Katherine Cohen graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University . She continued her studies at Yale University , receiving two Master's degrees and a PhD. She received certification in College Admission Counseling from U.C.L.A. She is the founder of IvyWise, a nationally recognized, highly respected admission counseling company. read more

Meg Caddeau, M.A.,
College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: Students seeking admission to highly selective institutions; International Students and transfer students

Meg has extensive experience in admission at highly selective institutions. A graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Teachers College, Meg's career in education has spanned the globe over the past two decades.  She served recently as an associate dean of admission at Princeton University, previously having held the same position at Amherst College.

In addition to reviewing applications from many parts of the U.S., Meg recruited and evaluated international students for both Princeton and Amherst. Prior to starting her career in college admissions, Meg taught English and history at leading independent schools in California and New York City. As she returns to teaching this fall, she looks forward to working one-on-one with students as they navigate the college search and application process.

Scott Clarke, MPA
College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: students seeking admission to highly selective schools, international students, under-represented minorities and students who need significant personal support.

A former Assistant Director of Admissions at Yale University, Scott has worked with families in the US and abroad, guiding them through the application processes for some of the world's most selective institutions. read more

Graham Riske
Junior College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: students seeking colleges with a strong international experience, highly selective schools, West Coast institutions.

A magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, Graham has visited about 100 universities within the United States and still loves the thrill of a successful application and matching a student’s personality and needs to the best university.

Graham is not only a seasoned traveler, but also has counseled international students in gaining admission to some of the world’s most selective universities. read more

Alison Rosenthal, J.D.
College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: Students interested in a wide range of schools, Jewish students; Under-represented minorities.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Jewish Studies from Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) in May 1995, Mrs. Rosenthal was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctorate in May 1998. While at Penn, Mrs. Rosenthal served as an orientation leader and taught a full-year course on legal writing, during which she worked with students individually on their composition skills. read more

Jaclyn Shapiro, M.A.
College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: students who need significant personal support and have special needs, students seeking admission to highly selective schools

Jackie has counseled students and their families throughout the college search and application process since 2003. After graduating from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Jackie continued her studies at Northwestern, earning a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology, with specialized training in counseling adolescents. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University.read more

Dana Haddad, MS.Ed.
ivyWISE KIDS Counselor
Areas of expertise: Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Boarding Schools and post-grad (PG) year Students.

Dana received her Master of Science Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education.  She is an experienced public and private school teacher, as well as having extensive experience in the NYC Admissions world.  Dana served as the Director of Admissions at Claremont Preparatory School in Manhattan and the Associate Director of Admissions at Horace Mann School with campuses in Manhattan and the Bronx.  read more

Brinton Taylor Parson, M.Ed
ivyWISE KIDS Counselor
Areas of expertise: Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Boarding Schools and post-grad (PG) year Students.

A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Brinton also has two Masters Degrees in early childhood education from The Catholic University of America and Association Montessori Internationale. Her educational, professional, and personal experiences, as the mother of twins, qualify her as one of New York City’s most sought after educational advisors, helping families find the right school for their child. read more

Nikki Geula
Head of Tutoring & Graduate School Division

Nikki Geula graduated from Vassar College in 1994 with highest honors in Political Science. She grew up in Manhattan 's Greenwich Village and attended the Yung Wing School for gifted children and then The Dalton School. At Vassar, she was awarded the Eloise Ellery Fellowship and the Samuel B. Tilden Award for her outstanding work in Political Philosophy. Her thesis, "Machiavelli's Prince as ethical in light of Plato's Healthy City " received the mark of distinction. read more

Anisha Ahooja, M.A.
Writing Tutor

Anisha Ahooja received her B.A. in English from Columbia College, then went on to Teachers College, Columbia University where she received an M.A. in English Education. She has taught at English at Hunter High School in New York City and The Dalton School, where she was also Middle School English Department Chair. Anisha has been recognized for her work with students and was awarded a grant to create a curriculum for empowering the social and emotional growth in teenage students. She is a published author and has received recognition from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Publisher's Weekly and more. In addition to working with IvyWise students, Anisha is a screenwriter, and freelance journalist and lives in Manhattan with her shitzu, Harold Moscowitz.

Jennifer Blackman
Writing Tutor

Jennifer joined the IvyWise team in February 2008, working individually with students on their essays and college applications. Jennifer graduated with honors from New York University in May 2006. She was on the Dean's list and earned a Bachelor's degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, designed her own concentration in Cultural Anthropology, Literature and Creative Writing.
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Wally Hallas, M.P.A.
Co-Director, IvyWise Athletes

One of the finest basketball players in New England history, Wally Halas also was one of its best coaches. In 16 years as a college head coach, the first 13 at Clark University in Worcester, MA, the next three at Columbia University, Halas' teams won 251 games and lost only 163, a percentage of .606. read more

Wayne Mazzoni, M.S.
Co-Director, IvyWise Athletes

A national expert on the secrets of athletic recruiting, Coach Mazzoni shares his years of experience helping IvyWise families understand the athletic recruiting process at all levels.
Coaching at the NCAA-I level since 1992, Coach Mazzoni is the author of Athletic Recruiting & Scholarship Guide.  His articles have been published in Men’s Fitness, Baseball Digest and Scholastic Coach. Coach Mazzoni routinely speaks at high schools and athletic director conventions and has been featured on US News and World Report, ABC News, Fox Good Day New York and WFAN (610 AM) Sports Radio.read more

Lauren Medway M.B.A.
Director of Marketing and Student Enrollment

Lauren joined the IvyWise team in September 2009 as Director of Marketing and Student Enrollment. In addition to maintaining this very website, Lauren manages IvyWise's marketing and communications. Lauren also oversees student enrollment and works with businesses and organizations to bring IvyWise to new markets. read more

Lindsay Barcham
Executive Assistant

Lindsay joined the IvyWise team in March 2008 and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of IvyWise. Lindsay will be working closely with IvyWise families, including scheduling appointments, updating billing and even contributing articles to the IvyWise newsletter about our successful students. If you get a phone call or e-mail from IvyWise, chances are it’ll be from Lindsay.
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Aarti Iyer
Intern

Aarti is an undergraduate at Columbia University, where she hopes to major in Political Science and English. Moving from her hometown in Texas to New York City has been an exciting experience, full of broadened horizons and missed subway transfers. She is looking forward to next one, interning with IvyWise and ApplyWise over the summer. read more

Erica Mannix
Intern

Erica assists in sales, marketing and non-profit outreach. She currently attends New York University's Stern School of Business and plans on majoring in International Business and Marketing. Originally from New Jersey, she loves the university's proximity to her home. Still, she travels often (her passport has stamps from the Dominican Republic, Denmark and France, among others) and will study abroad in the spring of 2010 in Singapore.
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Sarah Henry
Intern

Sarah is currently an undergraduate in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, where she has designed a major focusing on the analysis of human behavior. Despite her scientific aspirations, she also has a passion for writing and digital photography, and can often be seen wandering around Brooklyn with her camera and notebook in tow.
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