From Aly, Founder, President, and Parent:
I went to Tufts University. At Tufts, I majored in Modern Women and African American History and was captain of the Equestrian Team. In my career, I was the President and Chief Fundraiser of a Student Not-for-Profit where we raised over $1,000,000 a year, and I had the opportunity to organize and speak at rallies of over 10,000 students. A few years later, I was a Fixed-Income Analyst at Lehman Brothers, where I eventually met and then married my husband, Perry. For the last 23 years, while I have always kept my brain working in different part-time capacities, I have been a full-time mother to three boys, ages 25, 23, and 22. During that time, I raised three very different sons who attended five private secondary schools and multiple public schools in two public school districts. Our oldest son has graduated from Santa Clara University. Our middle son graduated from The University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and our youngest son is class of 2023 at Kenyon College. While my boys were navigating their way from one school to another, I always took it upon myself to help them find the “right” school for them. At no point was this process more important than the college search.
My friends call me the research queen. I stayed up late into the night finding out which schools excel in which academic programs, who has the best sports, food, dorms, nightlife, and even the prettiest girls. When we went on school tours with our boys, I could answer every question, sometimes even before the admissions person asked the audience. I developed a knack for asking questions I know my sons wanted to be answered but would never ask themselves. There are several ways people come to find out what they love to do. Sometimes, as is the case with me, they just fall into it. I became so knowledgeable about many different schools and the process that I have subsequently counseled numerous friends and their children. I am a Professional member of IECA and have my certificate as an Independent Educational Consultant from the University of California Irvine.
I have navigated the college admissions process with a variety of personalities and backgrounds. A small sampling includes one student who was convinced they did not want to go to college; another who was so anxious that they over-analyzed every school; another who was suspended in late January/early February of their senior year, who had to notify all of his schools while they were in the middle of deciding his fate; an exceptional student who has autism; a student who excelled in the arts; a student who did not have any clear idea of what she liked or wanted, a student who received an ROTC scholarship and a student who was recruited for college sports.
After going through the admissions process with my own boys, we became so much closer. Each of my boys had new-found trust in me after landing successfully in schools that are making them so happy. How lucky I am to have gotten even closer to each of my boys right before they were moving out of our house. Finding the right school can be extremely stressful for students and parents alike. Still, I believe it can also be an exciting experience because where you go to college is a big part of determining who you become. I want to help you get closer to your children and find them the right school because all schools can be schools that change lives.
On a personal note we live in Wilton, CT and I grew up in New York City where my mother and brother still live. I am an avid horseback rider, tennis player and dog lover. We have a Black Lab named Buddy and a granddoggie rescue puppy named Buzz. I also love interior design, antiques and baking.
From Kavita Iyer, Educational Consultant and Parent:
I started my career as a French technical translator but really found my calling when I began working as a French teacher. I then spent the next 2 decades teaching French (Cambridge IGCSE curriculum) to middle and high school kids in India. I love working with teens the most and it was a truly enriching experience for me.
In 2016, I moved to the US with my family and started the University of California Irvine’s certificate program in Independent Educational Consulting, a series of 7 courses with 150+ classroom hours. The program provides the knowledge required to navigate the college admissions process and the specialization to meet the needs of varied clients.
I now guide international students especially from India, and domestic US students for undergraduate college admissions in the US. My personalized approach and individualized planning help students to define their goals, plan, and execute accordingly within an established timeline. My friends call me "the essay queen" and I get great joy when my students read the final draft of their personal statement and know, hands-down, everything is well-curated, and their essay is THEM in 650 words.
Having lived in India and the US, I have a uniquely global perspective, and my superpowers are my knack for languages (I speak 7 of them) and my cross-cultural sensitivity.
I volunteer with a non-profit organization called the Matchlighters Scholarship program where I help students create balanced college lists, brainstorm essay topics, and edit their essays.
On a personal note, I live with my husband in Kirkland, Washington and our son is a junior at New York University Stern School of Business.
Meg Joyce, Educational Consultant and Parent:
I graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a degree in Finance and English. At Georgetown, I worked in the Alumni Office, where I spent hours talking to alums, learning about their time on campus, and helping them understand how their support would benefit students and the university. I loved hearing about all the different factors individuals considered valuable in their college experience. I was also nominated for Rhodes, Marshall, and Mellon fellowships.
After college, I worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and boutique financial advisory firms. I was an active interviewer for many years with Georgetown’s Alumni Admissions Program, where I developed my love for listening to teens during their college application journeys. Most recently, I was a board member and president of New England Dance Theater.
As the mother of four children ages 21-30, I have experience with the college admissions process personally and professionally. I understand how time-consuming and stressful the process can be and have made decreasing families’ anxiety level my number one goal. At one point, my four children attended four different schools in four different school systems, which heightened my awareness of fit. Social, academic, learning style, financial - it all matters, and it has to be sustainable for students and families. My approach to college counseling centers around educating students and their families and prioritizing wellbeing and success during the college search and once the student arrives on campus. I hold a Certificate as an Independent Educational Consultant from UC Irvine, am an Associate Member of the IECA, attend conferences, and visit numerous campuses annually.
Along with my husband and four children, I’ve called lower Fairfield County, Connecticut, my home for 30 years. During much of that time, I’ve been an active volunteer, including several years teaching religious education and working with New Canaan Mounted Troop, where I was involved with the teen leadership program.
My fun facts are that I am an identical twin and my family consists of well over 300 people if you add up my side and my husband’s side. In my spare time, you’ll find me on a jog or the treadmill, reading on the beach, or eating french fries in the sunshine.
The Consulting Team
Elisabeth Bassin, Educational Consultant and Parent
I’m an educational consultant who guides applicants through the graduate school admissions process, and I have a special interest in helping prospective medical and law students chart a path toward their goals. I understand how overwhelming it can be to apply for a graduate degree while also juggling the demands of college or a job, and I’m committed to being both a knowledgeable adviser and a calm sounding board.
I hold an A.B., cum laude, in English with a Certificate in Creative Writing from Princeton, a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and a Certificate in College Counseling with distinction from UCLA Extension. Before becoming a consultant, I honed my organizational, communication, and mentoring skills through years of working as an attorney, as the director of litigation training at a large international law firm, and as a legal writing instructor and coach.
For three decades, I served as an alumni interviewer for Princeton, which gave me the opportunity to observe the changing admissions landscape and to chat with some amazing applicants. I also coordinated Princeton's alumni interviews in Southern Westchester County for many years, and served on the committee that oversees this process globally. In addition, I’ve volunteered for the past four years as a mentor and college essay coach for high school students through a local nonprofit college access program.
I have two kids. My son went to Princeton and currently attends business school at Stanford, and my daughter went to Brown and currently attends medical school at Columbia. Helping my children navigate their undergraduate and professional school admissions processes informed my understanding of college and graduate school admissions and inspired me to share my knowledge with others. What started as informal advice to friends and acquaintances soon grew into a career helping young people pursue their grad school dreams.
I live with my husband in Westchester County, New York. In my spare time, I can be found hanging out with my family, drinking coffee, writing novels, and obsessing over the New York Times Spelling Bee.
Mary Gow, Administrative Coordinator and Parent:
My previous professional experience has all been in the Human Resources field. I worked for 21 years in various Human Resources Business Partners, Project Management, HR Operations, and HR Information Systems roles in the Pharmaceutical Industry. I then spent ten years as a stay-at-home mom for our two daughters before returning to the workforce as an HR Consultant and an HR Manager for a Non-Profit.
In July of 2022, I officially retired and intended to focus my time on helping my now junior and senior daughters navigate the college admissions process. Little did I know that by engaging Admissions Village to help with the process, and taking long walks with Aly and our dogs discussing our lives and jobs, would lead me back to the working world. Maybe Aly picked up on the fact that I am a bit of a data and computer geek. I love mapping out processes to identify areas for improvement and systemization. I find it thrilling to analyze data looking for the “aha” story that all of the information provides. My goal in joining Admissions Village as a part-time Administrative Coordinator is to simplify the administrative processes so that Aly, Kavita, and Meg can spend less time on these functions and more time doing what they love, which is helping students find, and get accepted to, their dream school.
Educationally, I have a BA degree in Industrial Labor Relations from SUNY Potsdam and an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from SUNY Buffalo.
In my free time, you can find me reading, running/walking, or just hanging out with my husband, daughters, and our three dogs. I am also an avid professional football fan, and if I had the chance to do it all over again, I’d combine my love of football with data and become a sports statistician!