STEM majors
William Chung

William Chung

College Consultant

  • Track record of working with families whose students are interested in STEM, Business, and Healthcare to gain admissions into Ivy Leagues, UCs, and other top universities (Stanford, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Duke)
  • Consistently guide students to land prestigious internships/programs (BU RISE Internship, Penn’s M&TSI, Garcia, SUMaC, lowa SSTP, and more) in addition to winning national/international competitions (ISEF, DECA, Conrad Challenge, TSA, ISSCY, etc.)
Emily Schmidt

Emily Schmidt

College Consultant

  • 5+ years of education experience including high school science teaching and guiding students toward unique medical internships and biological research programs
  • Experience working in cellular and molecular biology research laboratories at Princeton University and former reviewer for Society for Science’s Broadcom MASTERS, a national STEM competition
Erick Kim

Erick Kim

College Consultant

  • Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • 5+ years of educational experience as a former Admissions Officer for the University of California and college consultant guiding students to Top 10/25/50 universities
  • Lead author and co-author of multiple research papers in scientific journals within the fields of biology and zoology
Cate Mclaughin

Cate Mclaughin

College Consultant

  • 12+ years of education experience across university teaching and college counseling, including as a writing coach for the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business's Communication Program
  • Extensive college counseling track record in providing individualized strategy plans for 2,000+ students and help them gain acceptances into Ivy Leagues & Top 25 universities
  • Received a MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse University, a top 5 nationally ranked program
Kiki Lee

Kiki Lee

College Consultant

  • Education: Yale University with B.A. in English Literature w/ Honors Distinction
  • Previously advised 350+ Yale undergraduates on essay writing/applications & was part of the university committee to address diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Experienced in guiding students to gain acceptances to Ivy Leagues & Top 10/20/50 universities for STEM, Healthcare/Pre-Med, Business, and Pre-Law/social sciences majors
Jacob Stewart

Jacob Stewart

College Consultant

  • 7+ years of education experience in providing guidance, recommendations, and counseling to students & families on admissions into the Ivy Leagues and Top 10/20/50 universities
  • Extremely well-versed and knowledgeable of top programs, internships, and competitions for both STEM & non-STEM majors/fields with student acceptances into Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Cornell, and more
Jonathan Lee

Jonathan Lee

College Consultant

  • Graduated from Cornell University and received a Master of Arts in Teaching from UC Irvine
  • Extensive education experience including teaching high school science subjects (chemistry & physics) and college counseling with student acceptances into the Ivy Leagues and Top 25 universities
Sydney Locklear

Sydney Locklear

College Consultant

  • 7+ years of education experience at both the high school and university level, including working as a graduate advisor, psychology teacher, and college counselor
  • Extensive experience reviewing hundreds of essays and application materials, including customizing profiles and essays for students who gained admissions to Ivy League and Top 25 universities
Allie Lee

Allie Lee

College Consultant

  • Education: Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Secondary Education and bachelor’s from University of Wisconsin-Madison 
  • 5+ years of education experience working with 6th–12th graders across being a teacher at Teach for America, tutoring, and mentoring students for college counseling to gain acceptances into Ivy Leagues and Top 25 universities
Marcos Redondo

Marcos Redondo

College Consultant

  • Graduated from a Top 30 university, University of Florida (two Bachelor’s and Master’s), and has over 20+ years of educational experience as a teacher, administrator, and college consultant
  • Has assisted 2,000+ high school students with the college admissions process and has a successful track record of helping students get accepted into prestigious summer programs (ex. Penn’s M&TSI and Stanford RISE), as well as into Ivy Leagues and Top 25 universities including Stanford, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and more
Kassandra Valles

Kassandra Valles

College Consultant

  • Extensive experience in successfully guiding students on college applications/essays to Ivy League and other top 10/20/50 universities
  • Reviewed, edited, and finalized over 2,000+ college application essays for students by leveraging their strengths to showcase their profiles
Kelly Braun

Kelly Braun

College Consultant

  • 10+ years in college advising, partnering with students to curate the strongest profiles possible, resulting in successful applications to the Ivy Leagues, Top 25/50, and best fit universities
  • Extensive experience working with students with a focus on undecided, fine and performing arts, engineering, computer science, business, management, and social sciences majors
  • Nationally recognized college counselor, presenter at conferences, and recipient of the Joyce E. Smith Excellence in Education Award, International ACAC Going the Extra Mile Award, Pacific Northwest ACAC Rising Star Award. Master of Education in curriculum, instruction, and innovation
Jayme Dinnerstein

Jayme Dinnerstein

College Consultant

  • Holds a B.S. in Applied Health Sciences, a College Counseling certification from UCLA, and a current member of the IECA (professional organization for educational consultants)
  • 4+ years of college counseling experience and has reviewed 2,000+ essays across 500+ students all across the US with her students gaining acceptances into MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Barnard, Northwestern, Tufts, Emory, and other top 10/20/50 universities
Gabriella Reyes

Gabriella Reyes

College Consultant

  • Graduate of Brown University with an MA from University College London
  • 7+ years of coaching and education experience, in the US and internationally, with a strong track record of helping students get accepted into the Ivy League and other top universities for STEM/Business/Healthcare and social sciences/pre-law majors
Alexis Rouben

Alexis Rouben

College Consultant

  • Graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a Master of Educational Leadership
  • 10+ years of education experience teaching and advising 6-12 grade students, including assisting 800+ students in matriculating to Top 10/25/50 universities including University of Chicago, Duke University, Washington University in St. Louis, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt, and more
Ashley Varela

Ashley Varela

College Consultant

  • Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston University; MS in Education from Johns Hopkins University
  • 13+ years of education experience including being a teacher at Teach For America and coaching and mentoring students in writing
  • Track record of helping students gain admission to Top 25/50/75 universities including earning full-tuition scholarships

Victor Chen

Victor Chen

UC Berkeley

  • Graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Economics
  • Previously an investment banker at Goldman Sachs where he worked directly with CEOs, CFOs, and Board of Directors of Fortune 2,000 companies and the top 1% of technology companies to advise them on mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and buyouts
  • Currently a Principal at KKR & on the Forbes 30 under 30
Nitya Mani

Nitya Mani

Stanford University

  • Graduated Stanford University with a B.S. in Mathematics and is currently working at Jane Street (trading firm) before starting her PhD in Mathematics at MIT
  • Goldwater Scholarship recipient, granted the Karl Menger Award from the American Mathematical Society, and received an honorable mention for the Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize
Charles Wang

Charles Wang

Johns Hopkins University

  • Graduated Johns Hopkins University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and a Masters of Health Science in Molecular Biology and Immunology
  • Former McKinsey associate with 5+ years of experience in Health Systems and Services
  • Currently serves as the Senior Director of Operations for Optum/DaVita medical group, one of the nation’s leading independent medical groups
Jerry Lee

Jerry Lee

UC Berkeley

  • Graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Economics
  • Previously worked at Medallia and Okta and is currently a Senior Technical Program Manager at RMS
Nathan Ho

Nathan Ho

UCLA

  • Graduated UCLA with a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from University of Southern California (USC)
  • Currently pursuing his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from USC where he’s co–authored and published multiple research papers in scientific journals
Joseph Bayne

Joseph Bayne

Stanford University

  • Graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Biological Sciences
  • Accepted to both Harvard and Stanford Medical School
  • Graduated from Columbia Medical School where he attended on a full–ride scholarship
Maiko Kitaoka

Maiko Kitaoka

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Education: B.S. in Biology from MIT, PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, currently a postdoctoral scientist at the Whitehead Institute
  • Former Amgen Scholar, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and iBiology Share Your Research Competition Winner
  • Passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and building inclusive communities
Annie Cheng

Annie Cheng

Yale University

  • Education: Graduated from Yale University with a double major in social sciences
  • 5+ years of college counseling experience specializing in helping both U.S. & international students gain acceptances into Ivy League and Top 25 universities (Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Northwestern, Georgetown, and many more) for both STEM & non-STEM majors/fields
Audrey Verderaime

Audrey Verderaime

Harvard University

  • Graduated from Harvard University (Magna Cum Laude with Highest Honors)
  • Experienced in successfully designing, developing, and consulting on college applications to Ivy League & Top 10/20 universities for a variety of undergraduate majors including STEM, Healthcare/Pre–Med, Business, Psychology, and Pre–Law

Book a FREE meeting below to discuss what your child needs to start doing today to get into a top university and have a successful future.