Yale University Admissions Counseling & Application Guidance

Harley has a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Yale University and a Master's degree in Education from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Harley has also served on Yale's admissions team as an Admissions Counselor, reviewing and evaluating applications to determine which applicants should be offered admission to the college or university. This involved reviewing various materials, including transcripts, test scores, essays, activity lists, and letters of recommendation, and assessing each applicant's academic and personal qualifications. Additionally, Harley conducted interviews with applicants and provided feedback and advice to help them improve their applications. Overall, Harley's role was to help the college or university identify the most qualified and promising applicants and to make admission offers to the students who would be the best fit for the institution.

As a first-generation low-income student, Harley understands the challenges and obstacles that students from similar backgrounds can face in the college admissions process. He is passionate about helping first-generation low-income students navigate the complex, sometimes daunting, college application process. He believes that every student should have the opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background or circumstances, and is committed to providing the guidance and support that these students need to succeed.

As a dedicated coach and teacher, Harley is passionate about coaching college applicants because he believes in the transformative power of higher education. He has seen firsthand how a college education can open up new opportunities and experiences for students. He is passionate about helping students find the right college or university that will allow them to thrive and succeed. Harley also enjoys the challenges and rewards of working with college applicants, who are often at a critical juncture in their lives. Helping them make informed decisions about their education and career paths is incredibly fulfilling, and he takes great pride in seeing his students succeed. Additionally, Harley finds that working with college applicants allows him to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in higher education and to continually learn and grow as a coach and teacher.

As a coach, Harley's greatest strengths are his ability to break down complex problems into manageable and simple steps and provide clear and concise guidance and instruction. Harley believes that the key to helping students succeed is to provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to tackle any challenge. He is passionate about helping students understand and overcome any obstacles they may face. Harley is an excellent communicator and listener and can clearly convey his thoughts and ideas to students in a way that is easy for them to understand. He is also patient and supportive and is committed to helping Quad applicants achieve their goals. Harley welcomes the opportunity to work with you and help you on your journey to success.

Applicants Harley has recently coached have gotten accepted at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Brown University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Duke University, University of Washington, and the University of Michigan.

In his spare time, Harley enjoys a variety of hobbies and activities that allow him to relax and unwind. Cooking is one of his favorites, and he loves trying out new recipes and experimenting with different cuisines. He also enjoys writing and reading.

Marisa earned a Bachelor's degree from Yale University and an MPH and JD from the University of Michigan. She was a part of the admissions team at Yale University, where she wore several hats. Marisa was a recruitment coordinator, senior interviewer, and senior presenter at Yale.

During this time, she organized admitted students' days, shared institutional thought leadership with prospective families, organized and conducted campus tours, interviewed prospective students, and subsequently provided input on admissions decisions.

Through her experiences, Marisa has learned that there is no perfect never-heard-before answer; the best answers are honest answers. She brings this philosophy to Quad as she helps students craft unique answers. Marisa's main strengths as a coach are her ability to help candidates stay organized, identify and highlight character traits through writing (i.e., showing, not telling), and patience as she works with students to perfect every part of the college application. Marisa enjoys baking, hiking, and spending time with furry friends in her free time.

Ruth’s excitement for unlocking the creative potential within each of her students and crafting compelling stories drive her love for working with high school students on their college applications. Throughout her life, Ruth has learned the importance of a growth mindset and is excited to help others realize how far they can go.

As an undergrad at Yale, Ruth followed her love for Japanese culture all the way to Japan, and she studied and worked in (and ate her way through) the country for a year after winning the prestigious Light Fellowship. After graduating with her BA in Political Science, she moved to Washington D.C. to work with a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contractor, where she helped manage multimillion dollar projects in Tanzania, Malawi, and Kenya.

Desiring to uplevel her skillset through an MBA, Ruth attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was awarded the Diane V.S. and Robert M. Levy Endowed Fellowship and interned at a digital media company in New York on their strategy and business development team. During her second year, she started working on her own business idea-–Fudena, which was a successful fast-casual West African restaurant pop-up.

When she’s not helping students or thinking about her next business idea, Ruth enjoys teaching herself guitar, exploring different spiritual traditions, and improving her Rubik’s cube solve times (she’s currently averaging 1 minute and 30 seconds).