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About Us

MAP’s Dedication and Personal Commitment

A tutoring company is only as good as the tutors who compose it. MAP tutors have been meticulously selected based on their academic achievements, professional experience, personal skills, and, most importantly, their ability to elevate students’ scores and skills to their highest levels.

Daniel Stern, Founder

For over 20 years, Daniel has guided high school, college, and graduate students through admissions, standardized test prep, writing skills, academic support, and executive functioning skill-building. During this time he has also written for several of the nation’s top media outlets, including the New York Times, US News & World Report, the Washington Post, and the Discovery Channel. He has covered a wide range of topics from science to pop culture to education, spanning feature articles, book reviews, essays, short stories, and news reports. Since 2002, he has taught creative writing, literature, poetry, and publishing courses at various institutions.

With a dual-major in Journalism and Philosophy (with a concentration in epistemology of science and quantum physics), and a minor in Poli Sci, Daniel graduated Magna Cum Laude from George Washington University. He received the Presidential Academic Scholarship for attaining Summa Cum Laude for six consecutive semesters and was awarded Special Honors in Journalism. Currently, he is a member of the venerable New York Authors Guild and the New York Writers Workshop, and once attended the summer residency program for artists at the esteemed Vermont Studio Center. He recently wrote a children’s book, Barker‘s Wish, which was a Finalist in the 2023 Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

In 2008, Daniel founded the internationally acclaimed web technology College Essay Organizer, which is now privately integrated as a student solution and has been used by tens of thousands of applicants worldwide, hundreds of leading educational consultants, and some of the most elite high schools in the country. Daniel has since become one of the nation’s foremost public speakers on the college essay and application process.

In 2013, Daniel and his wife established the Stern Keshet Fund as part of the Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders at NYU, through which they donate, fund-raise, and volunteer MAP’s tutoring services for Hassenfeld teens currently going through treatment. Their philosophy: It’s all about helping kids who can barely imagine tomorrow see clearly that there is a bright future waiting for them when they return to health.

He is married and has two young sons.

Stephanie Morris, General Manager and Head of College Placement

Born and raised in New York City, Stephanie attended the Horace Mann School and went on to earn her BA with Honors from Columbia University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Eastern Religion. After college, her passion for yoga and rock climbing, along with her French and Russian roots, inspired her to travel to over 40 countries, landing her in India where she completed her advanced yoga teacher training and spent 10 years founding and directing yoga centers in New York and India.

She joined Metro Academic Prep in 2009, and continues to apply her experience in business to oversee the company’s operations and make sure its processes are on the cutting edge. Her vast knowledge of colleges, experience managing College Essay Organizer, UC Irvine Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting, membership with the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and background in teaching meditation and yoga allow her to help students find their dream colleges without all the stress.

When not guiding students or researching the latest college admissions news, you can find her sweating it out in a hot yoga class, scaling the local climbing wall with her two daughters, or whipping together her latest raw food creation.

MAP's Tutors

MAP’s dynamic tutors have earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from the top universities in their areas of expertise. Just as important, they know how to connect well with students of different personalities and unique interests. Below are some of our featured tutors.

Alexa Clark

Originally from the Bay Area, Alexa attended Swarthmore College where she majored in Computer Science and Chemistry.  After graduating, she spent four years working in biotechnology as a software engineer, building web applications for clinical trial data automation and analysis. Currently, she is a third-year medical student at Emory University School of Medicine. She has a particular interest in global health surgery and hopes to pursue a surgical subspecialty when applying to residency. Although a tutor in various subjects for the past 10 years, Alexa has particularly loved teaching the MCAT since taking the test in 2021. She finds great purpose in helping pre-meds to conquer this rigorous exam — one that is as much a mental battle as an academic one. She also enjoys guiding aspiring physicians through the medical school application process and tutoring current medical students for board exams (e.g. STEP1). In her limited free time, Alexa loves to swim in both the pool and open-water, train for marathons, travel the world, and bake.

Andrew Brotzman

Andrew was raised in Freeport, Maine, before attending Columbia University to study Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. He has been teaching and tutoring standardized tests since 2000, specializing in the ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, and GMAT as the head of MAP’s test prep division. In addition to his extensive test prep experience, Andrew also specializes in college and graduate school admissions, leveraging his deep knowledge of the admissions landscape to guide students. He holds an MFA in Film from Columbia and has written several movies, including The Quarry and Nor’easter.

Aziz Tazi

Aziz has been a tutor for over 12 years, with experience mentoring over 200 students of all ages from elementary school through grad school. Leveraging his well-rounded academic background, Aziz is an expert mentor in all levels of Math from Pre-Algebra to AP Calculus, as well as College Math, Chemistry, Physics, Languages (he speaks four fluently!), and test prep. He graduated with two Masters of Science from UC Berkeley and Ecole Centrale Paris in France, and was one of only 120 Rotary Global Grant Scholars worldwide. Aziz loves seeing his students learn and grow—he knows what it’s like to feel lost and works to instill confidence in his students, providing guidance and encouraging open minds. Having navigated diverse landscapes, from Morocco to Paris to the USA, he leverages his fluency in different languages and cultures to help students strive to become well-rounded. Beyond academics, Aziz is an avid filmmaker. His dedication led him to Forbes “30 under 30” recognition in 2016, where he was highlighted for his achievements in math and media.

Bill Gerrard

Born and raised in New York, Bill has a BA in literature from Columbia University and an MFA in filmmaking from Columbia’s School of the Arts. He has written numerous award-winning short films, feature screenplays, and TV pilots. Aside from art, his primary intellectual passions have always been history and philosophy, and he spends most of his free time reading both. He has tutored both American History and World History for over 10 years, as well as the ACT, SAT, various academic subjects, writing, and study skills. He has also guided students successfully through the college admissions process.

Carey Garris

After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Carey led the school’s Alumni Critique Workshop, which focused on helping recent graduates develop portfolios to pursue specific career opportunities. Following several years of working freelance in the illustration and film industries in New York City, she earned her MA from Central Saint Martins, London. Carey then began teaching art classes for students of all ages, including mentoring teenagers as they created fine art, animation, and comic portfolios. Now settled in LA, Carey helps students craft powerful portfolios and written statements for their college applications, and guides them as they pursue their artistic passions.

Cat Pierro

Cat has been expertly guiding students through the SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, and a host of academic fields ever since she graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa as a Philosophy major. She equips students of all academic backgrounds and learning styles with the strategies, techniques, and confidence they need to unleash their inner test-taker. Originally from Massachusetts, Cat now lives in Brooklyn, where she spends her spare time participating in reading groups, editing the literary magazine Hypocrite Reader, and producing the history podcast 14th Century Europe. In 2023 and 2024, she was delighted to attend PROMYS for Teachers, a program that gives math educators tools for helping students explore mathematical content with a spirit of inquiry and discovery.

Daniel Kosasa

Born in Honolulu, Daniel is a Hawaii boy at heart but somehow always finds himself far from home. He studied Ancient Greek and Latin at NYU, then went on to do a master’s in Roman History at St. John’s College Oxford as the first Ertegun Scholar in Ancient History. He is now finishing up his PhD at Princeton, where he’s trying to figure out what 5th century Romans thought about their beloved empire crumbling beneath them. Outside of his love for the ancients, Daniel deeply enjoys world travel. He’s visited every capital city in Europe (if you don’t count some of the microstates like Andorra and San Marino). He also likes to surf, snorkel, hike, and explore new neighborhoods on his bike. His areas of expertise include college admissions, executive functioning, history, Latin, English, and writing.

Eli Epstein-Deutsch

Originally from Northampton, Massachusetts, Eli studied Literature and Modern Thought at Swarthmore College, and then Dramatic Criticism in the Master’s program at Yale University. Formerly an arts and theater writer for the Village Voice, he has been an essay coach and college counselor for 15 years, and has helped hundreds of students secure admission to top US universities and graduate programs. He loves guiding students in all areas of study to find their passions, make an outstanding impact in their communities, and successfully tell their stories in the college and graduate school application process. In his free time, he enjoys organizing art events, practicing tai chi and qigong, and reading cyberpunk novels.

Ellen Lueck

Ellen graduated high school as a boarding student at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California, before heading east to attend Sarah Lawrence College. She went on to earn her PhD in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, studying how the internet helped form unlikely cross-cultural friendships. Since 2013, she has taught world music at universities and led dozens of workshops. She joined MAP in 2016, providing crucial research and coordination efforts for everything from college admissions to test prep. During her personal time, she can be found at her sewing machine, singing, or at rehearsal for Balinese dance.

Ian Rice

With BAs in both physics and film from Wesleyan University, where he founded a film publication advised by AO Scott, chief film critic of the New York Times, Ian is a bit of a Renaissance mind. Matching his divergent majors, his teaching philosophy incorporates both sides of the coin: the rigor and logic of the sciences as well as the humanistic and emotional aspects of the arts. Ian loves motivating students with his natural exuberance and passion for learning and is always looking for ways to make the process more enjoyable while building up his students’ concrete skills and self-confidence. He finds it particularly rewarding when students prove to themselves that they are capable of overcoming obstacles through persistence, planning, and hard work. A lifelong adventurer, he was recently lucky enough to complete a trans-Pacific voyage as the sole onboard educator for the sailing yacht Libeccio. When not trying his hand at the pirate’s life, he can be found firmly aground strumming his guitar, playing soccer, meditating, or losing himself at the movies. He tutors the ACT, SAT, ISEE, SSAT, executive functioning skills, and such academic subjects as physics, math, writing, and more.

Jeannie Donohoe

Originally from Boston, Jeannie Donohoe is an award-winning screenwriter and director based in Los Angeles. She earned her BA with honors from Dartmouth College, MFA with honors in writing and directing from Columbia University, and MS in education from City University of New York. While studying film at Columbia, she was the teaching assistant of legendary film critic Andrew Sarris and led writing courses in film history, theory, and criticism. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Jeannie taught middle school in the South Bronx through Teach for America, then worked in public school reform at New Visions for Public Schools. In addition to her 20 years of teaching experience, Jeannie has written and edited a wide range of materials, from ELA and test prep textbooks to audio books and screenplays. She teaches writing and study skills. Her passion for the arts is tied to her love of travel – both spark her curiosity about new perspectives, landscapes, and cultures.

Jin Joo Ha

Jin Joo is currently a master’s student in clinical psychology at Teachers College at Columbia University. She was raised in Chicago and received her BA in Cognitive Science from Case Western Reserve University. After graduating, Jin Joo traveled to several countries, volunteered at a couple Olympics, learned a few languages, and experienced many new cultures. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on Chicago sports teams and exploring the parks and museums of NYC. Jin Joo has been tutoring and teaching the ACT, SAT, math, reading, Spanish, AP Exams (Calculus, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics) and various other school subjects and standardized tests for the past nine years.

Josh Davis

Josh graduated from St. John’s International School in Waterloo, Belgium, in 2005 after completing an ambitious yet well-rounded combination of IB and AP courses. He spent one year as a post-grad at the Hun School of Princeton prior to attending Yale University, where he majored in History. He was Student Recruitment Coordinator for the Yale Admissions Office, mentor for an inner-city extracurricular program, and a leader of several cultural organizations. His commitment for an interest in education was laid early, as both of Josh’s parents were educators for 30+ years. Josh has a true passion and a wealth of experience helping students from around the world with their university dreams, coaching and commentating basketball, and continuously learning the most important life lesson of them all: how to take care of his two boys.

Katharine Smyth

Katharine is a writer and editor with nearly twenty years of tutoring and admissions experience. After graduating magna cum laude from Brown University, she began teaching at Columbia University, where she received her MFA in nonfiction and was awarded a Dean’s Fellowship, the school’s highest merit-based award. Her first book, All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf, was published in 2019 and named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Her essays and articles have appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, and Vogue, among other publications. When she’s not guiding applicants through the admissions process (for college and graduate school), she can be found hiking in Montana, obsessing over politics, hanging out with her family and her two cats, and writing her next book.

Lily An

Lily is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a major in Public Health. She has extensive experience with all aspects of the college admissions process and operates under the belief that students don’t have to find the cure for a major illness or solve a major societal conflict to be considered special: each student is unique and it’s just a matter of showcasing that to colleges. Growing up in the Evergreen State of Washington, Lily has a passion for preserving nature through sustainability and currently has a three-year streak of purchasing only second-hand clothes; even her wedding dress was thrifted! Along that theme, she also enjoys decorating her house with used furniture that she paints and infuses with a new life!

Max Rubin

Max Rubin was born and raised in southern California and received his MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Iowa’s acclaimed graduate program. From 2013 to 2017, he taught essay writing to university freshmen, working with hundreds of students to prepare their writing for the college level. His writing has been published by The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. Max remains convinced that there is a truly good burrito to be had in New York, and when he’s not guiding students through the college and graduate school admissions process or writing he is often off in search of it.

McKenzie Senger

McKenzie is a passionate and enthusiastic STEM tutor with many years of experience teaching students of all ages from all over the world. As a former pre-medical student, McKenzie lets her passion for science shine through her lessons, making them more engaging, often sparking her students’ fascination with science, as well. She understands that tutors cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach—each student learns in his or her own unique way and, with the right attitude, can master even the most challenging material. Soon after finishing her dual bachelor’s degree in psychology and general science, along with a minor in Chemistry, McKenzie moved to Ho Chi Minh City where she now volunteers as a pediatric palliative care provider for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Her areas of expertise include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and the MCAT, as well as mentorship/executive functioning skills.

Sarah Robison

Sarah Robison is a passionate executive functioning (EF) coach with 20 years of academic support experience in traditional classroom and nontraditional educational settings, both domestically and abroad. Her mission is simple: to make school (and life) easier to navigate for all students—especially those with autism, ADHD, and other learning issues—so they can optimize their intellectual and personal potential. To embrace her own continual improvement, Sarah is a current doctoral student at Vanderbilt University (B.S. 2004, M.Ed. 2007), where she concentrates her studies on educational and employment outcomes for neurodivergent young people. In her non-professional life, Sarah enjoys Pilates and cheering on the Washington Nationals, a hobby she is thrilled to share with her children.

Shonda Napier

Shonda graduated with a BA in Economics from Southern Illinois University, where she also played Division 1 basketball. After college, she played two years of professional basketball in Europe before deciding to retire. Shonda is now a passionate, experienced tutor who believes that tutoring sessions need to be both productive and highly engaging. She loves watching a student’s confidence soar to new heights, whether by revealing an entirely new approach to test-taking or bringing out laughter and levity that remind the student that learning can be fun. Her areas of expertise include the SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, and AP Exams (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, English Language, English Literature), as well as various academic subjects, notably MBA-oriented courses. When she is not tutoring, she enjoys watching sports and chasing adventure through travel.

Tim Miller

Tim and numbers have always gotten along exceptionally well—so well that he majored in mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis, and obtained an MAT (specialization in mathematics) from Bard. He has been tutoring full time since 2008, and loves that moment when a concept clicks for a student. He also has math shirts. A lot of them. When he isn’t tutoring, he’s probably working on a puzzle hunt or on some gridded puzzles. He was on the silver medal-winning US team for the World Puzzle Championships in 2022.

Victoria Hsu

Victoria got her BA in Visual Arts from Brown University and then earned an MFA in Poetry at WashU, where she taught undergraduate courses in poetry. She is now working on her PhD in Classics at CUNY. Victoria loves all things ancient Greek (but especially Plato) and poetry through the ages. When not writing or translating, she enjoys baking, learning to cook from different cultures, and seeking out the best food in every borough of NYC. She tutors the ACT, SAT, ISEE, SSAT, AP Exams (English, French, and Latin), executive functioning, writing skills, and various academic subjects from French to advanced mathematics.

Zach Tomasovic

Zach graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with majors in History and Creative Writing. While at Penn, he wrote and performed original sketch and musical comedy with the famed Mask and Wig Club. Zach couldn’t shake his love for irreverent satire and groan-inducing puns post-college so he decided to pursue all things comedy, first in Los Angeles and now in New York. When Zach isn’t helping his students, you can find him in your local coffee shop attempting to write while the couple next to him has a really loud break-up. A lover of John Coltrane and 99 cent pizza, Zach tutors the ACT, SAT, college admissions, and various academic subjects.

Zachary Leonard

The son of two teachers, Zachary has education in his blood. He first applied that genetic predisposition to his own learning, graduating summa cum laude with a BS in Psychology, with an emphasis in cognitive neuroscience. He’s been helping students navigate all stages of the college admissions and standardized testing process since 2015 and has helped hundreds of students achieve their academic goals. Pairing that wealth of tutoring experience with a passion for teaching, he employs anecdotes, analogies, and alliterations (case in point) to ensure students are building up foundational skills while also learning to masterfully speak the language of standardized tests. While not every student can have two educators for parents, Zachary believes each young mind deserves to have one in their corner, challenging and championing them every step of the way.

Zeke Hawkins

Zeke earned a BA in Comparative Politics from Brown University. In addition to specializing in college and graduate school admissions support, he tutors a wide range of subjects, including Math (up to Calculus), English (Literature and Writing), History (US and World), and organization/study skills. He also covers up to certain levels of Physics and Chemistry. Beyond his educational expertise, Zeke is an award-winning filmmaker with an MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute, and he has over seven years of teaching and mentorship experience as the Artist-in-Residence at Sacred Heart University. When Zeke isn’t working with students, you’ll find him walking his dogs, trying to give up coffee, and writing his next feature film.