Personalized University of Michigan Admissions Counseling

Varna received a Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology and English from the University of Michigan. After her undergraduate degree, she pursued a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Analysis at Columbia University before attending the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. 

Varna was a member of the admissions team at Columbia University, conducting admissions interviews for prospective students. She has coached many students through medical school applications helping with resume and CV development, personal statement writing, and interviews. As a member of the admissions team at Columbia, Varna conducted over 200 interviews, working closely with the department to field questions from prospective applicants throughout the admissions process. 

Throughout her career, Varna has applied to undergraduate and top graduate school institutions, receiving acceptances from Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Dartmouth. With years of experience, she has learned what makes a strong personal statement, what admissions officers look for, and what makes someone stand out as an applicant. As a coach, she has helped students gain admission into the country’s top schools, such as Yale, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Georgetown, and the University of Michigan, among others. 

Varna’s favorite part of coaching college applicants is learning about each student’s spark. She is passionate about helping her students identify their “why” and helping them articulate that. To Varna, coaching is a unique opportunity to provide applicants with the tools to identify their passions, likes, dislikes, and what they want to accomplish in the short and longer term. She excels in helping candidates communicate their strengths meaningfully and effectively–employing her skills as an English major and writer to extract the most essential pieces of information to develop an authentic and impactful narrative.  

When Varna is not coaching, she teaches yoga and enjoys writing about public health and medicine. She also loves cooking, exploring new restaurants, and going outdoors on long runs and hikes.  

Varna’s Pro Tip?

There’s more than one way to achieve your goals. Having spoken to applicants from all over the world, you realize that every applicant shared a unique story. As a prospective student, it’s essential to understand that colleges look for more than a “perfect” applicant; they look for mission-driven individuals with experiences that demonstrate resilience, leadership skills, and a willingness to grow and learn. 

Marlee has a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. She has served on the admissions teams at Northwestern University and University of Illinois Chicago. In these roles, Marlee has been a part of scholarship review committees and has been responsible for overall enrollment management, especially for international students.

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Marlee is a staunch advocate for higher education and believes it is a critical access point for all students. She feels that education presents an opportunity for students to grow personally, professionally, and academically to become important members of society supporting change, innovation, and progress in the world.

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This passion is what led Marlee to coach Quad applicants. Marlee is committed to getting to know her students and working with them to present their best representation of themselves. She thoroughly enjoys learning about and identifying what makes each student unique and helping them share these qualities and strengths with their chosen colleges. Her greatest strengths include helping students identify goals, create a strategic and organized plan to meet those goals, manage their time effectively, and craft powerful resumes.

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When Marlee isn’t coaching, she loves to run, dance, and travel.

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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.