About Us

Katherine Cohen, Ph.D.

CEO, Founder and College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students seeking admission to highly selective institutions, international students, and transfer students.

Dr. Katherine Cohen (known as "Dr. Kat" to her students) is one of the leading independent university admissions counselors in the world. Dr. Kat  is the founder and CEO of IvyWise and co-CEO of ApplyWise, the first online university admissions counseling program, which provides expert advice and organizational tools to families.

Dr. Kat is the best-selling author of The Truth About Getting In and Rock Hard Apps. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and continued her studies at Yale University, receiving two Masters degrees and a Ph.D. She also received her certificate in College Admission Counseling from U.C.L.A. Extension. Prior to founding IvyWise, she served as a reader in the Yale University Office of Admissions, evaluating undergraduate applications to Yale College. Read more

Jonathan, M.A.

Associate College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students interested in a wide range of schools, students seeking admission to highly selective schools, under-represented minorities, students seeking interview preparation, and transfer students.

Jonathan’s career in higher education has led him to Princeton University, New York University (NYU), and now Yale University. A former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at NYU, Jonathan has evaluated thousands of freshman, transfer, and readmission applications. During his time at NYU, he traveled throughout the Northeast United States and California to meet with students, parents, and high school counselors. Read more

Meg, M.A.

Master College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: 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. Read more

Scott, M.P.A

Principal College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: 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

Christine, M.P.P.

Master College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students seeking admission to highly selective schools and under-represented minorities.

Christine Kim is a former Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at both Yale University and Georgetown University. A graduate of Yale University magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in History, Christine received a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown and is currently a PhD candidate in Political Science there. Read more

Abby, M.A.

Principal College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students seeking admission to highly selective schools, transfer students, students athletes pursuing the recruitment process, students studying the International Baccalaureate program.

Abby, a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Brown University, has also served as a reader for Princeton University.  While at Brown, Abby's geographic regions included Manhattan, New Jersey, Maryland, and the southeast United States. A graduate of Brown herself, Abby also earned a Master’s Degree in teaching from the University of Virginia. Read more

Graham

Associate College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students seeking colleges with a strong international experience, highly selective schools, and 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

Jaclyn, M.A.

Master College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: 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. Read more

Trey

Associate College Admissions Counselor
Additional specialties: Students who need significant personal support, students seeking admission to highly selective schools, and under-represented minorities.

Trey has been working with students and families for over a decade. A former admissions officer at Georgetown University, Trey reviewed applications from around the United States, while also coordinating multi-cultural recruitment and the university's student admissions ambassador program. Trey received his degree in international affairs from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (and can tell you what Hoya Saxa actually means!). Read more

IvyWISEKIDS Counselors

Dana, MS.Ed.

IvyWISEKIDS Counselor
Additional specialties: 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

Graduate Counselors

Nikki

Head of Graduate School Counseling & Tutoring 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

Writing Tutors

Jennifer

Writing Tutor

Jennifer joined the IvyWise team in February 2008, working individually with students on their writing skills. Jennifer graduated with honors from New York University.  She earned a Bachelor's degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and designed her own concentration in Cultural Anthropology, Literature and Creative Writing. Read more

For Athletes

Wally, 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, 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

IvyWise Board of Advisors

Liz Hamburg, M.B.A.

Member, IvyWise Board of Advisors

Liz Hamburg is a “serial entrepreneur” with extensive experience as an entrepreneur, angel investor and mentor to entrepreneurs and small businesses. She is the founder of Upstart Ventures, where she has consulted to and incubated many start-ups including her latest venture, ApplyWise, an online college admissions counseling company. Read more

Lee Stetson, M.S.

Member, IvyWise Board of Advisors
Additional specialties: Students seeking admission to highly selective institutions and international students.

For almost three decades, Lee Stetson served as Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was responsible for the administration of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, including over 20 admissions officers and 30 support staff. As one of the longest-serving deans among Ivy League institutions, Lee has mentored and trained professionals who are now leading admissions and guidance professionals worldwide. While at Penn, Lee increased the number of applications from students with multi-cultural backgrounds, and upon his departure, the admissions rate was the lowest in Penn's history. Read more

Staff

Lauren Medway, M.B.A.

Vice President of Student Enrollment and Marketing

Lauren Medway has served in marketing and communication roles for universities, non-profits, and private organizations specializing in education. At IvyWise, Lauren oversees student enrollment, corporate communications, media relations, and marketing. She also works with businesses and organizations to deliver value-added programming, including webinars and live events. Read more

Nicole Montegary

Client Relations Manager

Nicole maintains close relationships with IvyWise families, regularly checking in with them, as well as addressing client questions and concerns. Prior to joining IvyWise, Nicole worked for a marketing firm in New York City. A graduate of Lehigh University, Nicole loved the college experience. She is excited to support our students as they discover and apply to the schools that are a good fit for them.

Bethanie Mangigian

Executive Assistant

In her role as Executive Assistant, Bethanie is responsible for communications with current and prospective families, oversees administrative and billing matters, and manages general office functions. Bethanie is a graduate of Barnard College. During her time at Barnard, Bethanie particularly enjoyed serving as a Teaching Fellow for the Barnard Speaking Fellows Program, where she taught public speaking skills to Barnard and Columbia University students. Read more

Sarah Shanahan

Marketing and Student Enrollment Coordinator

Sarah works closely with the IvyWise team of expert counselors to provide students and their families with the latest information and news about admissions. In addition to managing IvyWise’s digital presence, Sarah enjoys working with families and students to illustrate IvyWise’s role in helping students reach their academic and personal goals. Read more

Katy Nowiszewski

Tutoring Manager, Research and Data Analyst

Katy Nowiszewski graduated from Barnard College with a major in American History. Katy previously interned with IvyWise and has played a pivotal role in the development of the company's research programs. Involved in education for a number of years, Katy taught afterschool lessons to elementary students at Bank Street School and has worked at several educational non-profits in Manhattan. She loves hearing about our students’ goals and looks forward to helping them find the schools and programs where they can further develop their interests and talents.

Friends of IvyWise

ArtsBridge  

Performing Arts

ArtsBridge works with students and families seeking specialized guidance on admission to performing arts programs. ArtsBridge helps students identify and apply to their best fit performing arts programs, and also offers the opportunity for students to receive audition feedback from seasoned professionals. ArtsBridge was founded by Halley Shefler, who previously served as Dean of Admissions for The Boston Conservatory, Director of Admissions for Boston University's College of Fine Arts – School of Music, and Director of Academic Affairs for the Longy School of Music. Halley attended a pre-college program at Juilliard before earning her undergraduate degree at Sarah Lawrence College and a Masters degree at Boston University. She is an accomplished flutist who has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, the Opera Company of Boston, and the Harvard Chamber Orchestra.