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Meet Alec, a stellar admissions coach and successful entrepreneur passionate about helping young people achieve their professional and academic goals.
Alec has a Bachelor’s degree in both Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Asian Studies from Rice University, and an MBA from Stanford University. Professionally, Alec is an entrepreneur, a co-founder of a successful business, and the President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Texas. On top of it all, he is a valuable member of the Inspira team and has helped multiple students get into top-ten schools.
Over the years, Alec has developed his passion for coaching through his extensive experience helping candidates get into their dream schools. As a coach, Alec enjoys helping others find confidence and pride in what sets them apart. He loves to see students embark on journeys to cultivate their individuality further. Students Alec has recently coached have gotten accepted into UC Berkeley, Yale University, Princeton University, MIT, Stanford University, Washington University St. Louis, Rice University, and Vanderbilt University.
Alec’s greatest strength when working with Inspira applicants is his ability to help them find their confidence and voice. Through experience, he knows that speaking from the heart rather than memorizing what “should be said” is the best approach, and he enjoys showing students how to do so in interviews and essays. Alec understands the difficulty in articulating the “why” behind your experiences and decisions. He prides himself on his ability to help students dig deep so they can determine the motivations behind their choices, whether it's their reason for pursuing an activity, a school, or a program.
In his free time, Alec enjoys taking courses online, making up games, and solving computer science problems.
Meet Alexander, one of our expert admissions coaches with years of experience in all areas of the admissions process - from Ivy League interview coaching to writing counseling.
Alexander has a Bachelor's in Business Administration from George Washington University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. At GWU, he held a leadership position as a counselor in the university writing center. He has also been an interview counselor at Columbia University. Since then, Alexander has worked with Lemonaid, an organization that helps middle and high school students start businesses, which turned into passion projects they could write about when applying to university. Most recently, Alexander's coached students have gotten into Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown, Yale, UC Berkeley, and other top schools.
Alexander is passionate about helping students reach their goals while prompting them to learn more about what makes them unique candidates for any school or program. For him, relying on his unique strengths to craft a narrative tailored to his experience was instrumental to his success. Alexander knows how critical it can be to have someone on your side during the daunting application process and aims to be that person for the students he coaches.
Alexander's extensive mentoring and coaching experience in a higher education setting gives him valuable insight into what top schools are looking for in applicants. At GWU, he coached dozens of students on how to write compelling essays. While at Columbia, his interview counseling experience helped him understand how students can best position their academic and extra-curricular experiences.
In his free time, Alexander is an avid cyclist, swimmer, skier, surfer, and Bay Area sports fan. He is a former collegiate water polo player. He also enjoys reading - especially the New Yorker - and doing the NYT crossword (and now Wordle!).
Meet Allan, an Ivy League grad and expert admissions coach passionate about helping students turn their weaknesses into strengths.
Allan graduated from Cornell University with Cum Laude honors in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. After completing his Bachelor's degree, he received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Allan has since 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 students gain admission to Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Texas, among many others. Professionally, Allan serves as Leader of Teams at Shell.
As a first-generation student, Allan has first-hand experience with how challenging and confusing the admission process can be. This fuels his passion for supporting and guiding 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 students need, regardless of what stage in the application process they're in.
Allan's greatest strength is breaking down the application process into more manageable steps. He also excels at helping students develop a robust applicant profile that speaks to what admissions officers are looking for, teaching students how to turn their shortcomings into strengths. He helps students understand the rationale behind each aspect of their application–specifically, why schools ask specific questions and what they want to learn from them. This clarity allows students to build a more meaningful and intentional application.
Allan is also an advocate for finding strength in your weaknesses. He believes that while having plenty of experiences under your belt can be an asset, students who are able to demonstrate the ability to learn and grow from their mistakes are bound to make an impression. Through coaching prospective business students, Allan hopes to pass on his knowledge and experience to ensure they can more easily manage the university application process. He finds great joy in seeing students' tears of joy when they receive acceptance letters from their dream schools.
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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Meet Allie, one of our expert admissions counselors with a long history serving on admissions boards and helping students get into top schools.
Allie earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at UPenn, and a Master's in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. Professionally, she has worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. She has developed experience in higher education admissions by serving as both a writing coach and alumni interviewer at the University of Pennsylvania. She has also supported the development of two courses, at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Allie’s passion for education was ignited during her own academic journey. While serving as a writing coach and interviewer at UPenn, she realized the importance of providing support and wisdom to young candidates during the admissions process. She took that knowledge with her when she began developing graduate and undergraduate courses, with the goal of helping students translate their academic passions into professional career goals. On the Inspira team, Allie has been able to expand her coaching experience and develop into the driven, motivated admissions counselor she is today.
As a coach, Allie has helped students get accepted into top programs at Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, University of California – Los Angeles, and more. Her greatest strengths as a coach include assisting students with idea generation, identifying differentiating talents, and effectively creating a cohesive story across all elements of an application. Allie particularly enjoys helping candidates transform small anecdotes into a compelling narrative that highlights the unique contributions they can make to a university or university.
In her free time, Allie enjoys ashtanga yoga, hiking in New England, and reading the latest non-fiction books on the NYTimes Best Sellers list!
Meet Augie, an expert admissions coach who is passionate about helping students get into their dream school, and who understands how to demonstrate growing from past mistakes to build a strong application.
Augie has a Bachelor's degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Augie has also served as an interviewer for Stanford. Since joining the Inspira team, applicants Augie has recently coached have gotten accepted to several top schools, including Stanford University, The University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt University.
Augie’s passion for coaching stems from learning from his own experience as an applicant, and wanting to pass his knowledge on to the next generation of graduates. Augie strongly believes that the key to university admissions is learning from each moment in your life and taking that knowledge with you throughout the application process. He specializes in working with reapplicants, and in framing your weak points as strengths in your application.
Augie’s greatest strengths come from his experience. He has learned from his position as an interviewer at Stanford that a student's academic profile is just one aspect of their application; schools are looking for well-rounded candidates rather than just smart candidates. He understands that applicants often don't apply to schools they would excel at due to the confusing and intimidating application process. He aims to demystify the process, helping students navigate through it, tackle any challenges head-on, and put their best foot forward.
In his spare time, Augie enjoys sailing, single-engine aircraft flying, road-tripping, and trying restaurants.
Meet Dan, an expert admissions coach and two-time graduate of Stanford University with a stellar resume and a passion for helping students get into their dream schools!
Dan has both an undergraduate degree and an MBA from Stanford University. He has several years of professional experience in the education sector as an admissions coach, technologist, and teacher. Dan has also spent several years on Google's education team as a Senior Global Program Manager, where he built tools used by thousands of schools across the country. He has since held multiple positions in education and the development of educational technologies and has founded and cofounded multiple companies. Candidates Dan has recently coached have gotten accepted into Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, among other top schools.
As an admissions coach, Dan has extensive experience helping candidates get into their dream schools. He is passionate about using the power of coactive coaching to help applicants uncover their inner strengths and craft engaging stories that highlight those strengths. He is a big appreciator of the value of authenticity and helps students reflect, turning seemingly small moments into memorable anecdotes.
Above all, Dan is focused on using the problem-action-impact framework to make every word of students’ application materials count. His greatest strengths are identifying a candidate's unique qualities that set them apart from others and crafting a compelling narrative. His experience has also taught him that a humble awareness of your shortcomings can be an endearing trait and not to shy away from talking about failure and learning to try again.
With a passion for continuous learning, Dan finds himself glued to ‘The Great Courses’ when he isn't coaching students. He is also an outdoor enthusiast, regularly running, hiking, mountain biking, and camping.
Meet Gabriel, an admissions coach and former Ivy League admissions committee team member who is ready to help you improve your application through strategic positioning, storytelling, and motivation.
Gabriel has a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. At Brown, Gabriel was a leader within the Brown International Scholarship Committee, partnering with the Admissions Office in efforts to recruit international students and source funding for international student scholarships. Since graduating, Gabriel has held roles in finance, management, and branding at Goldman Sachs, LVMH, and Oliver Wyman.
While working with the admissions office at Brown, Gabriel assisted prospective students from around the world and from different socioeconomic backgrounds with application feedback and interview preparation. Gabriel is also an experienced alumni interviewer for Brown, interviewing a variety of prospective students from Latin America for admission. Beyond undergraduate admissions, Gabriel also possesses extensive experience in graduate admissions for top MBA programs. Through these experiences, Gabriel has worked with dozens of students and gained extensive training in application development and review and interview coaching.
As a coach on the Inspira team, Gabriel seeks to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of students' stories, strengths, and interests to design a compelling applicant persona and coach students to write structured, thoughtful, and authentic essays. Throughout the process, Gabriel works on building meaningful connections with students and their families to build trusting relationships. He also uses his decade of experience in strategic positioning, storytelling, and persuasive writing to help students perfect their applications and achieve their academic goals.
In his free time, Gabriel loves to exercise, play volleyball, and cook! He is also bilingual in English and Spanish.
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Meet Grace, one of our expert admissions coaches passionate about mathematics, language, culture, and getting you into your dream school!
Grace has a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. During undergrad, she studied Applied Mathematics in Economics and a Citation in French Language. She was also accepted into the 2+2 program for Harvard Business School as a senior in university, which allowed her the flexibility to explore her passions and career options before returning to business school. After graduation, she worked at JPMorgan Asset Management in New York as a Junior Portfolio Manager for the Multi-Asset Solutions Group. Now, Grace focuses on Venture Capital and Growth Equity investing.
While at JPMorgan, Grace was an avid recruiter for top diversity talent from undergraduate universities, particularly focusing on increasing representation for women at the firm. At Harvard Business School, she served as the Director of Education for the Women in Investing club, bringing graduate women together to learn key skills for any type of investment role.
Grace has always been passionate about mentoring and teaching others. She began tutoring high school students before university and later coached MBA applicants through the rigorous application process. On the Inspira team, Grace aims to create an environment of community, learning, and mentorship. She believes coaching is an exchange of both knowledge and energy, and her main goal is always to leave students feeling capable and motivated.
Grace’s greatest strength as a coach is helping students identify their key strengths and incorporate them into their application. As an Ivy League graduate, Grace understands what top schools are looking for and what it takes to ensure an application stands out. She is an expert at helping students craft personal and memorable narratives and encourages self-reflection and development throughout the application process.
When she’s not studying, Grace loves to kickbox, read, explore the city, and find new restaurants. She also loves to travel and learn about other cultures!
Kyndall has earned a Bachelor's degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. While at Princeton, Kyndall served as an Alumni Interviewer, interviewing prospective students and providing evaluation notes to the admissions committee. Additionally, she has experience delivering course curricula in an ed-tech startup designed for high school students to build compelling narratives when applying to Ivy League schools and the UC system.
Kyndall's coaching style is focused on helping students identify and develop their authentic passions, goals, and voice. As a first-generation college student, she understands students' challenges and is committed to demystifying the admissions process. Her approach involves active and empathetic listening, challenging assumptions and presumptions, holding people accountable, and making hard work fun.
One of her greatest learnings as part of the Princeton admissions team has been the importance of authenticity in the admissions process. She understands that students often feel pressure to present themselves in a certain way to impress admissions committees, but she believes that it's essential for students to feel comfortable being themselves in interviews and presenting themselves holistically.
By building this space for authenticity, Kyndall has helped many students successfully navigate the admissions process and gain acceptance to their dream schools, including Harvard University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Brown University, UPenn, UC Berkeley, and USC.
In her spare time, Kyndall enjoys staying active through activities such as dance, yoga, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Meet Marina, a passionate admissions coach who believes every student has a story to tell, and finding it together is the most rewarding experience of all.
Marina is a graduate of the Wharton School and has an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. While at Booth, she served on the Student Admissions Committee, reviewing application packets, interviewing candidates, and providing recommendations to the final Admissions Committee. Marina also served as an alumni interviewer at both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago. Students Marina has recently coached have gotten accepted into the University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago, among other top schools.
Marina’s passion for coaching developed through her early volunteer tutoring experience and has only grown stronger since. She first started coaching on a volunteer basis at a local high school’s college counseling office and directly with students in her community. Throughout her own academic journey, Marina had many wonderful mentors that helped her along the way, and she is grateful to play that role for others! She believes the skills that students can develop during the application process can be life-changing, and she aims to facilitate the learning process. She also knows that the ability to self-reflect and craft powerful and clear stories is meaningful not only for applications but for future careers and even personal lives.
Marina enjoys helping candidates of all backgrounds recognize what makes them uniquely qualified for their dream school.
Marina loves helping candidates determine their strengths and bring them to life through a well thought out application strategy. Storytelling is her jam, and she is energized by helping students write essays they are proud of. Marina knows that being honest about failures can be incredibly powerful, and she enjoys guiding students on how to come from a position of growth in their application materials. She also believes that dedicating time to reflection and building self-awareness is one of the keys to a stand-out application and to getting the most out of the higher education experience.
In her spare time, Marina makes children's books that sing in different languages as a fun creative outlet. She loves that the books make it a little easier and more fun for families to raise bilingual children! She also enjoys working on puzzles with her husband and two young kids, going for hikes with the family dog, and traveling.
Meet Mary, one of our expert admissions consultants with almost forty years of experience in higher education serving as an important resource to students, faculty, and corporate partners.
Mary began her educational journey with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She then went on to earn an MS degree from Duquesne University, and a Master of Education from Columbia University. After teaching for well over a decade, Mary’s career in student services began when she served at Columbia as the Associate Director of Athletics and then as the Director of Financial Aid. Her vast experience in both undergraduate and graduate school admissions includes positions as the Director of Admissions for the School of Education, Nursing and the Arts at New York University; the Director of Admissions, Columbia School of Nursing, and the Associate Director of Admissions for MBA Programs at the Columbia School of Business.
During her years at the Columbia School of Business, Mary served as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for MBA Academic Advising and as the Corporate Director for Executive Education Programs. She later moved back to one of her alma maters, the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she spent twelve years as Director of Career Services for both undergraduate and graduate students at the Leeds School of Business and an additional six years as Manager for Corporate Outreach and Student Engagement for Burridge Center for Finance. Finally, while still working part-time at CU Boulder, Mary accepted a position as Director of Colorado Mountain university.
Mary’s passion for education has been present in every professional role she has had since graduation. With her outgoing personality, Mary plays an integral role in the lives of every applicant she works with, and she often builds relationships that last far longer than the typical advising experience.
As a coach who has been in a number of roles from educator to Ivy League Assistant Dean, Mary’s greatest strengths are her insight, wealth of knowledge, and devotion to her field. She cares deeply for each student she coaches, and is well versed in how to craft a unique and powerful application from start to finish. From interview prep to essay writing, Mary is an excellent resource and is highly motivated to help students achieve their academic goals.
Mary has formed lasting bonds with many of the students she has coached and enjoys cheering them on throughout their careers!
Meet Nadia, a motivated admissions coach passionate about education and helping students write exceptional personal statements.
Nadia has a Bachelor of Science from the Huntsman Program at the Wharton School, a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Professionally, she has worked as a management consultant at The Parthenon Group and as a Strategy Officer at The Gates Foundation. She has also been an interviewer for the University of Pennsylvania, which has given her insight into what admissions committees look for in candidates.
Nadia’s passion for coaching stems from her love for higher education and career development. Nadia believes that business school is an exciting opportunity for students to explore potential interests and learn how to give back to society through their careers. As such, she is excited to help applicants understand themselves better, improve their writing and storytelling, and find the best-fit schools for them. On the Inspira team, Nadia uses her knowledge of the admissions process and her people skills to help students get into their dream schools.
Nadia is a strong writer and editor and enjoys supporting applicants in the process of writing and refining their personal statements. She also has strong skills in project management to help break down the application process, and she excels at helping students prepare for their interviews as a former interviewer at UPenn.
In her free time, Nadia enjoys watercolor painting and running.
Meet Paolo, an expert admissions coach and film-maker with a passion for helping students construct compelling narratives throughout their applications.
Paolo completed his undergraduate education at New York University and his MBA from Columbia Business School. During his time at NYU, Paolo was closely involved in helping international candidates apply to, get accepted, and get oriented at the school.
After graduating from NYU, he began his career with creating films that played at international venues like DocNYC and Newport Beach Film Festival. He then directed commercials for brands like PlayStation and Adobe under his own production company. For several years, Paolo co-organized the annual film festival at the Philippine Consulate in New York. He later developed two independent feature-length films while also becoming a journalist and senior content producer at Rappler. On the Inspira team, he specializes in helping students seeking admission to competitive and highly selective schools.
As a coach, Paolo uses his talent for storytelling to help students convey their own unique stories through their applications. When he’s not working on films, Paolo thoroughly enjoys using his creativity to help the next generation of graduates discover their inner strengths. Candidates Paolo has recently coached have gotten accepted at several top schools, including MIT and NYU.
An all-around storyteller and advocate of the arts, Paolo uses his expertise to help candidates craft memorable application documents. He is also an expert in essay writing and project management. He believes that any character trait can be an asset to your application, and ultimately adds to what makes you stand out.
Paolo likes to write in his free time (a published children's author) and has been a professional breakdancer for 13 years.
Meet Raquel, one of our expert coaches with a passion for MBA coaching born from her own experience.
Raquel is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at UPenn. Since graduating, she has become a Senior Product Manager at Amazon. She has also been a quantitative analyst at Voya Investment Management, and a consultant for investment professionals within the Quantitative Analytics group at FactSet Research Systems. Today, Raquel is a valuable member of the Inspira team - helping students get into their dream schools.
Raquel first encountered MBA coaching when she was applying to business schools. At that time, Raquel realized how critical an MBA coach can be to the success of a student, not only for the broad knowledge of the admissions process, but also for the inspiration and encouragement during a stressful application process. So, she began assisting several students with the application process during her MBA, with a focus on career guidance, interview prep, and resume building.
As a coach, Raquel is passionate about being a resource and a calming presence during the high pressure application process. She enjoys exploring a student’s background to build a compelling narrative, using their r life experiences and unique qualities to help them stand out from other applicants.
In her free time, Raquel enjoys supporting local restaurants to keep the community thriving - and eating excellent food!
Meet Yasmin, one of our expert admissions coaches, passionate about helping students identify their strengths and craft a compelling application from start to finish.
Yasmin received her Bachelor's in International Relations from Tufts University and her MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since graduation, she has built an impressive resume as the Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Skinfluence, a Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, and a gifted admissions coach on the Inspira team. Students she recently coached have gotten accepted at Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Yale, Brown, MIT, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Yasmin is particularly passionate about helping students identify themes in their journeys, approach the application process strategically, and spend time on the things that matter most. Yasmin believes that every candidate should have the opportunity to put their best foot forward during the application process and prioritize the highest value-add components of their applications. Yasmin seeks to help students approach the application season with confidence, energy, and excitement by equipping candidates with knowledge about the process and tools to navigate its ins and outs.
Yasmin’s greatest strengths as a coach are her ability to demystify and deconstruct the application process into actionable steps and help students identify strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, Yasmin excels at helping students with theme identification and narrative formation, goal setting, and providing responsive and clear communication. As a force in the world of business, she is also an excellent career coach and is keen on helping students plan the next steps in their careers.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband, broader family, and her kitten, Mozart. Her favorite activities are snorkeling, traveling, and trying new foods!
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