The Executive Team: Admissions Counselors and Private Tutors

Admissions Teams::

Prep School, College, Graduate Admissions Counseling

Educational Background:

Northfield Mount Hermon, Cornell University, Washington University School of Law

Ross Blankenship is an admissions expert, educational expert, and Founder of Top Test Prep. Ross attended the NMH School, Cornell University and Washington University School of Law. Ross has a tremendous amount of experience in higher education. He assisted with Cornell recruiting and admissions and is an active member of the Cornell Alumni Association, serving as former Vice President of the Cornell Annual Fund. Ross also was elected to Cornell’s Educational Policy Committee and Academic Integrity Hearing Board, where he helped develop courses and maintain academic integrity amongst the student body. While working on these committees, his passion for test prep and academic achievement grew further.

Ross’ educational expertise comes through real-life experience and hundreds of articles on topics such as the SSAT and ISEE exams, how to improve SAT and ACT scores in schools, advice for parents on how to prepare their children for college, how to simplify the college application process, college financial aid, and how students can write better college admission essays. Additionally, Ross has written on prep school and graduate school admissions topics on themes such as improving GRE and GMAT standards and new standards for law school entrance exams.

Ross loves hearing stories of Top Test Prep students achieving higher scores, and he personally helps students get into top schools (K-12), colleges, Ivy League schools, and graduate schools. Ross leads both the admissions consulting and private tutoring programs for Top Test Prep.

Ross Blankenship is also the Co-Chairman of the Private School Advisory Board, which represents private schools through policies recommendations to the College Board and ACT.  He is also the active CEO of Study Hall Inc, an online learning and course management platform.

Admissions Team(s):

Prep School, College, Graduate Admissions Counseling

Education:

Phillips Exeter Academy, University of Rochester, Rutgers School of Law

Mike graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, an elite boarding school in New Hampshire. He then went to the University of Rochester, where he studied Economics. After Rochester, he received his MBA at Syracuse University and his JD at Rutgers School of Law, where he received a scholarship for his strong academic performance. Mike also received the Award in Finance during his MBA studies.

Mike brings great experience and depth to Top Test Prep, as he has also studied at Oxford University.  In addition, he studied Mandarin Chinese while living in China. As brothers, Mike and Ross both value education and care deeply about the students they help at Top Test Prep.

Admissions Team(s):

Prep Schools, Canadian Schools, International Admissions, International Students

Education:

Collège Saint- Louis (IB Program), McGill University

Sarah received both a B.A. and an M.A in Classical Studies and Languages from McGill University in Montréal, Canada, the “Harvard of the North”. While attending university, Sarah added Latin, Ancient Greek, Italian and German to her repertoire of languages that already included French (native speaker), Spanish and Polish. While finishing her thesis, she studied abroad in Florence and taught part of an undergraduate history course. Sarah joined Top Test Prep after being a tutor for Latin, Spanish and History, and brings her experience with students ranging from Middle School to College age to the team.

Sarah enjoys running with her Malamute, training for a triathlon, and French food that reminds her of home.

Admissions Team(s):

Prep School, College Admissions Counseling

Education:

Virginia Episcopal School, Yunnan University, Middlebury College

Zach attended boarding school in Lynchburg at Virginia Episcopal School, before making his way to Middlebury College. While at Middlebury, Zach studied German, Spanish, Chinese, and History. His time there also included significant study abroad in China at Yunnan University in Kunming. Zach joined our team after working with Top Test Prep as a private tutor and admissions counselor. He now brings those experiences and his extensive contacts at NESCAC and boarding schools into the office to help our students succeed.  He enjoys sweet tea, rugby, and travel to Asia.

Kaitlin is an online advisor for Top Test Prep, helping set up students with online tutoring and admissions counseling programs.  Kaitlin is passionate about education and helping students achieve their goals whether it be improving grades, test scores, or finding a mentor to help a student through academic situations.  She is a graduate of American University.

Admissions Team(s):

College, Graduate Admissions

Education:

Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.)

Originally from North Carolina, Daniel holds a BA in Government from Cornell University and an MA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania.  He is also currently studying to obtain his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

He is a graduate school tutor and admissions counselor for Top Test Prep.

Admissions Team(s):

Admissions Manager, Prep School, College and Graduate Admissions

Education:

Georgetown University

Originally from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Mary Kate Holman is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in English, with French and Theology minors. At Georgetown, she worked as a Writing Center tutor for academic papers, admissions essays, and cover letters. She was also involved in student theater, particularly acting and directing. As a student, she interned with the American Bar Association and the French Embassy. She is fluent in French after a semester abroad in Strasbourg, France, and she is currently learning Latin.

Mary Kate is an Admissions Counselor and Admissions Manager for Top Test Prep, and she particularly enjoys helping students allow their own voice to shine through applications and admissions essays.

Admissions Team:

Boarding School, College Admissions

Education:

Brown University

Michael is one of Top Test Prep’s college admissions counselors and a dedicated team member.  He has served in various capacities over the last two years.

Admissions Team(s):

College, Medical School Admissions Counseling

Education:

Bowdoin College, Georgetown University School of Medicine

Winslow graduated from Bowdoin College, and currently studies at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. She also advises Top Test Prep’s Founder in dual capacities, as a wonderful wife and medical school admissions counselor. Winslow’s talents are in her sharp intellect and ability to counsel others as they prepare to apply to top medical schools.

Winslow is an avid runner, yoga attendee, and dog lover. Both Ross and Winslow have a beautiful Australian Blue Heeler, “Tita,” who is the unofficial Top Test Prep mascot.

In addition to her medical school admissions counseling, she also advises Top Test Prep and its curricula team on MCAT test preparation.

Admissions Teams(s):

College Counseling, Graduate Admissions Counseling (Medical School)

Education:

Williams College

Spending most of her childhood trailing along on fieldwork or in the classroom with her volcanologist father, Beryl gravitated toward both the outdoors and ecology at an early age. After studying abroad in France during high school, Beryl moved from her home in Moscow, Idaho to Williams College to pursue research. There, she travelled to the Galapagos, continental Ecuador, and Australia to study sustainability and ecology. She also completed a senior honors thesis in physiology, for which she received national recognition from the American Physiological Society. At Williams, Beryl was recognized for her leadership in student government, athletics, and academics. She is now a fellow in pediatric oncology research and will be attending medical school beginning in the fall of 2012.

Daniel Ybarra graduated with honors from California State University, Northridge. He is an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who served on active duty and Reserves for a total of 5 years.

Daniel has been accepted to several medical schools including Cornell, UCSF, USC and others. He endured the application process over the last year and obtained useful information from his own experiences, and that of other applicants.  Some of his personal hobbies include baseball, football, basketball, golf and hanging out with my beautiful wife and 3 month old daughter.

Admissions Teams:

Boarding School and College

Education:

Bowdoin, Harvard (Ph.D.)

David was a Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, and

received his PhD in Political Science from Harvard University. He brings more than a quarter of a

century of inside experience as a professor and administrator at universities and small liberal arts

institutions to his advising role with Top Test Prep. David currently teaches in the Political Science

Department at George Washington University and has taught a variety of international courses. He

published one of the first comprehensive works on US African policy and also published works on

American ethnicity and the foreign policy process. In addition to working collaboratively with the US

Institute of Peace and chairing an interdisciplinary international relations program, David served as

Director of the Governor’s School for International Relations in Memphis, Tennessee. He has long-term

experience as a political commentator on international and American topics with the electronic and

print media. David runs in his spare time and as an empty nester he and his wife relish their son’s trips

home from Bowdoin College.

Admissions Team(s):

College, Graduate School, Medical School Admissions Counseling

Education:

UMass, Brown University Medical School, University of Nottingham, London School of Economics

Mark D’ Agostino, M.D., MS, MSc is a Marshall Scholar and medical school admissions counselor for Top Test Prep. Mark received his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he was awarded a full-tuition scholarship. Before medical school he was one of forty American students awarded a 2003 Marshall Scholarship. In Great Britain he earned a Master of Science (MS) in Biochemistry at the University of Nottingham Medical School, and a second Masters degree (MSc) in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics.

During medical school Dr. D’Agostino conducted research at Brown and the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Mark has also reviewed medical school applications for Brown University.

An actual, former customer of Top Test Prep, Michael decided to join forces and help the company reach out to students and parents facing the same situation as he once did – trying to find the best test prep and tutoring company.

Well, Michael met his match, going on to attend Cornell University, Columbia and Johns Hopkins, where he received his B.S., and Masters from both schools.   After going through a TTP program, he was hired as a consultant.

Admissions Team(s):

Prep School Admissions, College Admissions Counseling

Education:

Yale University

Monika Adamczyk is a graduate of Yale University and certificate recipient from Oxford University, graduating with distinction in political science and environmental engineering. Monika is on the admissions counseling team at Top Test Prep. During her time at Yale, she was heavily involved in admissions activities and high school outreach programs by serving as a Yale student ambassador to local high schools, interviewing students for college admissions, and coaching debate at local high schools. Additionally, she was involved in a variety of tutoring and advising programs by working for the Yale Science and Quantitative Reasoning Center as a private tutor in mathematics and the sciences, advising Yale students on career planning and internship searches as a Peer Adviser and counseling incoming freshmen as a Freshman Counselor. She has a plethora of experience with applications for competitive programs and scholarships, receiving a full merit scholarship for college and becoming one of 50 National Coca Cola Scholars.

In her free time, Monika is an avid tennis fan and social ballroom dancer.

Admissions Team(s):

College Admissions, Graduate & Professional (JD/MBA/MD) School Admissions Counseling

Education:

University of Alberta, Cornell University (Ph.D.)

Wasif completed his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Cornell University. While at Cornell, Wasif also led several international affairs initiatives and worked extensively with the Cornell administration. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., Wasif was a research petrophysicist at Shell in Houston, TX. Wasif has been involved in educational consulting for several years and has extensive experience in college admissions as well as graduate/professional school admissions. Wasif is still very involved with Cornell through various capacities.

Admissions Team(s):

Private School, College, Graduate School Admissions Advising, Test Prep and Tutoring

Education:

Georgetown University, University of Notre Dame

Carmen grew up in Chicago, Illinois and attended Georgetown University. She graduated cum laude with a major in Theology and a minor in English. After college, she attended the University of Notre Dame, earning a Master of Theological Studies with a concentration in Systematic Theology and a certificate in teaching. While in college, Carmen taught English to new immigrants in the District of Columbia; because of this experience she developed a passion for teaching reading and writing skills. Carmen currently teaches high school
religion and enjoys working with students to help them reach their
highest potential.

Carmen is a fan of Georgetown basketball and enjoys completing Sunday crossword puzzles as quickly as possible.

Admissions Team(s):

College Admissions, Graduate & Professional (Medical School Admissions M.D.)

Education:

University of Rochester

Jason grew up in St. Louis Missouri, but moved several times between middle and high school due to my father having to go through his residency, fellowship, and switching hospitals as a physician. While in high school and college he was involved in track and field. During Jason’s senior year in high school, he made it to Nike Nationals.

After interviewing for a few schools, he picked the Univ. of Rochester. At the Univ. of Rochester, he studied Chemistry and History. After taking the MCAT, he taught and tutored other students, and also worked for one year as a research in nanotechnology with applications for the treatment of heart disease at the Univ. of Michigan.  Jason is now in Medical School as an M.D. Candidate at Univ. IL, Chicago.

Counselor for College, Graduate, and Medical School Admissions.

Admissions Team:

Private School and College Admissions

Tutors for:

ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, SSAT

Michelle Blumsack graduated cum lade from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently an adjunct instructor at Texas Christian University. Michelle is also the director of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Children’s Choir.

Tutors for ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, and SSAT.

Admissions Team:

Private and College Admissions

Tutors for:

SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE

Vieshnavi is currently a Master’s candidate in the Conflict Resolution program (’13) at Georgetown University. She is interested in political risk assessment and the implications of conflicts dynamics in the Middle East on US foreign policy and national security. She has worked with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Search for Common Ground, and the Arab American Institute. She is currently Vice-President of the Georgetown Conflict Resolution Association. A graduate of Boston University, she received a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations, Magna Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of the Arts in International Relations, Cum Laude. She has studied in Geneva, Switzerland, and traveled extensively through the Caribbean, North and Central America, Western Europe, North Africa, and South Asia.

Also, a private tutor for SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE and K-12.

Admissions Team:

College and Law School Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT, ACT, and LSAT

Lyuba graduated with an A.B. in History and certificates in Eurasian Studies and Russian Language and Culture from Princeton University, and is currently a law student at New York University. She spent the time between graduating from Princeton and beginning law school as a Research Assistant for the Rockefeller Foundation and as a tutor. Lyuba speaks Bulgarian, Russian, German, and Spanish, and finished 7^th at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championship in 2009

Tutors for the SAT, ACT, and LSAT.

Admissions Team:

College Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT and ACT

Maggie studied Chemical Engineering at MIT, with minors in Biology and Theater Arts. Outside of the classroom, she wrote and edited for MIT’s student paper, The Tech, and ran Cross Country/Track and Field. As a new DC resident, Maggie has been discovering all that the District has to offer, and on the weekends she thoroughly enjoys exploring Rock Creek Park, either by bike or by foot. She became interested in tutoring after a five-month stay in Belgium, where Maggie tutored a student in Chemistry in return for French lessons.

Tutors for the ACT and SAT and helps with curricula development.

Admissions Team:

College Admissions

Tutoring Team:

ACT and SAT

Alexandra graduated from Cornell in China and Asia Pacific Studies. As a Fulbright Scholar, she conducted research at the International Water Management Institute, and interviewed local farmers as part of an oral history project. She also volunteers part time to tutor high school students in Mandarin Chinese.

Tutors for ACT and SAT, and also advises on admissions.

Admissions Team:

College Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT and ACT

Elly was a National Merit Scholar, and graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Arabic Studies. She is currently getting her M.A. in Developmental Economics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Elly has extensive teaching and curriculum development experience as the Mathematics Department at Abaarso Tech University, and as an instructor for English language and computer courses.

Tutors for ISEE, SSAT, HSPT, SAT and ACT.

Admissions Team:

College, Medical and Graduate School Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT, ACT, GRE, and MCAT

Sam was a National Merit Scholarship finalist, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is currently working on circadian rhythm research, and previously conducted research for the University of Michigan’s Department of Surgery. Sam is an outstanding MCAT, GRE, SAT, and ACT tutor, who got a perfect score in SAT Math and both ACT verbal sections.

Curriculum Director and Private Tutor for several exams.

Admissions Team:

College Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT and ACT

Robert received the Rensselaer medal for excellence in mathematics and scientific studies, and went on to receive a bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering from the distinguished University of Maryland Clark School of Engineering. Currently pursuing his masters in Sustainable Energy Engineering with a focus on solar power and storage systems, he has interest and involvement in research and development of these renewable technologies.

Tutors for the SAT and ACT, and also advises on admissions.

Admissions Team:

College and Medical School Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SAT, ACT, MCAT

Gianmarco received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology as well as a B.A. in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations from Rice University. He is currently a research associate in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been published in the Journal of Bacteriology, and was previously a Teaching Assistant at Rice University.

Tutors for the MCAT, SAT, and ACT, and also advises on admissions counseling.

Admissions Team:

College, Graduate, and Law School Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, SAT, ACT, GRE, and LSAT

Adam was a National Merit Scholar, as well as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar, and Presidential Scholar Nominee. He is currently a research assistant at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Adam has always enjoyed teaching others, and has almost a decade of tutoring experience working with  wide variety of tests and school subjects.

Tutors for SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, SAT, ACT, GRE, and LSAT

Admissions Team:

Medical School Admissions Counseling

Raluca is originally a Romanian native. She received a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University. Though she pursued her interests in politics, international affairs, and model UN in college, her passion was always medicine. She is currently attending Georgetown University School of Medicine. She will soon graduate and pursue a career in Ear, Nose and Throat, Head and Neck Surgery. She has been on the Top Test Prep team as a MCAT tutor and is now ready to make the leap into admission counseling.

Counselor for Medical School Admissions.

Admissions Team:

Private School, College, and Medical School Admissions

Tutoring Team:

SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, SAT, ACT, and MCAT

Tutors for SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, SAT, ACT, MCAT, and College and Medical School Admissions.