Graduate Admissions Coaches
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Jessica Angel
Current Graduate Program: Yale Law & the Harvard Kennedy School
Undergraduate Studies: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Political Science & Geographic Information Systems
Honors: Fulbright Grant Awardee, National Science Foundation Grant Awardee, Rhodes Scholarship Finalist
Background: Jessica Angel is currently a JD/MPP candidate at Yale Law and the Harvard Kennedy School. Having recently gone through applying to both master's and law degree programs, Jessica brings a fresh perspective on how to effectively articulate your story to an admissions committee. From helping you craft and refine your personal statement to helping you build the confidence to nail your admissions interview, she is prepared to work with you every step of the way. Outside of being an admissions coach, she has interned at places like the White House, Department of Justice, State Department, and the European Court of Human Rights. At the core of all of her employment and leadership positions has been an unwavering desire to contribute to public service. She ultimately hopes to dedicate a career in the fields of national security and atrocity prevention. Along the way, she seeks to empower the next generation of leaders with the tools that postgraduate education can offer them. As a coach and founder of Summit United, she feels strongly about helping guide scholars to the summit of their dream and making them believe that there really “ain’t no mountain high enough.”
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Dan Muncaster
Current Graduate Program: The Hertie School, Master in Public Policy
Undergraduate Studies: US Military Academy at West Point, Intl. History (Honors) with Thesis and German Language
Honors: Deutsche Akademischer Austausch Dienst Master Studies Scholarship, Rotary 6060 Ambassadorial Scholarship, Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, Fulbright Semifinalist, Presidential Management Fellowship
Background: Daniel Muncaster is a Foreign Affairs Officer with the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, where he works under the Presidential Management Fellowship. Daniel received an MPP from the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, where he studied through scholarships from the German federal government and Rotary. He graduated summa cum laude from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and, now finished with grad school, fully remembers the chaos of scholarship and program applications. Daniel is excited to support you however he can and is glad to help review your materials or bounce ideas back and forth. He can help bring a new perspective to sharing your story and a sounding board for your goals and plans. For every part of the process, Daniel is by your side.
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Eva Nobel
Current Graduate Program: University of Chicago Law School
Undergraduate Studies: Vanderbilt University, Public Policy and Medicine, Health, & Society
Honors: Tennessee Associated Press 2019 Best Collegiate Newspaper Reporter, Charles F. Alexander Award for Distinction in Journalism
Background: Eva is a third-year student at the University of Chicago Law School. Before law school, she spent two years working for a consumer protection plaintiffs' law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, Schlichter Bogard LLP. During undergrad, Eva interned with a healthcare advocacy nonprofit law firm, The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC), and served as the News Editor of Vanderbilt's student newspaper, The Hustler. Eva's time with the TJC inspired her interest in pursuing a legal career. During law school, she worked as a legal intern for Legal Aid Chicago and as a summer associate at Sidley Austin LLP.
Eva hopes to pay forward the valuable help she received deciphering the law school admissions process.
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Adem Osmani
Current Graduate Program: The University of Notre Dame Law School
Undergraduate Studies: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Political Science
Background: Adem Osmani is a third-year student at Notre Dame Law School. Adem graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and is just a few years removed from law school applications. Adem is excited to pass on the advice and assistance he was fortunate enough to receive from his own mentors. In his free time Adem enjoys playing basketball, watching movies and spending time with his family and friends.
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Isabella Paternostro
Current Graduate Program: Harvard Kennedy School, Master of Public Policy
Undergraduate Studies: Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts in China & Asia-Pacific Studies, International Relations (minor)
Honors: 2021 Pickering Fellow, Carr Center for Human Rights Award Winner, Sherman Cochran Prize for China Studies
Background: Isabella Paternostro is an incoming entry-level Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, where she will be in the Political Cone. Isabella graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government last year, and she was a recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship in 2021. Outside of her studies, Isabella has experience with the Department of State in Washington, DC and U.S. Embassy Panama City, as well as internships with other nonprofits. She is looking to pay forward the support she received during the fellowship and graduate school application processes.
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Jackson Rapala
Current Graduate Program: University of Michigan, PhD in Microbiology & Immunology and MS in Bioinformatics
Undergraduate Studies: Illinois Wesleyan University, BS in Biology
Honors: NIHT32: Michigan Predoctoral Training in Genetics, Earl Edward Sherff Biology Merit Award
Background: Jackson is a PhD student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he studies the fungal pathogen Candida auris in the O’Meara Lab. Before moving to Michigan, Jackson graduated summa cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he studied virus-host interactions and was involved in collegiate athletics. One day, he hopes to lead his own research group, in studying fungal pathogens at the host-pathogen interface. As someone familiar with higher academia and STEM-oriented disciplines, Jackson can help you navigate the graduate admissions process.
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Jefferson Ren
Current Graduate Program: Georgetown Law School, Evening Program
Undergraduate Studies: Rice University, Political Science & Religion
Background: Jefferson Ren is currently an Evening Law school student at Georgetown Law School and a current researcher with the Afghanistan Assumptions Project. A recent graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School's Master of Public Policy and Rice University, he is passionate about helping others through their academic journeys to achieve success in both the application process and while at university. From looking over your application materials to assisting you with understanding the entire admissions process, he is prepared to assist you along the whole journey. Outside of being an admissions coach, he has interned at the State Department, House of Representative, UK House of Commons, and various think tanks - with all of these experiences contributing to a desire for public service in international affairs. Jefferson hopes to assist the next generation of scholars and leaders with their academic and career paths and hopes that everyone is given the best chance to succeed.
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Tanvi Sharan
Current Graduate Program: Harvard Law School
Undergraduate Studies: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Political Science & Economics
Background: Tanvi is a third-year law student at Harvard Law School. Before moving to Boston, she graduated cum laude from The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where she double majored in Economics and Political Science and minored in Business. After graduating from law school, Tanvi plans to work in corporate law in New York. She has also worked as an LSAT tutor for the last three years. Tanvi is experienced and excited to help you with all aspects of the application process.
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Mary Szarkowicz
Current Graduate Program: Yale Law School
Undergraduate Studies: University of Connecticut, Political Science and Accounting
Background: Mary is a third-year student at Yale Law School. She attended the University of Connecticut before working in the U.S. Senate and for UNICEF. During law school, she has interned with an international criminal tribunal, a law firm, and the Department of Justice. Mary looks forward to passing along the advice and support she had while thinking about and applying for law school.