top of page

ABOUT US

AdmitU13.jpg
Melanie Talesnick
Founder
Grill_Alison.jpg
Alison Grill
College Counselor & Essay Coach

Melanie has spent her professional career in a variety of settings. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a double major in Marketing and Management, she worked for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Despite the perks of travel and working with professional athletes, she felt unfulfilled, except when working with grassroots organizations to develop recreational programs for kids. This experience led Melanie to pursue a career in teaching and athletic coaching. She ultimately earned her Master’s degree in Student Personnel Services from Montclair State University and a Certificate in College Counseling with Distinction from UCLA.

 

As a high school counselor for over 10 years, Melanie was always drawn to the college process. At the same time, utilizing her entrepreneurial nature, she founded Admit U Consulting to focus solely on working with students and families outside of the high school setting. She quickly emerged as a leader in the counseling office and ended her career at Morristown High School as the College Counselor. In 2015, she left public education to manage Admit U full-time.

 

Melanie is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), and sits on the National Advisory Board for a private liberal arts university. Melanie is also a Certified Educational Planner (CEP), a distinction held by only a handful of consultants in the state of New Jersey. She frequently attends conferences, workshops, and visits colleges and universities domestically and abroad. Melanie is truly a student’s biggest fan and supporter. Her passion, skills, and overall knowledge have helped students find their “best-fit” at numerous colleges across the country. She has helped thousands of students achieve their post-secondary goals and believes that the relationships she forms with other professionals, admissions representatives, and university officials offer a unique perspective to the college admissions process. When not editing college essays, Melanie loves cheering for the NY Yankees, seeing Broadway shows, and going to the beach.

 

Melanie’s enthusiasm and passion for all things college is contagious!

Ali has been a College Counselor and Essay Coach with Admit U Consulting since 2011. She is also the current College Counselor at a highly-ranked Union County high school, a position she pioneered in 2013. Her career in education began as a School Counselor at Morristown High School after working for four years at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey conducting child psychology research.

 

Ali's humanistic approach to college counseling is honest, data-driven, and personalized. Her goal is to help students find schools where they can thrive, not just survive. She prides herself on building relationships with students and families and believes these connections are crucial to helping students find success in the process. Working in secondary education as well as an independent consultant, Ali routinely attends professional conferences and visits colleges and universities nationwide and abroad where she networks with admissions representatives to keep current on admissions procedures and trends.


Ali's educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Writing from Drew University, a Master's degree in School Counseling from Kean University, and a Certificate in College Counseling with Distinction from UCLA. Professionally, she is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling (NJACAC), and Union County School Counselors Association (UCSCA). She also sits on a Counselor Advisory Board for a private liberal arts university. She played Division III softball, coached high school softball at The Pingry School, and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Outside of the office, Ali is a huge fan of hot sauce, live music, and the Oxford comma.

AdmitU17.jpg
Danielle Asher
College Counselor & Essay Coach

Danielle has worked with students on the college process in a variety of settings in New York, New Jersey, and North Carolina. Danielle was drawn to the college process after going through it herself and informally served as a peer counselor and essay editor throughout her time at college. After graduating from Barnard College with a BA in Psychology, she pursued her MA in School Counseling from NYU. During that time, Danielle also earned her Certificate in College Counseling with Distinction from UCLA.

 

Danielle joined the Admit U team in 2016 as a college counselor and essay coach and has worked as a high school counselor since 2013. Professionally, Danielle is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), the New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counselors (NJACAC), the New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA) and the Union County School Counselors Association (UCSCA). Danielle routinely visits colleges and universities and meets with admissions representatives to stay current in the ever-changing college admissions landscape.

 

Working with students who come from a variety of places and backgrounds has bolstered Danielle's ability to help kids find their "hook" and make it shine throughout their applications and essays. Danielle brings organization and positivity to what can sometimes be a confusing and stressful process, helping students show their best selves and gain admission to best-fit colleges across the country.  When she's not working with students, Danielle loves playing with her dog, Hudson, and watching the New York Giants. Fun fact: Danielle’s college process was featured as a fictionalized story in the best-selling book, Acceptance, by Dave Marcus.

Johnson_L.jpg
Lindsay Johnson
College Counselor & Essay Coach

After spending over 10 years working in college admissions, Lindsay gained experience reviewing applications, reading essays, and conducting interviews at institutions including, North Carolina State University, Saint Anselm College, and Fairfield University. She transitioned to work as a college counselor in independent schools in both CT and NJ, where she was able to draw on her prior experiences as she advised students and their families through the college process.

 

Lindsay recognizes the importance of transparency, clarity, and communication when it comes to providing information and guidance to students as they navigate the challenge of making the transition from high school to college. She is committed to providing support at every stage in the process with the ultimate goal of finding a college match that will allow each student to thrive.

 

A graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Sociology, Lindsay later completed her Master’s of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Fairfield University. She continues to stay up to date on current trends and the ever-changing landscape of higher education through her contact with college admission representatives and as a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Additionally, Lindsay is committed to professional development through her attendance at national conferences and visiting college campuses throughout the country to continue her education on the various options available to students.

 

An avid equestrian, Lindsay spends her free time riding and showing Arabian horses.

unnamed.jpg
Jonathan Roman
College Counselor & Essay Coach
Screenshot 2024-05-01 at 12.14.15 PM.png
Megan Sturgeon
College Counselor & Essay Coach

Jonathan entered college with the goal of eventually going to law school, but all of his time spent both attending and working at a summer camp ultimately changed his mind. Working around kids with a seasoned group of educators that saw his natural ability to relate with children, he was ultimately persuaded to enter the field of education instead. He graduated with a BA in Sociology (Honors Program) with a minor in Political Science from Muhlenberg College, where he was also a four-year varsity soccer player. He then gained an MA in Counseling (School Counseling Concentration) from Montclair State University. During graduate school, he spent three summers as the Director of Camp White Meadow, and worked at Randolph Middle School while coaching boys soccer as the varsity assistant at Randolph High School. Since getting his MA, he has continued his education and is certified by the state of New Jersey as a School Counselor, Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC), Supervisor, and Director of School Counseling Services.

 

Upon finishing graduate school, Jonathan spent two years as a counselor at Roxbury High School, and then ten years as a counselor at Morris Hills High School, where he was also an assistant boys soccer coach. Currently, he is a counselor at Wayne Hills High School. He is a member of multiple professional organizations including the New Jersey School Counseling Association (NJSCA), the Passaic County Professional Counselor Association (PCPCA), and the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC). Jonathan joined the Admit U staff in 2019 as an outgrowth of his summers spent co-teaching a college essay writing course, but also because he loves college counseling and is able to spend more time diving deeper into it with each student than is possible in a school setting. When he is not working, Jonathan enjoys sports, working out, and spending time with his wife and dog.

Megan is a licensed professional school counselor with over 15 years of experience providing personalized college counseling in high schools across Tennessee, Colorado, and Ohio.

 

Throughout her career, Megan has been committed to empowering students to thrive through a positive and holistic college application process. Her expertise lies in building strong relationships with students, parents, and educational institutions to provide expert, personalized support. Megan's professional journey includes roles as a School Counselor and College Counselor at several private, college preparatory high schools. In these positions, she taught college planning courses, developed resources to streamline the application process, and guided thousands of students and families through each stage of the college process. The foundation of her practice as a college counselor is the deep belief that an effective search and application process focused on fit can cultivate confidence, resourcefulness, and resilience in students.

 

As a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), the Ohio Association of College Admissions Counseling (OACAC), and the Transition to College Advisory Board for a local college, Megan remains actively engaged in her field. She regularly attends professional conferences, visits university campuses, connects with admissions representatives, and stays informed on the evolving landscape of college admissions.

 

Megan graduated from Xavier University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minor in Business, where she participated in the University Scholars program. Megan earned her Master of Education in Human Development Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling from Vanderbilt University. During her time at Vanderbilt, she conducted research in the Special Education Department, providing teaching, tutoring, and testing services throughout Metro Nashville Public Schools.

 

Megan's tenure as a camper, counselor, and director at YMCA Camp Fitch in Pennsylvania has profoundly influenced her career and life trajectory. In over 25 years at Camp Fitch, Megan served as a program director and Girls Camp Director, overseeing operations, staff development, and counselor training for teens from around the world. Megan has maintained a commitment to Camp Fitch through volunteering, participating in alumni events, and serving on their Annual Scholarship Fundraiser Planning Committee. 

 

In her free time, Megan enjoys exploring National Parks and college campuses, cheering for Cleveland sports teams, attending live music, and cherishing her role as an aunt.

Screenshot 2024-05-01 at 12.21.58 PM.png
Amanda Reilly
College Counselor & Essay Coach

Amanda started her career in school counseling in 2011. Her journey began in Great Neck as a middle school counselor, working closely with students in grades six through eight. From her own middle school experiences, Amanda developed a strong desire to support adolescents as they navigate personal and academic growth. Although she cherished her time at the middle school level, Amanda yearned for the college counseling aspect that high school positions offer.
 

When an opportunity arose to transition to the high school in 2015, Amanda eagerly embraced it. She has been committed to helping students from diverse backgrounds achieve their post-secondary goals throughout her tenure and her passion lies in guiding students to find the college that's the perfect fit for them. She understands the stress that the college admissions process can bring and works tirelessly to alleviate it for students and families. Building genuine relationships and connections with her students and their families is Amanda’s primary goal, aiding them in their journey of self-discovery.
 

Amanda holds a Master’s of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from Fordham University, a Master’s of Science in School Administration with concentrations in Building Leadership and School District Leadership from Touro College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. 
 

In her free time, Amanda enjoys the outdoors, spending time at the beach, boating, and traveling with her family and friends.

Screen Shot 2022-03-01 at 2.52.19 PM.png
Arden Dean
College Counselor

Arden comes to Admit U with a background in secondary counseling from diverse high schools. She is currently a School Counselor at nearby Madison High School in Madison, NJ. Prior to that, Arden worked at both Watchung Hills Regional High School and Metuchen High School as a leave-replacement school counselor and interned at Red Bank Regional High School. Currently, Arden is pursuing the College Counseling Certificate through UCLA Extension to better assist students in the college application process and she is an active member of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling (NJACAC), and the American Counseling Association (ACA). Arden earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master’s with Distinction in Counseling Services from Rider University.

 

In her free time, Arden loves to travel. Some of her favorite trips include Southern California, Alaska, New Orleans, China, Israel, Italy, Greece, and the United Kingdom. If possible, Arden will always stop to visit a university or two during her travels to get a feel for what each campus is like.  Back at home, she loves to cook, especially international foods, and enjoys making up her own recipes. Most importantly, Arden enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and three dogs.

Screen Shot 2022-03-01 at 3.00.43 PM.png
Sophiana Leto
Essay Coach

Sophiana Leto first cultivated her love for writing and working with students as a Writing Fellow at the University of Delaware. After graduating from UD with a B.A. in Anthropology, Sophiana went on to pursue a career in the “for-good” sector, supporting philanthropic efforts at non-profit organizations including buildOn, the Montclair Art Museum, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. 

 

At the Montclair Art Museum, Sophiana was in a dual role supporting major gifts development and the volunteer/intern program. She loved designing valuable, hands-on learning experiences for students and coaching their final presentations and reflection papers.​​ Following her passion for writing, Sophiana went on to support grant writing at the Museum, securing a competitive Association of Art Museum Directors grant to create internship opportunities for students from underrepresented communities.

 

In 2019 Sophiana made a big life change, moving from the Garden State to the Golden State! She relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and took on a new role as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, an organization working to close the opportunity gap and enhance college access for underserved students. 

 

After two years in sunny California, Sophiana moved back to the East Coast to be closer to family and friends. She took another big leap and started her own business, a freelance writing service and philanthropy consultancy for non-profit organizations and small businesses. She enjoys the opportunity to work with clients across a variety of industries. 

 

Known for never leaving the house without a book, Sophiana is an avid reader. She dreams of one day having a home library for her ever-growing book collection. When she’s not writing or reading, Sophiana can usually be found gardening, playing tennis, or snuggling her rescue pup, Pepper.

unnamed_edited.jpg
Lori Wilansky
Essay Coach

Lori has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Administration/Supervision from the University of Maryland, College Park. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Montgomery County, Maryland. Realizing she enjoyed working with older students, she received her secondary certification and taught high school English. 

 

When her family relocated to Chicago in 2002, Lori helmed a successful freelance writing and tutoring business. After going through the college application process with her daughter, she began dedicating her time to guiding students through the college application and essay process. Lori’s professional career is now devoted to inspiring students to feel confident in their writing skills and bringing their essays to life while making the experience productive and rewarding.

 

In her downtime, Lori is an avid knitter, and she and her husband love rooting for the Washington Capitals and the Washington Commanders, working out, and visiting their daughter in New York.

Screen Shot 2022-05-05 at 2.40.16 PM.png
Emily Schmidt
Essay Coach

Emily is a full-time journalist with a passion for mentoring students through the college admissions process. She recently graduated with her Master's degree in mass communications (Health Disparities Journalism concentration) from Arizona State University and completed her undergrad at Stanford University with two degrees in English (Creative Writing concentration) and Spanish. In December 2020, she published her first novel, The Galvin Girls, based on her great-grandmother's emigration experience from Ireland in the 1920s. 

Emily has five years' experience guiding students to write their college admissions essays in a way that demonstrates their unique passions and personalities. She has worked one-on-one with dozens of students through Common App and supplemental essays, using positive yet honest feedback through a multi-draft process. She understands that writing is a vulnerable (and sometimes scary) experience, so her goal is to develop mutual trust with students to share their most important stories. Her students have gone on to attend Harvard, Stanford, UChicago, UC Berkeley, and many other rigorous academic institutions. 

 

In her spare time, Emily loves being outside in the Arizona heat. Originally from Philadelphia, she enjoys hiking and biking in shorts during the winter months and escaping to the mountains in the summer. When Emily isn't writing, she can be found playing with her new kitten, Birdie, or finding the best tacos in the Phoenix Valley.  

Screen Shot 2022-03-01 at 2.55.04 PM.png
Jacqueline Spiegel
Essay Coach

Jackie graduated from The University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English & Creative Writing and Political Science and a minor in Philosophy. She graduated with Honors in English & Creative Writing and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At the University of Iowa, Jacqueline refined her workshopping, editing, and writing skills under accomplished authors and professors. Her favorite genre to write is creative nonfiction, though she has an immense admiration for poets and is interested in blurring the boundaries between genres. 

Jacqueline has continued to pursue her passion for coaching writers by volunteering with writing camps, running writing workshops, working as an essay coach, and tutoring students. Everyone has a story to tell, and Jacqueline is passionate about helping that story reach its best form. She has continued to write herself and is currently working on a piece considering her family history, how the present reflects the past, and the roles we play in time.

A lifelong soccer fan, Jacqueline has refereed games ranging from seven-year-olds who need her help to tie their cleats to national finals and college matches. She enjoys watching and playing soccer, and her favorite team is currently Chelsea. She also loves traveling and has done a number of workaways in order to travel on a budget. During these workaways, she has learned several unexpected skills, including how to stomp grapes by foot (watch out for the wolf spiders!), how to gather honey from hives (tape down your sleeves!), and how to get a stuck car out of mud (sometimes, this involves giving up for the night). 

Jacqueline believes that to write well, you must read voraciously. Some books she recommends are Halls of Fame: Essays by John D’Agata, This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers by Jeff Sharlet, and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine. 

Screenshot 2024-05-01 at 12.23.15 PM.png
Sophia Koh
Essay Coach

Sophia graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English Literature and Sustainable Development. While at Columbia, she began working with college-bound high schoolers, editing application essays and coaching them through the process. While she learned a bit of Latin and read mainly ancient and modern classics during her undergraduate years, Sophia fostered her love for writing. While continuing to work with high school students, she expanded her interests into the fields of journalism, autobiographical essay writing, and copy editing. For many years, she worked alongside antiquarian bookseller, Donald Heald, organizing and digitizing his archive of 16th-century maps, Shakespeare's first folios, and Lewis and Clark's journals.

 

After college, searching for more time and space to devote to her own creative writing, Sophia moved from New York to Berlin where she began helping high school students through not only college application essay writing but extended her expertise to SAT tutoring, college planning, and the more logistical aspects of applying. Although it's always thrilling when a student gets accepted to the college of their choice, Sophia's real joy and gratification comes from watching students become excited about the application process, and ultimately hone their own essay-writing skills. She believes it's only through the development of a student's unique written voice that a personal statement or supplemental essay can stand out among the rest.

 

In addition to college essay coaching, Sophia's spent the last 10 years working as a cook in restaurants all across the city. Although she's mostly retired from the demanding life of a chef, on any given afternoon you can still find her in her kitchen, preserving lemons in salt or whipping egg whites for a chocolate-macaroon torte.

Nathaly headshot.jpg
Nathaly Basto
Essay Coach

Nathaly’s passion for education and college counseling began in high school, where she advised low-income students on financial aid and scholarships for college through an independent service project. She graduated as an Orange County Top Graduate and attended Yale University, where she enrolled in the Education Studies program. After taking Intro to Cognitive Science, she fell in love with the interdisciplinary nature of the program and chose it as her major. She integrated Education and Cognitive Science, seeking to understand the best educational practices based on brain development. 

During her time at Yale, she traveled extensively, teaching English in Israel and Shanghai, studying in Italy for two summers, and attending a study abroad exchange program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. After graduating from Yale in 2017, she moved to Mexico City and started working as a college essay instructor and test prep tutor. She then returned to her hometown in Southern California and continued to work in college counseling and essay coaching with students from diverse backgrounds. She also took on a new role as manager of a small educational nonprofit that works to increase educational equity in the Bay Area. 

 

As a college essay coach, Nathaly loves guiding her students to find their voice in their college essays, while helping make the process a reflective and fun experience. In her free time, she loves to read, travel, and hike with her dog.

Screen Shot 2022-03-01 at 2.59.29 PM.png
Thomas Adams-Wall
Athletic Recruiting Consultant

Thomas was a three-sport varsity athlete in football, basketball, and baseball in high school before matriculating at The College of Wooster in Ohio. At Wooster, he was a member of their nationally-ranked men’s basketball team, finishing as the D-III National Runner up in 2011. Thomas returned to Wooster after graduation as an assistant coach for a year before being hired as a coach and admission officer at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH, where he has now been for nine years. He received his graduate degree from Ohio University with a Master of Science in Athletic Administration.

 

He is now the Director of Boarding Admission & Athletic Liaison and Head Girls’ Basketball Coach at Western Reserve Academy. In his nine years at WRA, he has been an assistant football and track coach, the head coach of the boys basketball team, and recently took over the girls basketball program in 2020. Thomas has a wide network across all levels of collegiate athletics. Being the son of two former college counselors, he has visited hundreds of college campuses across the country. He has coached student-athletes who have gone on to continue their education and athletic career at schools like Columbia, Williams, Bowdoin, Oberlin, Kentucky, Elon, and more.

 

Thomas prides himself in his ability to connect with others, as well as helping students find the best fit for them to achieve their long-term goals. When Thomas is not working, he enjoys traveling back east to see his family and friends, as well as spending time with his two dogs, Kenya and Riggins. He is an avid sports fan and loves to root for his favorite sports teams (NY Jets, Knicks, Yankees, and Rangers).

Screenshot 2023-05-18 at 8.48.57 AM.png
Lauren Twombly
Healthcare Admissions Consultant

Lauren Twombly began her professional career as a Physician Assistant (PA) in 2006 after graduating from Duquesne University. Since then, she has gained experience in a broad range of disciplines including clinical practice, academia, and pharmaceutical research.  

 

Her clinical experience began as a licensed PA in pain management and anesthesia before transitioning to work in an urgent care and family practice. While working in a clinical setting, Lauren volunteered to mentor Physician Assistant students where she quickly realized her passion for education. She pursued an opportunity to be an adjunct faculty member in Physician Assistant Studies at Seton Hall University but quickly transitioned to academia full-time as an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the PA Program. Her responsibilities included: interviewing applicants, setting up clinical rotations, providing lectures in various courses, teaching clinical skills, serving on committees, presenting at conferences, collaborating on publications, and mentoring advisees. Highlights during her tenure included three medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic (DR) with a non-profit organization, The Waves of Health, as well as setting up clinical rotations in the DR and the Philippines. 

 

In an effort to expand her expertise in the healthcare field, Lauren took an opportunity to join the Project Management Office at Janssen (Pharmaceutical company within Johnson & Johnson) as an Associate Director, Clinical Program Management Leader, where she led a cross-functional team conducting clinical trials. After five years and a desire to get back to clinical medicine, she pursued a new role at Janssen as a Clinical Project Scientist. She is currently the lead safety clinical scientist for a Phase 3 cardiovascular clinical trial.

 

Lauren’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership Management and Policy from Seton Hall University as well as a B.S. in Health Sciences and Master of Physician Assistant from Duquesne University where she captained their Division 1 Atlantic 10 swim team. In her free time, Lauren enjoys being outdoors and exercising, whether it be competing in triathlons, cycling, or hiking! She loves to travel the world and capture photographs to remember the beautiful moments she spends with family, friends, and her canine best friend, Maverick. Additionally, she continues to volunteer as a member of the Union County Medical Reserve Corp where she was a front-line volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Being a Physician Assistant has allowed her the flexibility to pursue several different paths in life. Her favorite quote that motivates her to make things happen and live life to the fullest is, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

AdmitU19.jpg
Nick Wierda
Tutoring Director

Nick founded First Choice Prep in 2010. With a focus on test prep and academic tutoring, he developed a curricula and pedagogy that have helped thousands of students improve their grades and test scores. He has spent more than a decade learning the SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and a plethora of other admissions tests inside and out and continually improving First Choice Prep’s course materials. Nick has two main claims to fame – his frequent perfect scores on ACTs and SATs and his appearance on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He also has had a streak of excellent Halloween costumes.


Prior to founding First Choice Prep, Nick worked at a variety of tutoring companies in New Jersey and New York. His career in the field began as a sophomore at Rutgers University, when he began tutoring for a local company.  He majored in History and minored in Political Science, but opted to pursue his passion of teaching after college.


In his spare time, Nick enjoys watching sports, reading, traveling, playing guitar, and using fancy vocabulary words to impress his friends. Nick lives in Jersey City with his wife and two children.

unnamed.jpg
Rachel Shapiro Cooper
Performing Artist Consultant

Rachel attended the High School of Performing Arts and Music and Art and then received her B.F.A. in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University, School of Drama which included study at the Moscow Art Theatre school (MXAT) in 2001. Commercially, Rachel has worked as an actress in theatre and television. She is a proud member of SAG, AEA, and AFTRA. As a casting associate, she worked on Broadway shows such as Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and City Center Encores. Through her graduate work at NYU, Rachel earned her M.A. in Educational Theatre. As an arts educator, Rachel has worked for the last eight years in Newark developing curriculum and facilitating instruction in networks including North Star Academy and KIPP:NJ where she was the Department Chair for the Arts and the founding teacher at their most recent campus: BOLD Academy.

 

Most recently, Rachel joined the faculty at Newark Academy in 2016 as the Director of Theatre. Rachel is thrilled to be able to assist talented and hard-working artists discover the college of their dreams. She has the experience to be able to help students select and execute the best performance pieces for auditions. She approaches this work with the precision required to identify and highlight students’ strengths coupled with the empathy to guide them through this dynamic experience. Rachel's goal is that students are prepared for their auditions/pre-screens and have a clear path to and through this process. When not coaching, Rachel can be found performing and directing on stages in NYC and NJ, hanging with her two daughters, and food prepping!

AdmitU05.jpg
Jamie Kideckel
Office Manager/Marketing Director

Jamie is a marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in the print and digital media space.  Before joining Admit U Consulting, she worked as a Marketing Director at Time Inc. and helped drive both revenue and readership growth for Real Simple and Sports Illustrated across both their print and digital extensions. In addition to working alongside product development and social media teams, Jamie worked with various agencies to develop, implement, and manage media across multiple platforms. Prior to that, she worked at Conde Nast as a marketer for Gourmet Magazine and Teen Vogue, where she helped launch the highly successful Teen Vogue franchise.

After realizing her family needed her closer to home, Jamie brought her marketing and organizational expertise of large-scale businesses to Admit U. Jamie spends most of her free time with her husband and their two daughters. She is constantly a fan at the sidelines of their games and can be found cheering on her alma mater, University of Wisconsin, any chance she gets! Go Badgers!

Gold medal winners for 2017, 2018, and 2019 for Best of Essex Educational Center

3 medals.png
bottom of page