The Bespoke Education College Counseling Team
Experienced Team of College Counselors
Jenny Davis
Starting her admissions career at the University of Chicago, Jenny served as Assistant Director, where she wrote several of the infamous “Uncommon Application” essay questions. Jenny then served as a college counselor at one of NYC's most innovative private schools. She has led essay workshops nationwide, has evaluated thousands of college applications, and helped hundreds of high schoolers and their parents navigate the college application process.
Jenny feels that the college application process is a terrific opportunity for discovery and reflection. She works hard to help students see the “big picture” and seek out environments that will foster their intellectual, emotional, and professional growth.
Sarah Hartmann
After graduating with her IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma, Sarah decided to attend Barnard College, where she graduated with a degree in Theater. She earned her MA in Higher Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, focusing on college access and the role of the arts in higher education.
Sarah also worked in college admissions and has significant experience in helping students navigate the entire college application process, from essay writing to choosing the right college. Sarah is passionate about helping students reach their potential and finds her work as a tutor in all sections of the SAT and ACT acts as a complement to deepening her essential work of knowing her students on a more personal level.
Carrie Kaplan, Chief Interview Coach
Carrie is a proud alumna of Dartmouth College (B.A., English Cum Laude) and Harvard University (Harvard School of Continuing Education; Research Fellow, Mellon School of Theater and Performance Research at Harvard University). She holds an M.S. Ed. in English and English Education (CUNY Queens College) and M.A. and Ph.D (ABD) in Theater History and Performance Studies (The University of Texas at Austin).
Throughout her tenure at both Dartmouth and UT Austin, she served as the head writing tutor for the respective institutional writing centers and has continued to serve as a freelance academic editor, shepherding hundreds of academic articles, dissertations, thesis projects and full length manuscripts through to publication. She has extensive experience working with non-native speakers across academic disciplines from secondary to post-graduate writing levels as well as individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD and anxiety. She has over fifteen years experience teaching college level classes with writing intensive requirements and an equal level of experience in standardized testing prep (ACT/SAT/TOEFL) and college application preparation.
As a scholar, she has received numerous grants and fellowships to fund her own research into the neuro-cognitive and social-emotional development of empathy in academic and artistic settings. As such, her approach to student writing and interviewing skills includes a powerful mix of rigor, humor and compassion as well as attention to multiple learning styles and modalities. Her own writing has been published by Yale Press and the LMDA Review.
Julianna Tauschinger-Dempsey
As a college counseling professional, Julianna helps students find their authentic voice, refine their vision of the future they’re aiming for, and guide them along the path to their top choice programs. She has evaluated application essays, conducted interviews, offered essay writing and interview workshops, and guided students through all aspects of the application process. As an educator, Julianna emphasizes building students’ confidence and self-knowledge, seeking to help them become better learners, listeners, and communicators. She has taught high school math, U.S. and World History, and English. At Bespoke, Julianna has worked in curriculum development for the Reading and Writing portion of the new SAT, and is a member of Bespoke’s college counseling team. Julianna has degrees from Harvard University and the Manhattan School of Music. She has been on the faculty at UNC, RISD, and Brown University.
Sarah Contomichalos
A Yale graduate (B.A., History), Sarah is certified in college counseling by UCLA Extension and has fifteen years of experience in the field. She is also a Certified Educational Planner (CEP) and member of HECA, International ACAC, and NACAC. She regularly attends conferences and counselor fly-ins to stay abreast of the ongoing changes in college admissions.
Sarah has worked as a college counselor in private high schools in New York City and Washington D.C. and served for eight years as a Governor of St. Catherine's British School in Greece where she chaired the Curriculum and Standards Committee.
She is able to support students in all aspects of their college application process to institutions in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. In addition to working with students, Sarah co-teaches “American College Counseling for the International Students” & “International College Counseling for American Students” which trains high school counselors. Sarah is committed to helping students identify “best fit” colleges and present their best selves in their applications.
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