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ÈÕ±¾avƬ

Leonard

Research Mentor

In high school, Leonard took every mathematics and statistics class offered, and aced any standardized tests involving quantitative skills. So when he enrolled at Cornell University, he declared as a math major. It took him a year to discover that math was probably not his future…Ìý

Since then, for close to 40 years, he whas been conducting research in social psychology, and can’t imagine a career that would have been a better fit for him. To a great extent, his job involves identifying aspects of human behavior that seem interesting to him, learning whatever there is to know about those kinds of behaviors, coming up with new questions to ask about them, and conducting research to answer those questions. As a result, he has studied and published papers on (among other things) stereotyping and prejudice, self-esteem, conformity, personality differences associated with birth order, the psychology of genocide, and even why people come to believe that they have been abducted by space aliens.Ìý

Many of the highlights of his research career have involved mentoring students and training them as researchers as a professor and popular instructor a prestigious universities. He has guided those students though the process of generating hypotheses, collecting data to test those hypotheses, writing up their results, presenting their findings at conferences, and submitting their work for publication. Many of them have gone on to graduate school for advanced degrees in psychology, and he is always delighted to learn that he played an important role in their personal, academic, and professional development.

Is there something that people do and say that has always intrigued you? Do you have questions about how our minds work? You can do more than just puzzle over those things; you can find ways to shed light on them. He would love nothing more than to show you how. Anyone can apply to college and claim to be motivated to be a researcher and scholar; you have the potential to demonstrate that you already are one.

Fun Fact: I once came in third place in the Suffolk County high school table tennis championships. I then got a chance to play the US national champion—with predictable results.

Favorite Quote

“Be excellent to each other.†– Bill and Ted.

Transform your college application.

5/5
Wendy Y.
Parent
Below is my son's review. He was accepted to his dream Ivy League school!

From an admitted student's perspective, I am incredibly grateful to have met Sasha - he has been instrumental in helping me achieve my educational dreams (Ivy League), all while being an absolute joy (he's a walking encyclopedia, only funnier!) to work with.

Many people are dissuaded from seeking a college counselor because they think they can get into their desired college(s) either way. Honestly, going that route is a bit short-sighted and can jeopardize your odds of acceptances after years of hard work. The sad truth is, the American education system (even if you attend a fancy private school and ESPECIALLY if you go to a public school) doesn't really tell students how to write a compelling and authentic application. Going into the admissions process alone, without speaking with an advisor, is like going to court without a lawyer - you put yourself at a significant disadvantage because you don't have all the facts in front of you, or the help you need to negotiate the system.

That said, you need a good lawyer just like you need a good college counselor. And that's where Sasha distinguishes himself from the crowd of people claiming they'll get you into Harvard. I came to Sasha worried about and frankly dumbfounded by the college admissions process. I was unsure what to write about and how to go about drafting the essay that perfectly captured my passion, interests, and self. And I was highly skeptical that anyone could really help me. But, damn, did Sasha prove me wrong. From the beginning, Sasha amazed me with his understanding of the process, and ability to lend clarity and direction to me when I desperate needed it. After interviewing me about my background, experiences, activities, outlook, and vision, he helped me see qualities about myself I had not previously considered 'unique' or 'stand-out.' This process of understanding myself was so incredibly important in laying the groundwork for the essays I eventually wrote, and I'm certain I would've drafted boring, inauthentic essays without it.

Looking back, Sasha's talent is that he can see where your strengths lie, even when you don't see them. The truth is, although we don't always realize it, everyone has a unique story to tell. Sasha helped me see mine, and with his big-picture insight I was able to write the application that truly encapsulated my life and vision. He inspired me to dig deeper and write better, challenging me to revise and revise until my essays were the most passionate and authentic work I had ever written. As clichéd as that sounds, that's really what universities are looking for. In retrospect, it makes sense - in the real world passionate (not simply intelligent) individuals are the ones who make a difference in the world, and those are the individuals colleges would like to have associated with their brand.

In the end, I was accepted to the college of my dreams, a feat I could not have achieved without the direction Sasha lent to me. Essays (and the personal narrative you develop through your application) matter so much, and can literally make or break your application. I have seen so many of my 'qualified' friends receive rejections because they wrote contrived essays that didn't truly represent who they were; conversely, I have also seen so many friends with shorter resumes accepted because they were able to articulate their story in a genuinely passionate and authentic way - I fall into the latter category.

As a former admissions officer at Johns Hopkins, Sasha knows what types of essays jibe well with universities, an invaluable asset to have in the admissions process. He is responsive, flexible, creative, positive, and witty. For anyone who is serious about going into the college admissions process informed and prepared, I highly recommend Sasha.
5/5
Arda E.
Student
I used ÈÕ±¾avƬ to mainly help me with college applications. Within weeks of using this service, Sasha was able to simplify the already complex process. When it came to writing the Common App essay, Sasha didn’t just help with grammar and syntax, he brought my essays to life. Sasha also worked tirelessly to help solidify my extracurricular activities, including research and internship opportunities. Without his help, I would have never had an impressive resume.

Sasha is not only an extremely knowledgeable tutor, but also a genuine brother figure. His guidance, throughout my last two years of high school, was everything I needed to get me an acceptance letter from my dream schools (UC Berkeley, Tufts, Emory).

When it came to testing, ÈÕ±¾avƬ worked like a charm. Sasha offered a very comprehensive plan when it came to completely acing my standardized tests. Without his test taking strategies I would have never gotten straight 5s on my AP tests and a 35 on the ACT.

Working with Sasha, I didn’t just become a good student, I became a genuine scholar.
5/5
Samson S.
Parent
We worked with ÈÕ±¾avƬ during my son's senior year. I was concerned that we may be too late to take advantage of college advising but the ÈÕ±¾avƬ team quickly and confidently directed us through the steps to ensure no deadlines were missed. Sasha's knowledge about schools, what they looked for in candidates, and how to maneuver the application process was invaluable. Mateo and Ryan worked with my son to help him create an essay that would get noticed and I am so appreciative he had their guidance.

Prior to securing ÈÕ±¾avƬ, we tried using a less-expensive online service which was a terrible experience. As a parent, ÈÕ±¾avƬ brought peace of mind to an area that was frankly overwhelming. This service was invaluable in the knowledge that we gained throughout the process. He has also met with my freshman daughter to provide guidance for her high school courses, career paths, extracurricular activities, and more.

Prior to signing with ÈÕ±¾avƬ, I tried a less expensive online service and was very disappointed.

As a result of our work with ÈÕ±¾avƬ, I am pleased to say that my son will be attending Stern Business School at New York University this fall! I highly recommend ÈÕ±¾avƬ. Highly recommend!