About Melisa

As a Columbia College, Columbia University graduate with admission to three Ivy League schools and over a dozen top institutions, I know what elite admissions requires because I've lived it. Striving for valedictorian, studying for the SATs, balancing the IB Diploma Program with a rigorous courseload, managing a long list of extracurriculars, all while writing 20+ individualized application essays—it was overwhelming but also one of the most rewarding seasons of my life. I loved the introspective work of looking at my accomplishments, my unique struggles, my interests, and my pursuits, and weaving them into a narrative that was authentic, memorable, and unmistakably mine. It's what helped me stand out in rooms full of applicants with perfect grades and impressive resumes. Before Palm to Ivy, I built strategic, analytical, and creative expertise in roles most admissions consultants don't have. I solved complex business challenges for Fortune 500 companies as a management consultant, drove business decisions through data analytics at a major tech company, led engineering teams to build software in virtual behavioral health and renewable energy, and even authored a 500-page speculative fiction novel along the way. That blend of strategy, analysis, storytelling, and leadership is what shapes my approach. I bring the rigor of a consultant and the eye of a data analyst to the planning, the timelines, and the school list, grounding every decision in real admissions trends rather than guesswork. Years of product management taught me how to break the overwhelming complexity of college applications into manageable chunks, so families always know what's coming next and never feel lost in the process. And the writer's instinct is what makes the difference, knowing how to take a student's experiences, interests, and ambitions and shape them into a story that admissions committees remember. But the part of this work I love most is the students themselves. By the end of an admissions cycle, I know their stories better than almost anyone. We laugh together, occasionally cry together, and uncover the formative experiences that make them who they are. Guiding them through such a stressful and transformative period of their lives is a privilege I don't take lightly.