Partner Organizations & Professionals

Professionals:

• Audrey Serel

  Audrey Serel has been involved in the educational field for the last twenty-eight years. Audrey began Options4You after raising her children and effectively completing the college process with them. Audrey is well versed in all different learning disciplines. Her own children had varied academic needs. Her eldest is academically gifted and her youngest struggled with learning disabilities from the age of 3. He is currently attending a top university, receives accommodations and is accomplishing his goals stupendously.

  Due to Audrey’s educational background and personal experiences, she is able to successfully work with all learning disciplines. Her adage is “I am an equal opportunity educator.” Audrey’s clientele is not limited to the learning disabled arena. Audrey has also successfully placed students into highly competitive universities.

  She is a professional member of the following organizations: Independent Educational Consulting Association (IECA), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and Higher Educational Counseling Association (HECA).

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• Bonnie Snyder

  Ms. Snyder grew up in New York City where she attended private school. She received a bachelor’s degree in English and Communications from Tulane University and earned her master’s degree in Early and Elementary Education with honors from Hunter College. After graduation, she taught as a head teacher in preschool and elementary education schools in the private school system including: Studio Elementary School, Shari Tefila Nursery School, Columbia Grammar Preparatory School and the Claremont Children’s School.

  Ms. Snyder founded the kindergarten test preparation company, Competitive Edge Tutors, in 1990 to help students gain a competitive edge and overall test-taking confidence on standardized tests like the ERB, the Stanford Binet and The OLSAT/BSRA. She has been widely sought after and recognized for her expertise in this field since her company’s inception, and has overseen all aspects of the company’s growth while maintaining her commitment to individual students.

  As its President, she has expanded Competitive Edge’s programs to include test preparation for all preschool through 6th grade tests including the New York State ELA and Math exams, the ISEE/SSAT, and additional specialty school exams. She has also extended her services to include assessments, school play-date coaching, school admission coaching, school essay and writing support, weekly homework and skill-work assistance and help strengthening students’ specific skill subsets such as reading, writing or mathematics.

  Ms. Snyder has also found success working on students’ emotional issues, reducing anxiety in the classroom to create more confident, motivated learners. She works with students to fine tune a precise set of learning skills as she believes that test taking and academic success can be achieved through practice. Ms. Snyder adheres to an individually-tailored program to help students improve their test scores and grades, but sees the core of the process being about helping students to have fun, feel good about themselves and get excited about learning.

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• Dr. Gary Goldman

  Dr. Gary Goldman assists aspiring physicians in crafting an ideal application to medical school. From the first steps of carefully planning courses and activities in college, through application editing and interview preparation, Dr. Goldman individually helps and inspires students to achieve their greatest potential and achieve their dreams.

  Dr. Goldman is a practicing physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital – Weill Cornell Medical College on the upper east side of Manhattan. He has served on the Cornell Medical College Committee on Admissions for ten years, as well as on the Tri-Institutional MD/PhD Program of Cornell University, Rockefeller University, and Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for seven years.

  With his unparalleled experience and insights into medical school admissions, he can share a deep understanding of the admissions officers’ analysis and decision-making. Through compassion and humor he works to make the process far less stressful. By limiting the number of students, Dr. Goldman provides one-on-one help in a timely and individualized manner. His services are particularly helpful for the student with a less-than-ideal application.

  For more information on PreMed Consulting, see: http://www.premedconsulting.com

  For more information on Dr. Goldman, see: http://www.garygoldmanmd.com

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• Dr. Odey Raviv

  Dr. Odey Raviv is a learning specialist and educational consultant who has worked for over 30 years with students facing academic challenges. He has always been fascinated with helping students of all ages learn and thrive. Since his first experiences as a teenager working with children, he has known that becoming an educator was his destiny.

  Dr. Raviv began his career by teaching in the toughest neighborhoods of New York City. He then pursued a doctoral degree in the education of exceptional students at the University of Florida where he he was granted a doctoral fellowship to research learning differences and social acceptance. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Raviv resumed and broadened his work in education by developing a career which encompasses being a learning specialist, professor, administrator, consultant, advisor, mentor, educational therapist, and coach throughout New York City and Long Island.

  Focusing his work on students encountering learning differences, attention deficits, inconsistent motivation, and memory weaknesses, Dr. Raviv demystifies the learning process by teaching alternative strategies. He stimulates each client’s awareness of his or hers particular strengths so those strengths can be put to use to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness. By developing an individualized program to teach critical thinking skills, alternative learning and study approaches, and reading strategies, students build skills that can positively impact their high school performance and prepare them for their college studies.

  Dr. Raviv specializes in counseling and advising special needs students and those with accommodations in choosing the right college that will address their needs and support them as they reach their academic potential. In examining the student’s unique learning approaches, individual abilities, and career goals, Dr. Raviv, together with the student and his/her family, pinpoints the colleges that best meet the particular needs of the student.

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• Dr. Stuart Donnelly

  With over 18 years of teaching experience and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Oxford University, Dr. Donnelly is considered by many leading educators to be one of the most experienced and qualified private tutors in the country.

  After graduating from Oxford, Dr. Donnelly followed his love of teaching and embarked upon a full-time career in education. He lectured at George Washington University, D.C. before accepting a teaching position at Hong Kong’s prestigious French International School. While in Hong Kong, he founded and directed Tutors of Oxford, which grew to become the territory’s largest tutoring center. Upon his return to the United States in 1998, Dr. Donnelly accepted a lecturing position at Western Connecticut State University before moving to New York City in 2000 to found Tutors of Oxford NYC and Doctor MCAT, Manhattan’s premium one-on-one MCAT tutoring and test prep service.

  Dr. Donnelly (a.k.a. ‘Doctor MCAT’) has developed a unique strategy that is extremely efficient in dealing with the passage-based problems that appear on each section of the MCAT. His patient step-by-step teaching style helps to build his students’ knowledge and confidence in each topic and greatly improves their test-taking skills. Many of his students have been admitted to some of the world’s leading medical schools including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Oxford, Yale, and Cambridge.

  Dr. Donnelly’s services are in high demand, therefore it is often advisable to reserve your time slot well in advance to ensure availability. For more information about online or in-person tutoring, visitwww.doctormcat.com or contact Dr. Donnelly directly at (917) 568-2473 or at dr.stuart.donnelly@gmail.com.

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• 

  Elana Glasenberg

  Elana was born in South Africa and has lived in Australia, Hong Kong and currently resides in Switzerland. She has a Bachelors of Arts and a High School teaching credential from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She studied Special Education at Monash University in Melbourne. Elana has taught at the Zurich International School for the past twenty-two years, supporting students in Middle and Upper School with Learning Difficulties. Elana works closely with students, teachers and parents to ensure an optimal leaning environment and to make sure students needs are met within the classroom. Elana currently works as a College Counselor for students with Learning Difficulties helping them to find schools that are the best fit for their needs. She has a College Counseling credential from UCLA and is currently enrolled at USC as an Ed.D candidate.

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• Felice Kobrick

  Kobrick College Consulting, LLC is owned and operated by Felice R. Kobrick, LCSW. Felice is an Educational Consultant, with an undergraduate degree in psychology and business, and a graduate degree in social work/counseling. As a graduate of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Training Program, she is an Associate Member of the IECA and, as such, adheres to the strict ethical guidelines developed by IECA for private educational counseling. Felice is also a member of the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC), and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). She also offers her expertise on the Unigo.com college admissions website and writes a monthly column, College Admissions 101, for the 18 newspapers that make up the Anton News publishing group on Long Island.

  As colleges become more expensive and competitive, families feel increased pressure to make the right college choice. Using state-of-the-art, college admissions software designed and personalized for each student, Kobrick College Consulting, LLC assists students and their families as they navigate the intricacies of the college admissions process. Because we provide the expertise needed to determine which colleges are a good fit for a student’s specific academic credentials and future goals, we ensure that every student finds a college where he or she can thrive and be successful!

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• 

  Hakeem Rahim

  Hakeem Rahim, Ed.M, M.A. had the distinct honor of being the first African-American male valedictorian in Uniondale High School’s history. From his professional to academic to community life, Hakeem places an emphasis on change and transformation. After graduating cum laude with a BA in psychology from Harvard University, he began working in local government, for two years, under the Deputy County Executive for Economic Development. In 2007, Hakeem graduated with an Ed.M and an M.A. from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, with a focus on higher education and multiculturalism. In 2006, Hakeem co-founded the Uniondale Foundation for Educational Excellence, a 501(c) 3 non-profit that supports the Uniondale School district via supplemental financial and creative means.

  True to this same ideal of personal progress and transformation, Hakeem founded Live Breathe, LLC in 2007. Live Breathe, LLC is a consultative services company that focuses on educational consulting and mental health advocacy through providing speaking engagements, professional development workshops, trainings and mentorship sessions.

  In 2012, Hakeem began speaking openly about his 14 year journey with bipolar disorder. He is a certified National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) In Our Own Voice speaker and the NAMI Queens/NassauLet’s Talk Mental Illness™ presenter. Through his speaking and advocacy work, Hakeem has spoken to law enforcement officials, individuals with mental illness and their family members and to over 5,800 high school and middle school students. In March 2014, Hakeem testified on Capitol Hill in front of the Energy and Commerce Congressional Committee where he shared his experience living with bipolar disorder. For his work as a mental health educator and advocate, Hakeem was selected as a 2013 Honoree by New York State Office of Mental Health for the “What’s Great In Our State” Award and the Queens Times Ledger 2014 Impact Award. He has been featured in major news outlets for his advocacy work including USA Today.

  Prior to starting Live Breathe, LLC, Hakeem worked in higher education for six years. He is certified in de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinking methodologies, a de Bono Group, LLC consultant and a graduate of iPEC, an accredited life coach training institute. He has years of experience mentoring and counseling youth through designated programs as well as through unofficial mentorship. Hakeem is also a poet and recorded spoken word artist. You can find more about him at hakeemrahim.com.

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• 

  Jack Murphy

  Jack Murphy is an accomplished and respected educational professional. His career as a teacher, coach and college counselor resulted in the acquisition of a wide range of skills and a depth of knowledge in the field of higher education placement. During a long-career overseas Jack served U.S. expatriate families and excellent students from many other countries. As the Director of College Counseling at international schools on five continents Jack provided advising and guidance to students seeking entry to a wide range of colleges and universities. After returning to the US in 2010 Jack continued his counseling career as a college counseling consultant. In addition, he trained new college counselors in China, Argentina, Cairo, Panama and Korea. Jack continues to provide consulting services to international schools that want to improve their approach and programming in all areas related to college advising and university placement.

  A key part of that process involves standardized testing. Jack served as an AP Test Coordinator and as an SAT Test Supervisor. He is fully aware of the historical significance of testing and how it impacts college and university admission.

  Jack is happy to recognize A-List Education because it provides a highly reputable test preparation program that can be adopted to fit any school curriculum and prepare students properly for the SAT and ACT.

  Jack’s passion for helping students through the complicated pathways involved in the college admission process enables him to provide thoughtful advice and sound and enabling guidance. During his career he wrote and published several college counseling handbooks and is a regular contributor to I-studentglobal, the online magazine devoted to international higher education issues.

  Mr. Murphy is available to assist students with placement to US, UK, Ireland, Canada and other national university systems. He is also able to work with students seeking athletic recruitment advice and a chance to play a collegiate sport.

  Jack earned graduate degrees in education, secondary guidance and history from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and the University of Notre Dame.

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• Marguerite Dennis

  Marguerite J. Dennis has been an admission, financial aid and retention dean for more than 40 years, at St. John’s University in New York, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and Suffolk University in Boston. She is the author of five books and more than 50 articles on college admission, financing and student success and graduation. She is a consultant to schools in the United States and abroad and lectures on higher education issues.

  Her book, The New College Guide: How to Get In, Get Out, and Get a Job, published in English and Spanish, was written to help parents, grandparents and students navigate the confusing process of college admission, financial aid, student debt, progression from first to second year, graduation and getting a job after graduation.The author guides the reader to ask questions before applications are filed and after enrollment and graduation. The book presents information on getting accepted to a college or university, the best way to finance a college education and what students should do to ensure they will progress from first to second year and graduate in four years. Ms. Dennis also reveals some of the “little secrets” that many colleges and universities don’t want families to know.

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• Marshall “Soulful” Jones

  Marshall “Soulful” Jones found his voice at the world famous Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe one summer night in 2006. Since then, he has shared the podium with notables such as Ambassador Andrew Young, Henry Louis Gates, Marc Lamont Hill, Mia Farrow, Dr. Julius Garvey, and John Leguizamo. He has opened shows for music artists Jordin Sparks, Musiq Soulchild, Kem, and Raheem DeVaughn. He regularly performs at numerous colleges and universities and he is an annual guest at the Omega Institute’s Hermitage. He has been on National slam teams winning the first ever Group Piece Finals (2008-Urbana) and placing 2nd in the nation at NPS (2011- Nuyorican Poets Cafe). Completely informed by his art, Marshall conducts dynamic, experiential workshops with youth (UrbanWord NYC, Creative Outlet, SASF, Mercersburg Academy etc.) bringing the engagement of his craft into the classroom.

  •        Listen to Marshall perform, “Touchscreen”
  •        Hear what Jordin Sparks has to say about Marshall!

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• Michael Binder

  Michael Binder, (MS, MBA), the founder of Your College Navigator is one of the premier college consultants on Long Island having successfully guided hundreds of students through the college planning and admissions process. Mr. Binder is a noted speaker and author on the college preparation, selection, admissions, financial aid and scholarship processes. Mr. Binder founded Your College Navigator five years ago when he saw first-hand the challenges facing students and parents in the increasing complex and competitive college admissions process.

  His unique “5 Step Approach” and significant success has not gone unnoticed. Over the past several years, Mr. Binder has been invited to appear at over 70 libraries, high schools, PTA’s, Banks and CPA firms in Nassau and Suffolk counties. His articles have been published in 17 newspapers as well as in numerous internet blogs, and he publishes a regular newsletter for interested students and parents. Recently, Mr. Binder was interviewed by Newsday and he appeared in their December 30, 2012 article entitled “Student’s See Heightened Competition for Colleges”.

  Mr. Binder actively participates in industry forums and is a member of two of the most significant industry organizations, the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the Higher Education Consultants Organization, and he has personally visited over 100 colleges and met with admissions directors at dozens of others.

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• 

  Naama Potok

  Naama Potok graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University, with a degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. She then earned an academic scholarship from Oxford University, where she received a Masters of Philosophies in Oriental Studies.

  Well versed in numerous learning modalities among children and young adults, Ms. Potok has over a decade of Differentiated Instruction experience in Elementary and Middle School classrooms, and has taught all aspects of a Humanities curriculum. Whether she is using a theme-based approach to learning, weaving together literary and historical narratives, writing her own curricular materials, or strengthening basic-through-advanced skill sets, Ms. Potok brings a focused and calm presence to her tutoring sessions. She nurtures her students’ intellectual and creative potential, setting high standards and clear expectations. Ms. Potok has supported students in New York City’s most rigorous schools, including Hunter, Collegiate, and Stuyvesant. She has taught foundational through advanced skills in English Language, Creative Writing, Reading, Research and Writing Skills, History, Text Analysis, Social Studies, Time Management and Organizational Skills, and Hebrew Language and Literature.

  Ms. Potok is also a published short story writer and an actor.

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