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

With more than a decade of experience in admissions and financial aid at Hampshire College (MA), Wesleyan University (CT), Brown University and Columbia University, Rod manages all counselors while working with students individually.

Not only is Rod a counselor, Rod is also responsible for all marketing and business development functions including public relations, website management, and event planning. 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.

Jennifer Duran, M.P.A.
College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: Students seeking admission to highly selective institutions; Students interested in Business Schools,  Latin American/Spanish Speaking Students; Underrepresented Minorities, Career Counseling & Activity Planning

Jen has worked extensively with students in a broad range of educational settings and brings a wealth of admissions experience to her role of college counselor at IvyWise. As an undergraduate at Columbia University, Jen worked as a tutor and teaching assistant for the Upward Bound Program. After graduation, she remained at Columbia where she served as the Assistant Director of Admissions. Then, she moved on to College Coach, LLC, where she guided students from the Tri-State area through the college admissions process.  Jen has co-authored The New Rules to College Admissions and served on the faculty at Boricua College as an Educational Facilitator and, most recently, acted as Campus Recruiting Coordinator for UBS Investment Bank. 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

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

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

Lee Stetson, M.S.
Senior College Admissions Counselor
Areas of expertise: Students seeking admission to highly selective institutions and International Students.

Lee Stetson has been a veteran to college admissions for three decades. As the former Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania since 1978 he has witnessed the ever changing landscape of college admissions. read more

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

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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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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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 next year in either London or Shanghai.
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IvyWise is has a partnership with a leading UK Higher Education Consultancy to refer students and parents who are interested in admission to UK Universities. Please contact IvyWise for further details.