Our Team

David Feinburg BA Tufts, MBA Cornell  | Carbondale, CO

Founder, Counselor

David has been assisting students with U.S. university applications since 2007. After spending 18 years as an equity salesperson for Goldman Sachs in New York and Boston, David joined the faculty at St. Paul’s School of London in 2007, where he taught, coached, and served as the department head for U.S. Universities Admissions. After leaving St. Paul’s in 2014, David started Syzygy Global Education. David has extensive knowledge of all of the elements of the university admissions process and long-standing relationships with many of the admissions counselors at the top U.S. universities.

Laura Banes BA Princeton, MPPM Yale | Baltimore, MD

COUNSELOR and essay specialist

Laura has advised and mentored young people in professional and voluntary capacities for over 15 years. Laura spent 23 years in London before moving back to the U.S. in 2018. While in London, she was the North American University Co-ordinator at King’s College School, Wimbledon, for seven years, overseeing all aspects of U.S. and Canadian university applications, including essay review. Laura is currently an application and essay advisor to King’s students and staff. Before her position at King’s, Laura worked as a volunteer, introducing students at U.K. secondary schools to the U.S. university system. Laura spent the early part of her career in retailing and marketing. She received her AB in History (magna cum laude) from Princeton University in 1984 and an MPPM (Masters in Public and Private Management) from the Yale School of Management in 1991.

Meg Stone BA William & Mary, MBA Wharton, MSW USC | London, UK/Miami, FL

Chief Operating Officer, Counselor

Based in London and Miami, Meg works closely with many of our U.K. and U.S. clients in her role as an admissions counselor and is also responsible for overseeing certain business operations of the firm. Before joining Syzygy, Meg spent ten years working as both a psychotherapist and executive coach/consultant, including three years in the student counseling center at University of Southern California (USC). Prior to embarking on this second career in counseling and consulting, Meg was a managing director at Goldman Sachs, where she spent 11 years in investment banking in the U.S. and U.K. Meg earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MSW from USC.

Annie Howell University of Bath|London, UK

ASSOCIATE

Annie is in her second year at the University of Bath, studying for a B.A. in Psychology. Having attended the American School in London for fourteen years and spending a semester at Tufts University in Boston, Annie has experience with applying as a ‘semi-international’ student to both American and British universities. She brings this experience to her work as an associate at Syzygy, where she is responsible for collecting college-specific data on various aspects of the admissions process. Recently, she played an instrumental role in updating the company’s database to account for universities’ changing policies and requirements in response to Coronavirus. When not working on the database, she presents personalized resources for clients that offer them with specific college data related to their needs and circumstances.

Ariel Calver BSc Georgetown| NYC, NY

ESSAY SPECIALIST

Ariel is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Georgetown University, where she received a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Minor in Philosophy. At Georgetown, Ariel served as a tutor for the Georgetown Writing Center and advised over 100 students (undergraduate and graduate) on works including theses, personal statements, and resumes. She was also chosen for Georgetown's highly selective Carroll Fellows Initiative program, which admits 1-2% of the university's most academically talented and ambitious undergraduates. Since graduating, Ariel has been working as a data engineer at a technology consulting firm. This fall, spurred by her passions for both STEM and the arts, Ariel will be starting an MFA in Design and Technology at Parsons School of Design.

Kate Golby Carp BA Duke, MHA George Washington|(NYC, NY)

ESSAY SPECIALIST

Kate graduated cum laude from Duke University with a degree in Psychology and received a Master of Health Administration from The George Washington University. She has interviewed prospective Duke students for over 30 years and, since 2007, has served as the Philadelphia Chair for Duke’s Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee. In 2010, Kate integrated her knowledge of college admission expectations and her passion for student mentorship into building her own business, in which she coaches undergraduate and graduate applicants in essay writing. Kate uses a nuanced approach to demystify the writing process and ease students’ stress by calling upon her psychology background and diverse experiences. Believing that every student has a revealing story to tell, Kate purposefully guides students in creating authentic and insightful essays that spotlight their essence.

Isabel Di Rosa BA Princeton| Philadelphia, PA

ESSAY SPECIALIST

Isabel received her bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Princeton University, where she won two creative writing awards. After Princeton, she worked at Macmillan Publishers, one of the ‘Big Five’ leading publishing companies. Isabel then completed a two-year post-baccalaureate premedical program at Thomas Jefferson University. Since 2021, she has worked at the University of Pennsylvania as a medical writer and project manager. Isabel has many years of experience in college essay tutoring, and she brings a passion for editing to her work.

Mary Johnson BA Princeton, MA Stanford | Del Mar, CA

Essay Specialist

Mary has worked in U.S. public schools with students, parents, teachers, researchers, and administrators over the last twenty years. Her approach to essay writing is informed by her graduate work in literacy, multimedia, and education at Stanford University, media production at Random House and Scholastic publishing houses, teaching writing to middle school students and most recently working in a performing arts academy in California. Her ethnographic research in the classroom explored how students communicate differently through writing, video, and web-based compositions. Mary graduated from Princeton University with a degree in History and from Stanford University with a MA in Curriculum and Teacher Education.

Hilary Larkin BA, MA, H.dip in Ed. UCD, PhD Cambridge | Kansas City, KS

UK and Essay Specialist

Hilary graduated with double first class honors in French and History at University College Dublin, and subsequently with a Master’s degree in Early Modern History. She attained a PhD in History at the University of Cambridge in 2008, writing about English national identity, which later became the subject of her first published book. She has also published a book on nineteenth and early twentieth-century Irish history. Hilary has had experience both lecturing and tutoring in universities in Britain, Ireland and the U.S. Having attained a Higher Diploma in Education (first-class honors), she also has had much experience teaching at second-level, including teaching in the history department at St Paul’s School of London.

Sarah Zimmerman BA Yale, MA New York University | London, UK

ESsay Specialist

Sarah has been a professional writer and editor for over 25 years. She graduated from Yale University cum laude and received a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from NYU. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers, including Town & Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan, Time Out New York, American Way, and The American Hour, among other outlets. She has taught online essay writing at The New School and for the past two years has served as a judge in the Personal Essay category for the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). Sarah also worked as a senior writer in NYC for PR agency Rubenstein for 12 years. She was also the founding editor of Avenue Asia: 500 Influential Asian Americans, a successful offshoot of Avenue magazine. More recently, Sarah has been working as a book coach and ghostwriter. In 2020, Sarah was short-listed for the V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize, administered by the Royal Society of Literature (RSL).

Susan Brake BA William & Mary, MBA Darden |Swarthmore, PA

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Susan has worked as an executive coach and communications consultant for 30+ years. Over the last eight years she has also been an instructor in Wharton’s Communication Program. In this role, Susan teaches MBA and Executive MBA students in management communication courses and coaches PhD students as they defend their dissertations and enter the academic job market. Over the summers, Susan has led communication seminars for international high school students in the Global Youth Management Program and Engineering Department at Penn. Earlier in her career, Susan served as an executive in the human capital teams of several Fortune 400 companies, including American Express and PepsiCo. Her writing on change management and organizational design has been studied at Darden, Fuqua, and Kellogg business schools.

Catherine Camp BS East Carolina University |Swarthmore, PA

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Catherine has worked as a strategic communications consultant for over 25 years within multiple international companies. Since 2018, she has also been a lecturer in Wharton’s Communication Program at the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, she teaches management communication courses to undergraduates and coaches students on their persuasive pitches. She consistently receives high ratings from her students for her ability to connect, inspire and convey course material. In addition to teaching, Catherine coaches executives in Fortune 500 companies for delivering impactful presentations and developing executive presence.

Brandy Fransen BFA Savannah College of Art | Winter Park, FLA

Visual Arts Specialist

Brandy has worked in international higher education and admissions for over 20 years. She earned her BFA in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and worked as a designer for many years before returning to SCAD in the role of Director of International Admissions. During her twelve years at SCAD, Brandy led workshops and tutorials on “How to Prepare a Dynamic Portfolio.” She has also conducted hundreds of interviews with students applying to art schools and reviewed just as many portfolios. In 2015, Brandy joined the faculty of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida as the Senior Associate Director of International Admissions.

Amy Goldin BS NYU, MS Queens College - CUNY | NYC, NY

Performing Arts Specialist

Amy is a globally recognized independent performing arts college consultant and owner of the college advisory service COPA, Inc.: College Options in the Performing Arts. In addition to her work as a private voice teacher, coach, and New York State Adjudicator in Voice and Vocal Jazz, Amy’s background includes teaching music, theatre, and musical theatre, as well as performing, composing, stage and music directing, and conducting. A published author of articles about music and music teaching, Amy is retired from her work at her alma mater, NYU/Steinhardt, where she spent over 20 years developing and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Integrating Arts into the Classroom. Amy holds memberships in arts and education organizations, including NACAC, HECA, IECA, NAfME, NATS, and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA).

David Laflamme BA Roger Williams University | Providence, RI

Rugby Specialist

David has been coaching rugby at the college level for close to 30 years and has been the Head Men's Coach at Brown University since 2008. His involvement in rugby spans multiple levels of the game. David has coached nationally with the USA High School All Americans, regionally, at the collegiate and senior level, and internationally, having close links with the professional game in many countries. There are few persons in the United States with as much knowledge of both the men's and women's game as David. His worldwide relationships, care for the student-athlete, and exceptional work ethic makes him a unique advisor to those looking to compete in rugby at the university level. David graduated from Roger Williams University with a BA in Psychology.

Rachel Sobel BA/BS Syracuse, MSW Simmons, PhD Berne | Phila, PA

Learning Differences Consultant

Rachel has over 30 years of experience assisting students with learning differences throughout all phases of the university admissions process. Rachel has her PhD in Counselor Education and is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Educational Planner. Her extensive training and experience as a psychotherapist, college counselor, and educator inform her approach to consulting with families and students. Rachel routinely visits universities throughout the U.S., meeting with representatives from the offices of students with disabilities and with admissions officers to learn about new programs and admission trends. She is also a frequent speaker for professional and parent groups throughout the U.S. on topics that relate to the specific needs of students with learning, emotional, behavioral, and social disabilities as they plan for their future.

Ryan Sparks BA Bates College | Santa Fe, NM

Rowing Specialist

Prior to starting Sparks Rowing at 28, Ryan completed Ph.D. coursework in cross-cultural communication and coached rowing with the U.S. National Team and Yale Universities. For over ten years, Ryan has led a team of former Ivy League coaches and Olympians that challenge students to grow courageously within the rowing community via eLearning, college counseling, and the largest network of rowing camps in the world on four continents. He is fascinated by the intersection of experience and human potential and expects clients to grow as a result of both their college process and experience.

Vincent Manno, BS Columbia U, Sc.D. MIT | Silver Spring, MD

Engineering and Science Specialist

Vincent Manno has over forty-years experience as a professor of engineering and academic leader as well as a practicing engineer. He has detailed knowledge of engineering fields and schools throughout the USA and elsewhere. Dr. Manno assists applicants and their families in understanding engineering and science degree programs and selection implications to career tracks and postgraduate education.

Will Yates BA Oxford, PGCE UCL IoE, MPhil Education, Cambridge | London, PGCE UCL IoE | London, UK

UK Specialist

Having spent five years as a John Colet Scholar at St Paul’s School of London, Will studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford before joining Teach First as a secondary school English teacher in London. During a five-year period as a teacher, he was in charge of whole-school provision for Gifted and More Able students at a large West London secondary school, where he also oversaw the expansion of provision for students targeting Russell Group university places and courses, including Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Oxbridge. Will has subsequently completed an MPhil in Education at the University of Cambridge and co-authored education policy reports for a variety of UK think tanks. Will is also a freelance education writer covering policy issues in secondary education, featuring in the Times Educational Supplement and The Independent.