Engineering Master’s Admissions Coaches

Welcome to my profile! With over a decade of experience in graduate admissions, including senior roles reviewing graduate applications at Stanford University, I bring a wealth of knowledge to help you navigate the competitive landscape of master's program applications. As a former Director of Graduate Admissions at Stanford, I reviewed thousands of applications and played a key role in shaping the admissions process across various departments. Since founding WISE Graduate Admissions Consulting, I've successfully guided 200+ clients into prestigious master's programs at institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia. My personalized approach ensures that each client receives tailored advice to enhance their application strategy. Let's work together to make your graduate school dreams a reality!

I served on the Admissions Committee at Carnegie Mellon for the MSCF Program (heavy in data science, ML, stats, math, and finance) as a representative from Career Services. As part of the committee, I evaluated hundreds of candidate materials - including CVs, application essays, video interviews, and conducted some interviews. By sitting on the committee, I also learned what faculty were looking for in coursework, academic rigor, and grades from candidates. In total, I've spent 10 years coaching Masters and PhD applicants (both those fresh from undergrad and those looking to pivot careers) research programs, prepare essays & CVs, connect with alumni & industry professionals, refine their portfolio, and upskill to prepare for admission into competitive programs. I'll help you understand the different programs' requirements and help you manage multiple applications in one cycle - while ensuring you're aligning your interests, materials, and skills with programs that will get you closer to your career goals. My approach is direct, adaptable, supportive, plus Autistic- and ADHD-friendly: mitigating anxiety and minimizing the overwhelm that comes with navigating graduate admissions on top of the rest of your life. You can check out some articles I've written for incoming grad students on QuantNet and my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acrosscareers

With over two decades of experience as a Graduate Degree Admissions Consultant, I have guided countless clients to success at top programs throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. My background as a professional journalist and award-winning creative writer allows me to help applicants craft compelling narratives that captivate admissions committees. I specialize in identifying and honing the unique stories that set my clients apart, ensuring their applications stand out. Whether you're applying to a master's or doctorate program, I'm here to be your dedicated partner in the application journey. Let's work together to realize your academic and professional dreams—schedule a free session today!

Fiona Taft is a highly experienced career and admissions coach for Master’s programs, with over a decade of demonstrated success in top-tier academic institutions such as UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. At Berkeley’s Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) Program, she was the Executive Director and Director of Careers where she directly influence and made admissions decisions, consistently achieved outstanding student placement outcomes (100% Internship placement & 95% placement by Graduatuib), designed and implemented strategic employer relations initiatives, and provided tailored coaching in quantitative finance and Data Science career pathways to students and early career professionals, networking, and interview preparation. In her prior role at Stanford, she led executive education programs and coached high-level professionals through career transitions and academic admissions processes. Fiona’s extensive background in admissions strategy, career development programming, and industry engagement—combined with her strong analytical and communication skills—positions her as a trusted guide for aspiring graduate students navigating the competitive admissions and recruitment landscape. My past Client Results Include UC Berkeley -MFE -MIDS -MEng -MIC -Analytics UCLA -MFE -MSBA -Analytics Boston University -Economics -Global Developmental Economics -Economics Policy & Practice -Data Analytics -Data Science Columbia University -MSFE -MSOR -MAFN -Financial Mathematics -Financial Engineering -Computer Science -Business Analytics -Electrical Engineering -Environmental Engineering -Management Science & Engineering -Mechanical Engineering -Operations Research -Economics -Statistics CMU -MSCF (MFE) -Chemical Engineering -Computer Science -Computational Finance -Economics -Mechanical Engineering -Statistical Practice Stanford University -ICME (All Tracks) -Computational and Mathematical Engineering -Statistics -Data Science -Economics -Engineering MIT - Data Science - Business Analytics -MSF Princeton -MFIN -MSE -PACM Cornell -M.Eng. in Data Science & Decision Analytics (DSDA) -M.Eng. in Computer Science -M.Eng. in Operations Research & Information Engineering (ORIE) -Financial Engineering (CFEM)

I currently teach entrepreneurship at Stanford and founded the Education Entrepreneurship Hub — a joint program spanning all 7 Stanford schools. I have firsthand admissions experience with 5 out of 7 Stanford schools (everything except Law and Medicine), giving me a uniquely insider perspective on how different programs actually evaluate candidates — not just what the website says. My clients get into graduate programs across a remarkably wide range of fields. I've worked with applicants pursuing: 🏛️ Public Policy & Government @ Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Berkeley — candidates positioning themselves for policy impact, navigating the tension between technical expertise and compelling public narrative 🎓 Education @ Stanford, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Penn — educators, edtech founders, and learning designers applying to programs focused on innovation, policy, and systems change ⚙️ Engineering & CS @ Stanford, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley — technically strong applicants who need to articulate why this specific program, at this specific moment, is the right next step 🌿 Environmental Sciences & Natural Sciences @ Yale, Duke, Columbia, Stanford — mission-driven researchers and practitioners connecting their scientific work to a broader vision 📊 Data Science @ Columbia, Berkeley, Stanford, MIT — applicants who speak fluently in models but need help telling the human story behind their work 🎭 Humanities @ Johns Hopkins, Yale, Stanford, Columbia — thoughtful writers and thinkers who undersell the real-world relevance of their intellectual interests Across all of these, the challenge is always the same: translating who you actually are into language that resonates with the specific committee reading your file. That's what I do. I work with applicants at every stage — and I know exactly how to speak to each one: 🎓 Undergrads applying for co-terms and direct Masters — often the strongest academic profiles in the room, but struggling to articulate why they're ready and what they'll do with the degree. I help you sound like the confident, clear-headed person you actually are. 🌱 Recent grads (1-3 years out) — you've had just enough professional experience to complicate your narrative but not enough to feel confident about it. I help you frame early-career pivots, unexpected paths, and "unfinished" stories as exactly what programs are looking for. 💼 Mid-career professionals (5-10 years) — you've built something real but translating corporate or sector-specific accomplishments into graduate admissions language is harder than it looks. I help you make the case that now is exactly the right time and this is exactly the right program. 🔄 Senior professionals & career pivoters (10+ years) — you're not going back to school to fill a résumé gap. You have a vision. I help you articulate it in a way that makes admissions committees see you as the person who will make their program proud — not a question mark. 🏆 Knight-Hennessy Scholars — A Specialty Knight-Hennessy is among the most competitive graduate fellowships in the world — fewer than 100 scholars selected globally each year across all Stanford graduate programs. I've developed a dedicated suite of resources specifically for KH applicants, including essay guides, resume templates, recommender guides, and short answer frameworks, built from deep familiarity with what Stanford values in its most selective programs. If you're applying to Knight-Hennessy, I offer specialized coaching with the Stanford insider perspective to back it up. My approach: I work primarily asynchronously — you get deeply thoughtful, comprehensive feedback rather than off-the-cuff reactions. You'll submit materials through our shared master Google Doc, and I'll provide detailed strategic insights within 48-72 hours (my dedicated Leland days are Tuesday-Thursday). We'll also have ad hoc calls whenever you need them — to discuss feedback, work through a tricky essay concept, or strategize on positioning. I give honest, direct feedback because I genuinely want you to succeed. My clients appreciate that I don't sugarcoat, but I also celebrate your wins and help you see strengths you might be overlooking. This is a partnership — I bring the strategic insights and admissions expertise, you bring the self-direction and willingness to dig deep into your story. You own your own journey. My background: As a Stanford Master's in International Policy graduate (fewer than 30 admits annually), I was accepted to ALL programs I applied to — including Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia SIPA, Johns Hopkins SAIS, and elite dual-degree programs. I know exactly what separates admits from qualified applicants. Watch my admissions journey — 66K+ views: https://youtu.be/Ovt5mF1_zoc?si=jH13aXDnLdqPsA5O

With over a decade of experience, I’ve helped candidates gain admission to the world’s most competitive master’s programs in the U.S. and Europe—including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, and the Harvard Kennedy School. My work spans a wide range of programs including engineering, finance, public policy, economics, data science, and more. Qualifications include: ◉ 100+ successful master’s admits across MPP, MPA, MFin, MEng, MSc, and interdisciplinary programs ◉ Tens of millions in scholarships and fellowships secured for graduate school candidates ◉ Leland Top Coach in both 2023 and 2024 (since rankings began), with reviews highlighting high-touch, strategic support ◉ Formal admissions experience at the Harvard Kennedy School, including collaboration with the head of Admissions to revamp evaluation processes and coordinate knowledge-sharing with M7 MBA programs (e.g., HBS, Wharton, Booth) to align HKS selection criteria with leading graduate admissions standards I’m especially helpful to: ◉ International applicants navigating U.S. and UK graduate admissions ◉ Engineering, finance, and data science applicants needing help translating technical experience into accessible, compelling narratives ◉ Scholarship-seeking candidates applying to fully or partially funded programs ◉ Joint/concurrent degree applicants balancing cross-disciplinary positioning (e.g., MPP/MBA, JD/MPP) ◉ Applicants with modest GPAs or test scores who need to reframe their academic potential ◉ First-gen, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC applicants seeking culturally informed guidance ◉ Applicants overwhelmed by multiple essays who need help creating a cohesive and differentiated story ◉ Reapplicants or waitlisted candidates looking to re-engage through informal channels

Welcome to my profile! With a Master's in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a Certificate in Data Analysis with Statistical Programming, I bring a robust analytical background to my coaching practice. As an Instructor and Program Director of Data Science at the University of California, Irvine, I've honed my skills in teaching and guiding students through complex subjects, including college planning and data science fundamentals. My experience as a Reviewer for admissions and as an Interim Program Director for the Master of Computer Science program has given me unique insights into the admissions process. Having coached 62 individuals, I am passionate about helping you navigate your master's program applications with tailored strategies and expert advice. Let's work together to achieve your academic and career goals!

Welcome! I received my Master's in Linguistics from the University of Oxford, my BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and I have coached dozens of students through the admissions process for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. I made the jump from a mid-tier university to the number one university in the world, and with my extensive background in writing, research, and interpersonal communication, I can help you compose a compelling application tailored to your choice of university and program--whether it's based in the States or abroad. Having worked with students from all over the world, I can help you maximise your experiences to share the best of yourself to the admissions committee. My approach is tailored to each individual's goals, ensuring that you can make the most out of the application experience. I also offer support for resumes/CVs, finding the right program for you, and enhancing your academic and technical writing skills to aid you in reaching your full potential!

Welcome to my profile! After gaining admission to Masters Computer Science programs at institutions like Stanford and Carnegie Mellon University with over $50000 in scholarships, I am happy to guide others through the masters application process. As a Fulbright Researcher at the Technical University of Munich, specializing in Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence, I bring a unique perspective to coaching students for master's programs. With a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Columbia University, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude as an Egleston Scholar, I have a strong academic background to guide students through the application process. In addition to my research experience, I have worked as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company, where I developed strategies and implemented technical capabilities. I have also coached several individuals through masters applications in the past, helping them successfully navigate the admissions process and gain acceptance into their desired programs. If you're looking for personalized guidance and expertise, don't hesitate to reach out!

I am a public policy professional and have lived, worked, and studied in Panama, the United States, and China. I know what it's like to navigate highly selective admissions and hiring processes as an international applicant, and I'm here to share with you the insights that my clients and I have used land spots at the Ivy League, Oxbridge, M7, and Schwarzman Scholars. Let's work together to achieve your master's and career goals!