Zina Ellis
5.0
(7)
Certified Admissions Coach | Yale BA | Harvard/Columbia/Stanford Acceptance
Studied at Yale University
Works at Varsity Tutors
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Zina's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $175/hr
Get help with Recommendations, Essays, and .
Zina’s College Qualifications
Coaches professionally
20+ people coached for College
Open to working with clients outside the U.S.
I am a college admissions coach with a passion for helping students achieve their dreams. With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and experience coaching students at top organizations like Crimson Education and ScholarMatch, I have a deep understanding of the college application process. I've worked with students from diverse backgrounds, providing guidance on essay writing, interview preparation, and navigating the complexities of financial aid and scholarships. I also hold a certificate in College Counseling from Columbia Teachers College. My goal is to empower students to showcase their unique strengths and experiences to stand out in the competitive admissions landscape. Let's work together to create a personalized plan for your college journey. Reach out to me today!
Zina can help with:
Recommendations
Essays
Secondary Review
Application Strategy
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Resume
Interviews
Editing
Waitlist Strategy
Testing & Assessments
School Selection
Zina also coaches for ACT, SAT, Master’s Programs, and Career Coaching. View all.
About Zina
As an alumna of Yale University and a National Merit Achievement Scholarship Winner, I believe in education's power to create infinite opportunity. Whether I am working in career readiness or in education access, I love helping students of all ages reach their full potential and express their points of view. I pride myself on my ability to build strong relationships with my students and ask questions that help them grow not just as applicants or test-takers, but as people. I am also an Equity actor who recently toured North America as the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella-- the parallels between my work in education and my creative life are definitely not lost on me. When not working in education or theatre, I enjoy writing, traveling, cooking, and trying to find the best restaurants in New York City.
Why do I coach?
At my high school, the counselors were overworked and primarily focused on high-need students, so I was left largely to my own devices when it came to applying to colleges. Even the highest-achieving students in my small town typically attended large state schools as opposed to highly-selective colleges. I was fortunate that my mother is an academic advisor and helped me through the college application process, both through her own knowledge and by giving me the resources to prepare to present myself in the best possible light. College and career readiness starts far earlier than senior year of high school, and I'm thankful that my mother was aware of that. In my work today, I am passionate about demystifying higher education and professional pathways so that people of all backgrounds can achieve success.
Work Experience
Livestream Test Prep Instructor
Varsity Tutors
June 2025 - Present
• Teach online classes to groups of highly motivated students in real-time through high-quality streaming • Utilize interactive tools like chat and polls to drive student engagement • Plan curriculum and create lessons on math, English, and SAT/ACT test prep
Research Associate
Solomon Page
June 2023 - Present
• Use online and proprietary databases and other search tools to identify candidates and referral sources for open searches • Assist consultants with administrative tasks including data entry, LinkedIn searches, and Cluen Encore database support • Candidate Prioritization: Develop best-in-class candidates for clients and consistently identify comprehensive, high-quality, and diverse candidate slates • Produce comprehensive client reports, resumes/CVs, memos and all other required deliverables • Capture market insights gathered during the course of a project and share with consultants and SP team. Continual database work and maintenance • Provide industry, market, candidate, and general background research and insight to support client discussions and proposals
Career Assistant
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
February 2023 - Present
• Design, edit, and update student resumes for content and general formatting for 1,000+ first-generation, low-income, and/or minority college students • Edit written application materials and conduct remote mock interviews for internships, jobs, graduate school admissions, and other competitive positions • Maintain, collect, and report student career data on an ongoing basis in Salesforce and Excel
Volunteer College Coach
ScholarMatch
September 2020 - Present
• Support first-generation and low-income students through college application process • Match students with colleges and scholarships based on their academic profile and wants • Edit college admissions and scholarship essays for grammar, content, and structure; train students for interviews • Ensure that students successfully complete Common App, financial aid, and scholarship applications, in addition to any other school-specific requirements
SAT Instructor
Spark Prep
June 2019 - Present
• Teach international and domestic students SAT and ACT test prep material remotely • Coordinate appointments across time zones and cultural differences • Adapt teaching approaches based on student needs and English language skills
College Application Mentor
Crimson Education
May 2020 - May 2022
• Coach domestic and international students to gain admission to Top 40 Schools and rigorous summer enrichment programs • Brainstorm essay topics with students and give multiple rounds of feedback on grammar, content, and structure; train students for interviews • Guide nonnative English speakers and students with learning difficulties through writing-intensive application processes • Coach domestic and international students to gain admission to Top 40 Schools and rigorous summer enrichment programs • Brainstorm essay topics with students and give multiple rounds of feedback on grammar, content, and structure; train students for interviews • Guide nonnative English speakers and students with learning difficulties through writing-intensive application processes
Career Development Specialist
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
May 2021 - March 2022
• Manage workflow and delegation of resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, and mock interview reviews for 1,000+ first-generation, low-income, and/or minority college students • Maintain, collect, and report student career data on an ongoing basis in Salesforce and Excel • Design, edit, and update student resumes for content and general formatting • Edit written application materials and conduct remote mock interviews for internships, jobs, graduate school admissions, and other competitive positions • Develop career curriculum and programming, including industry guides, professional development presentations, and skills workshops • Facilitate presentations, workshops, career fairs, and other networking events • Identify and enact methods to improve efficient delivery of career services within SEO • Interview, train, and supervise part-time Career Team staff to ensure timely delivery of career services
SHSAT/PSAT/SAT Tutor
Navigate the Maze to Achievement
February 2020 - May 2021
• Taught math and English test prep material to Black and Latinx middle and high school students for admission to NYC specialized high schools and scholarship programs • Collaborated with fellow teachers to develop curriculum and class materials for summer geometry intensive in Google Slides • Transitioned to remote teaching mid-program due to COVID • Updated NTMA website for 2020-21 school year
SAT Instructor
Private Prep
August 2015 - November 2018
• Taught SAT/ACT test prep and executive functioning skills to students in the NYC/Long Island area • Enabled multiple students to cross the 30 (ACT) and 1500 (SAT) score thresholds • Tracked student performance and adjusted approaches based on assessment criteria and student needs • Supplemented academic content with test prep strategies and performance psychology techniques • Managed and reconciled family, student, and company expectations
Zina was also given offers to work at
IvyWise
InGenius Prep
Teachers Who Tutor
Empowerly
Education
Yale University
Bachelor of Arts, Theater Studies
2011 - 2015
Activities and societies: Something Extra A Cappella, Red Hot Poker Sketch Comedy, Yale Dramatic Association, Yale Drama Coalition Senior Thesis: "Stereo-typing: Women of Color in Musical Theatre"
Zina was also personally admitted to
Princeton University
Northwestern University
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Overall Rating