Admissions Experts

Chris is a veteran admissions consultant at Manhattan Elite Prep. He has taught college courses in creative writing and composition and is an award-winning essayist and fiction writer. Chris has 4+ years of experience in comprehensive admissions advising with various college applications programs, in which he helped 100+ students from around the world build school lists, develop their essays, and gain admission to very selective undergraduate and graduate programs.

For 2 years, he also managed a major Applications Program for 100+ other consultants and 1000+ applicants, overseeing its curriculum, development, and operations. As an admissions advisor, he focuses on bringing out the uniqueness of an applicant's voice in context with their profile and accomplishments, and he sees the challenges of the admissions process as an opportunity to develop a personal narrative of scholarship, ingenuity, and creativity.

His education includes an M.A. in English Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Northwestern's Litowitz Program, as well as a B.A. in Physics and English Literature from Cornell. He has worked in myriad educational environments, both online and in-person, as a teacher, advisor, and tutor, and he is well-prepared for the complex challenges that face modern students in pursuing their educational goals.

Elena is an experienced college admissions consultant. She has spent 20+ hours each week assisting high school students with applying to colleges for the past two years, drawing from over thirteen years of experience as a writer, teacher, and guidance expert.

Research and writing are Elena's twin passions, and she enjoys helping students advance their skills in both through the college admissions process. She specializes in helping students pursue the universities that best serve their specific visions, and develops meaningful mentor relationships that result in powerful résumés, a holistic sense of purpose, and compelling student narratives.

She is also an expert in helping students navigate the University of California application process strategically, including identifying which campuses and majors best fit their goals. As a former high school humanities teacher and curriculum developer, she brings extensive experience helping students draft and edit essays, and is proud that many of her students have gone on to study at some of the best schools and conservatories in the country.

She is a member of the Music Teachers Association of California, and has trained students for auditions and interviews, building lifelong relationships with several of her most advanced students. Through her work with the Autism Partnership Foundation, Elena has developed individualized curricula to support students with special needs, and has completed certifications in both leadership and education for students with learning specialties.

A graduate of Azusa Pacific School of Music, where she earned a full tuition scholarship, Elena holds a Masters in Humanities from Cal State-Dominguez Hills, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Nonfiction at Columbia University. Her writing has been published in over a dozen literary journals and magazines.

Alexander is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who also works part-time as a consultant on graduate and undergraduate admissions and essay writing, as well as a GMAT, GRE, and SAT instructor.

He has helped students successfully apply to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, INSEAD, and Dartmouth. Alex is a well-known writer whose byline has appeared on WSJ's front page seven times.

Alex earned his MBA from NYU Stern, with a specialization in Strategy, by taking evening and weekend classes while working full-time at WSJ. He scored in the 99% percentile on the verbal section of the GMAT. Before returning to New York to work as a financial journalist, Alex was the head of undergraduate programs at the Princeton Review office in Shanghai, China. His writing skills, combined with his background as an instructor, make him highly effective at helping his students reach their goals.

Stuart is a popular GMAT, GRE, LSAT, TOEFL and SAT/ACT instructor and an admissions consultant at Manhattan Elite Prep. Joy in educating is at the heart of his passion for teaching. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and has a GMAT score in the 96th percentile. He also holds a BA degree in Psychology from Georgetown University. In addition, Stuart taught English in Taiwan and Japan each for one year and has tutored a large number of foreign students learning English during his 20 years as a tutor. He also has nine years of work experience in corporate marketing with companies such as Intuit.com.

Perhaps more important than the above is Stuart's talent to teach and coach all students to success, from whatever culture or country they may come. He has a cultural sensitivity borne of having lived and traveled in over 15 countries. Stuart studied French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese because he has a thirst for language and engaging with other cultures.

There is no doubt that Stuart has enriched the lives of many students with the breadth of his international, foreign language, creative and business experience, helping him successfully guide students from every culture and economic status to realize their potential. In addition to having substantial experience tutoring the SAT, PSAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE and TOEFL exams, Stuart has taken once and tutored twice the Graduate Management Admissions Council Executive Assessment.

Carly is a MD-PhD student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons with over 500 hours of teaching instruction experience. She graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2020 with a BA in Chemistry and a BA in Biomedical Engineering Sciences. She scored in the 99th percentile on the MCAT and greatly enjoys helping students learn and grow as MCAT, SAT, and ACT test-takers as they gain the confidence to excel in their desired focus.

In addition, Carly is skilled in guiding students in compiling their strongest medical school applications as well as identifying target schools and formulating admissions strategies.