Private Columbia Admissions Counseling

Allan graduated from Cornell University with Cum Laude honors in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a concentration in Energy and Economics. After completing his bachelor's degree, he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Allan founded an admissions consulting program as the President of a national honor society at Cornell University. He also acted as an admissions mentor at a local high school. As an admissions ambassador, Allan provided feedback to the admissions board on the potential candidate's fit with the school. With over ten years of experience as an academic counselor, he has helped his students gain admission to Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Texas, among many others.

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As a first-generation college student, Allan has first-hand experience with how challenging and confusing the admission process can be. This fuels his passion for supporting and guiding his students through the application process. As a coach, he takes a personalized approach–highlighting each applicant's strengths and individuality. He is adaptable and flexible when it comes to what his students need, regardless of what stage in the application process they're in. Allan excels in helping his students develop a robust applicant profile that speaks to what admissions officers are looking for in an ideal candidate beyond test scores and grades. He helps his students turn their shortcomings into strengths, allowing them to shine through.

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With his Quad students, Allan breaks down the application process into more manageable steps. He helps his students understand the rationale behind each aspect of their application–specifically, why the colleges ask specific questions and what they want to learn about the students. This, in turn, gives his students the opportunity to build a more meaningful and intentional application. Through coaching prospective college students, Allan hopes to pass on his knowledge and experience to ensure that his students can more easily manage the college application process. He finds great joy in seeing his students' and their families' happy faces and tears when they receive acceptance letters from their dream school. Allan ensures that his students feel confident in their application and works hard to get each of his students to that state of mind and having fun along the way.

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When Allan isn't coaching, he mentors high school students and young professionals on career and professional development. He also enjoys playing competitive badminton–and winning!

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Allan's Pro Tip?

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Students often think they need the perfect resume and breadth of experience to be a competitive candidate. While having these experiences under your belt can be an asset, you can always find strength in your application through your weaknesses and shortcomings, making you much more resilient and competitive throughout the application process.

James has a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a Master’s from Northwestern University, and a PhD from Columbia University. He has served in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell University, as an Alumni Interviewer for both the New York City and Chicago areas, and as a member of the Graduate Admissions Committee in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University. His extensive experience in academic advising, community outreach, career counseling, and alumni relations allows him to bring a unique blend of expertise to the private school admissions process.

James is passionate about coaching students and witnessing their intellectual growth as they strive to achieve their goals. He places great importance on building meaningful relationships with students, providing them with a safe space to express their ideas, and fostering open discourse. James firmly believes in the power of one-on-one conversations with students, which he has seen produce beneficial "ripple effects" throughout the learning process.

As an educator and mentor, James strives to bring about enthusiasm for learning to help students see that they are capable of more than they have imagined. He feels that it is essential to cultivate meaningful relationships with students and aims to provide them with a safe space to share their ideas, encouraging open discourse and positively affirming their capabilities.

James' greatest strengths as a coach include working with students on high-level activities such as brainstorming and getting "in the weeds" with them when helping them craft stand-out essays. He firmly believes in providing students with copious amounts of detailed feedback and excels at helping them realize that they can hone in on their unique toolkits to actualize their goals. 

James's dedication to education, mentoring, and admissions consulting makes him a valuable asset for students seeking admission to private high schools and boarding schools, ensuring they receive the guidance and support they need to excel in their academic endeavors.

When James isn’t coaching Quad applicants, he works as a Behavioral Scientist at a Fortune 500 company in the healthcare sector. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology for a private university in Chicago, IL.

Jacqueline graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts and an M.S.  Subsequently, she graduated with her second Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University.

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With extensive experience in higher education, Jacqueline has helped her students get into top universities such as Cornell University, Brown University, New York University, Pennsylvania State University, Boston College, and many more.

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Jacqueline is passionate about helping each of her students get into their perfect college. As someone who cherishes her time as a college student, she finds that being able to utilize her skills to help students find the right post-secondary paths highly rewarding. While pursuing a degree should be challenging and enjoyable, the process will look different for every student. Jacqueline believes that at the right school, students will experience a substantial amount of growth, not only in their academics but as individuals.

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Jacqueline loves helping her students showcase their voices. She excels in finding her students’ strengths and differentiators, adding value and authenticity to their personal statements, resumes, and overall applications. She is a great listener and is passionate about helping each of her students through every step of the application process. Jacqueline is exceptionally detail-oriented and understands how the application process can sometimes feel overwhelming. She has helped her Quad students and their families develop management strategies throughout the college application process to help them more easily take on the challenges that come along.

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When Jacqueline is not coaching, she loves to spend time with her family, friends, and dogs. She also loves playing soccer, running, biking, yoga, and travelling.