Advisors

I hold my B.S. from Cornell University, where I studied Global and Public Health Sciences in the Division of Nutritional Sciences. I am currently pursuing my Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Biological Sciences from Miami University (Ohio) in partnership with Project Dragonfly's Global Field Program.

My career in education started with Cornell University's Upward Bound program as a college success counselor, where I spent 4 years advising first-generation students on college applications, personal statements, and financial aid. While there I developed and facilitated a two-week summer program designed to support seniors in completing the Common Application and their accompanying essays. Several graduates of the program went on to gain acceptance to highly selective schools, including Yale and Cornell, along with Ithaca College, NYU, and a variety of SUNY schools; many were also awarded scholarships to support the cost of tuition. I am very familiar with what it takes to compete at highly selective institutions.

For the past four years, I've served as K-8 Science Teacher in New York City. Currently, I work at Avenues: The World School, a highly rigorous, dual-immersion language international private school, as a Grade 6 Head Science Teacher and Curriculum Developer. I am deeply passionate about science education and environmental advocacy. Furthermore, I recently completed a writing course with author Haley Jakobson and am working towards my goal of reading 52 books this year! In my free time, you can find me hanging out in Central Park with my Goldendoodle, Chompy.

My name is Anesha Grant, and I have over 14 years of experience working in college access and success, supporting students through the college admissions process, and ensuring success through their first year. I am a first-generation college student. I love working with students as they learn more about themselves during the college application process. I look forward to learning more about you, working with you to help you realize your college dreams, and finding the school that will be the best fit for you!

I received my B.A. from Brandeis University with a double major in Psychology and Italian. I then went on to get an Interpreters degree in Italian and French from Georgetown University and then a Master's degree in International Affairs and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. I have worked at the United Nations, for the Italian government and as a free-lance interpreter and translator. For a number of years, I have been working as an independent college counselor working both with international and American students and I now look forward to collaborating with CollegeAdvisor and to continue helping students navigate the college admissions process.

I am a current educator and recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University. As Robertson Scholar attending two elite institutions, I graduated with Highest Honors, a Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society member, and author of an award-winning senior honors thesis research study. Here at CollegeAdvisor.com, I also serve on the College List and Essay Review Team!

Michael Pham is a first-generation scholar and Bay Area native. He earned a bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management and Policy Analysis from California State University - East Bay. Additionally, Michael successfully graduated with an MBA, specializing in healthcare management, from Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Throughout his higher education journey, Michael accumulated valuable experience by working at both the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency and Apple Inc. His dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of others is evident in his service on developmental disabilities boards at the city, county, and state levels, where he proudly holds the position as the youngest member. Moreover, Michael finds immense fulfillment in mentoring and supporting aspiring scholars. He has been instrumental in guiding over 150 individuals to successful admissions and job placements in top universities, including MIT, Yale University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, and beyond. Currently, Michael is pursuing his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California (USC). His expertise spans across public management, policy analysis, and healthcare management, allowing him to make a remarkable impact in the healthcare industry. As the Business Operations Manager and former Administrative Fellow at Stanford Medicine - Health Care, Michael has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing inclusive healthcare services for all. If you're looking for a Senior Advisor who can help you break down silos, build life skills, and make a difference in the world, Michael Pham is the ideal choice. With his top-notch college advisement and extensive expertise, you can be confident that you'll receive personalized and comprehensive guidance to help you thrive both personally and professionally. Join forces with Michael today and let him help you reach your full potential as you embark on your educational and professional journey.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Rice University. I also hold a Master's in Education from the University of Houston in Higher Education Administration and Supervision. I am currently working on a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Houston.

I started my career in college admissions at Rice University in 2009. I worked my way up from being an Admission Counselor to Associate Director of Admission. I have over 15 years of experience in advising students through the college admission process. While I represented Rice University, I have always viewed my job as being a representative of higher education. Therefore, I have assisted students in their college admissions journey whether their destination was Rice or any other college or university. I have also conducted workshops on highly selective admission practices, essay writing, and mock admission committee case studies. I served as an admission committee chair for all areas of study including international student admissions and transfer admissions. I have served at the national level as part of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Anti-Racism Institute Faculty and the Guiding the Way to Inclusion Conference Faculty

My approach is to serve as a guide and a coach. The college admission process should be an amazing time in your life in which you get to dream big and think about the environment you want to spend your time in. My job is to help guide you to places that will help fulfill your dreams, places that will provide the environment where you will feel happy, healthy, and supported, and places that will open you to new opportunities/possibilities. This process can seem daunting, but it truly isn't. Together we will put together your best application, hit submit, and take a deep breath as you watch the admission doors open.

Hi, my name is Chika and I'm from New York!

I graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Science and Technology Studies and was an alumni ambassador for Cornell's admissions team for over 10 years. I also have a master's degree in journalism (Columbia University) and have substantial editing experience.

In my career, I have worked as a K-12 tutor and as a high school advisor. I'm now a Freelance Academic Support Specialist, which means I provide a variety of online tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and other services to students across the country.

I'm a skilled advisor, editor, planner, and researcher who can greatly improve your college admissions experience. My goal is to make everyone's future brighter, so let's work together and make that happen!

I believe the college admissions process can be an opportunity for self-discovery and reflection. I've worked with hundreds of students who are the first in their families to go to college and didn't have a ton of resources, so making this process as simple and supportive as possible is one of my passions. I attended Rice University in Houston, Texas, and graduated magna cum laude and phi betta kappa. I majored in anthropology and have a love for working with students of different backgrounds. I also want to make sure that students choose an affordable school that is a great fit for them. I have a special love of writing and was a former English teacher, so can help you make your essays strong. As such, I am a member of CollegeAdvisor's Essay Review Team. I am warm, approachable, and caring, and seek to leave students feeling more clear, less anxious, and affirmed about their abilities and potential!

I have experience tutoring and advising students from middle school, high school, and college levels. I have spent many hours advising high school students on the college process as well as editing essays. My current role as a marketing automation specialist requires solid project management, research, and problem solving skills.

I am passionate about empowering and equipping high school students as they prepare for college and navigate the college application process. I grew up in a small, rural town in Northern Michigan and I often felt alone, confused, and underprepared when I was going through the college admissions experience. Since then, I've dedicated my educational studies and career to supporting students! I bring both lived experiences, professional work experiences, and extensive research experiences with me into this role. I am a two-time alumna of the University of Michigan where I received both my B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with High Honors and my M.A. in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Access and Success. Following my studies, I worked for two years as an Admissions Officer at U-M and now as an Academic Advisor in our College of Engineering. Outside of work, I love to be outdoors, I love cycling, running, triathlons, and enjoy reading. I can't wait to work with you!

I graduated with my Master's in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania Grad School of Education and currently work as Associate Director of Global Co-Curricular Programs and MBA Advisor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. I have also worked for Vanderbilt University, University of Chicago, Arcadia University, and Occidental College. My undergrad experience at Occidental College, a small liberal arts college in LA, was absolutely transformational so I want to assist students to find and apply to colleges that fit them the best.

I specialize in college essay writing and am part of the Essay Review Team at CollegeAdvisor. With my help, students are challenged to dig deeper about themselves, their motivations, and their experiences to ultimately craft essays that are both authentic to themselves, and effective in captivating the audience. As an immigrant myself, I am also adept at helping ESL students or first/second-generation Americans.

On a side note, I am a Taiwanese-American California native and enjoy fitness, Korean dramas, and petting all the dogs!

Hi! My name is Jesus and I graduated from Yale in 2020 where I majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. As a first-generation college student, I know the importance of college advising and have supported students from all walks of life as they applied to schools all across the country. I am excited to bring my years of expertise as a pre-med student interested in exploring the humanities and STEM fields through the liberal arts education at Yale as well as my years of experience advising students as they figure out what colleges they want to apply to, develop captivating essays, and determine what subjects they might be interested in exploring during college.

Hello! My name is Don Hatori and I graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, and later from CSULB in 2017 with a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics. During and after my time at UCLA, I volunteered and worked for various student and professional organizations focused on supporting high school students while they navigate the college application process. I have had the privilege of working with a diverse range of students in every organization since then. I eventually became program manager of one of these organizations and worked with more high schools, more demographics, and assisted more students in applying for and getting into the colleges of their choice. After receiving my master's degree, I started teaching math and statistics at Long Beach Community College and Cypress College. While there, I have been able to apply my prior knowledge about college advising to every class I teach since many of the students are also in the process of applying to a college or university. Now I can provide college advising in an official capacity again, thanks to CollegeAdvisor. I have a wealth of experience as a STEM major through high school, college, and graduate school. I was initially inspired to start advising peers and other students on how to be successful as a STEM major due to the lack of STEM advisors I had access to. However, I am not limited to experience with just STEM majors. Over the past decade I have also had the opportunities to work with non-STEM majors, understand their value, and how to help them be successful. Nowadays, I consider myself a strong advocate for the success of every student.

Hello! I'm Favor, currently a graduate student at Princeton getting my M.Arch. My advising experience is with Matriculate; I went through their program when applying to university and became an advisor for the program at Penn! I, along with two of my peers, helped set up Penn's Matriculate chapter as the advising fellow leadership team. During that time, I advised three students through the college application and enrollment process, with acceptances from University of Miami (with a full tuition scholarship), University of South Florida, Penn State (with Provost award), Rutgers, Stony Brook, and more! I especially love essay brainstorming and writing due to my heavy writing background in philosophy and general love for crafting compelling, memorable personal narratives. I've also informally talked with students applying to the Ivies; as a Penn student, I can share my experience applying, and speak to the culture, workload, extracurriculars, etc. of an Ivy-league institution. I look forward to meeting you!

I hold my BA from the University of California, Berkeley (2016) where I majored in English Language and Composition and also finished my "Pre-Medical" pre-requisites on the side, while also working 30+ hours a week. I took the MCAT and was set to attend medical school but decided ultimately that I wanted to pursue a scientific (as opposed to a medical) profession instead. Thus, I pursued my Master's in Public Health (MPH) at Boston University (2020), where I double-specialized in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Health Policy and Law. Currently, I am finishing my PhD in Epidemiology at Columbia University, after receiving 2 years of training from UCLA, where I specialize in trauma, violence, and mental health research. I am also double enrolled at John Hopkin's University, where I also specialize in a doctoral curriculum for Health Policy and Management. As you can see, my experiences have been varied and I've followed both the conventional and unconventional path towards understanding where my true passions lie, where I can contribute the most positive progress to our world, and where I know best reflects all my skills and person, not just what I could simply "succeed" in. Therefore, previous students of mine have developed confidence and adaptability, skills that are both necessary in school and life. As a mentor and advisor, I focus on building a sense of clarity in my students, a deep understanding of where their passions lie, and most importantly, joy and pride in themselves that they are doing the best of what they can provide to the world. Previous mentees have gone on to pursue various professions, such as medical, dental, law, and nursing school, at the schools they first set their eyes on. Other mentees learned how to understand themselves more and adapt their passions for new journeys, and pursued professions in veterinary school, legislative policy, neurobiology research, clinical psychology, award-winning architecture, and being a large business owner in technology and media, to name a few. I believe in helping my students highlight their best abilities and be someone beyond their known imaginations, while pursuing joy and passion. I've worked with students domestically and internationally for 8+ years and operate from understanding that support and mentorship can be a safe, imaginative, and exciting place to learn not only about what students are capable of currently, but what they can grow to be in the future.

Hello, my name is Kyana Brubaker, and I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Visual Arts. While at Hopkins, I was involved in clinical research, was the vice president of the all-female a cappella group on campus and was a math tutor. I also served as a first-year mentor for two years in which I supported a total of 33 freshmen throughout orientation and their first year at Hopkins. I was also an advising fellow for two and a half years with Matriculate, a non-profit organization, where I supported 5 high school students with their college applications. In these roles, I nurtured a passion for supporting students at various levels of their college experience. Now, as a nursing student, I have gained an even deeper appreciation for how valuable supportive mentors can be. Having applied to both college and nursing school without much outside support, I understand how overwhelming and confusing the application process can be. I am also a member of the Essay Review Team with CollegeAdvisor, which has given me more experience with reading and editing essays - one of my favorite components of the application process. I look forward to guiding and supporting students as they navigate this process!

Over the last decade, I have served students in various capacities in the K - 16 system. I work professionally to support students to and through college degree completion.

As an experienced application and essay reader, I have supported students to successful admission and matriculation to various T-20 institutions and into their dream school. When students work with me, they get an advisor who wants to know them as a whole person, someone who cares deeply about their well-being and future, and support both during our time together and outside to ensure they are as well prepared and informed as possible.

Some of my interests are photography, reading, writing, and building wealth through investing.