Andrew is a graduate of the Schreyer Honors College of Penn State University, where he received his BA in English, with a Creative Writing Emphasis. He also received a Minor in History, assisted by the head start of 21 credits he earned from his success on Advanced Placement tests in high school. Originally from the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Andrew attended Central High School where he excelled at academics and was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.  

Whether he’s working with an underprivileged high school student trying to master algebra or an elite NCAA athlete struggling to write a term paper, Andrew’s approach is to show the student that the subject at hand isn’t nearly as hard as it looks once it is unraveled piece by piece. He focuses on building a student’s confidence and is quick to apply positive reinforcement to continually engage and motivate the student. 

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Available in Chestnut Hill or via Zoom

An admissions consultant with over twenty-five years of experience, Karen has a proven track record of elite college admissions success. She holds a BA from Columbia University in film and media studies; she also has an MA in organization and leadership from Columbia University, Teachers College. She started her career as a tutor, working at a large, internationally-known test prep company; her formal training prepared her not only to teach the SAT math and English sections but also the GMAT, the GRE, and the LSAT. After more than five years of helping thousands of students prepare for exams, Karen went on to work for various Wall Street companies in training and organizational development. Later, she transitioned to a 16-year career in entertainment-industry business management when her newborn son - and later her daughter - were signed with Ford Models, booking over 200 jobs in print, national commercials, TV, web, and film. In 2014, Karen began working with students and parents on college counseling and essay coaching. She focuses on personal, student-centered learning and believes in the importance of determining one's unique edge. 

“My gift is finding and extracting every student's best qualities and helping to communicate them effectively to admissions committees,” Karen says. Karen’s goal with every student is to keep the stress low and the results high. “The college admissions process is one of the most significant rites of passage in a student's life,” she says. “So many teens spend their high school years working hard so that they will have the opportunity to attend their dream college and they do not always understand the nuances of the process. Helping families gain clarity so that they can put their best foot forward is what I love to do. Celebrating their successes is the icing on the cake.” While Karen has worked with all levels of students applying to many types of colleges, she has the most experience working with high-achieving students aiming for top-tier institutions. “STEM and engineering admissions are a specialty area of mine, as I have guided many of my students to top-tier STEM and engineering programs,” Karen says. She is also highly experienced with essay coaching and has worked with hundreds of essay clients, ensuring that every student's personal statement is memorable and shows the student in the best possible light. She is a member National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC).

When asked about a recent success story, Karen recalls working with a student whose dream school was Stanford. “He came to me as qualified as any other real contender but with schools like Stanford, that's never enough. Stellar grades, perfect or near-perfect test scores, lofty extracurriculars, and gushing recommendations are just the ‘how do you do’ of elite college admissions,” Karen says. “In the vast majority of cases, the one and only chance an applicant gets to ‘speak’ to admissions is through the essay so I knew this student's essay had to be ‘knock your socks off’ amazing.” Karen and the student brainstormed ideas and something he said about his background clicked as the essay topic. “We worked together through several drafts until it was ready to submit. It was one of the best essays I have ever read and, yes, my client did get into Stanford,” Karen shares. 

Karen loves to travel, explore new places, and meet new people.“My superpower is my social-emotional connection to others as I truly can connect with anyone,” Karen says. “Of course, spending time with family and loved ones is paramount”. 

Karen is a level 9 Google Guide with over 180 million views on her content, which includes reviews of restaurants, stores, parks, colleges, museums, events, and more. 

When asked to share advice to students, Karen says, “I worked so much while I was in college that I was never really present in those precious few years of college life, and I wish I had taken advantage of more opportunities that were available to me at the time. My advice to students would be to dive in and be fully present in your college years—it will go by fast!” 

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Available in Bryn Mawr or via Zoom

Patricia holds a B.A. in Theater Arts and English from Boston College where she was a Presidential Scholar and graduated summa cum laude.  While continually honing her own storytelling professionally as both an actor and playwright, Patricia has worked with students on their writing at the high school and collegiate level for over a decade. 

 

In addition to tutoring students one-on-one, she has been a Guest Artist at Boston College, Emerson College, NYU, and Sacred Heart University and a long-time Teaching Artist in the public school system, where she developed several successful writing workshops, including “Jumpstart Your College Essay.”

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Patricia’s plays and musicals have been work-shopped and presented at Boston College, Emerson College, Goodspeed Opera House, the Philadelphia Women’s Theater Festival, and other venues at both the educational and professional levels.  As a tutor, she loves working with students on the personal and creative work of crafting college essays.  Patricia prides herself on getting to know each student, creating a safe yet creatively challenging space, and helping each student to discover, craft, and polish the story only they can tell.

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Available via Zoom Only