Standardized Testing

Brad Herzog is a professional writer, speaker, and essay consultant with over three decades of experience helping people shape powerful, compelling stories. A graduate of Cornell University, Brad has written more than 50 books and hundreds of nationally published magazine articles on topics ranging from sports to civil rights to space exploration. His children’s books have sold over half a million copies, and his travel memoirs have been praised as “the new classics of American travel writing.” He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, and TEDx, where his talk, “Catching Creative Ideas,” has been viewed by nearly half a million people.

Cat Zusky holds a BA in English from Dartmouth and both an MA and PhD in English from UC Santa Barbara. She is an educator, student advocate, and writing coach with twenty-two years of experience teaching, editing, and writing. For over a decade, Cat worked at the prestigious Brentwood School in Los Angeles, where she served as English Department Chair, Class Dean, Director of Student Life, and the designated essay specialist for the college counseling office. Drawing on her experience teaching every grade from kindergarten through college, Cat meets each writer where they are in the process. She loves helping students craft written work that is both authentic and intentional. Originally from New England, Cat has lived in the Marshall Islands, California, and now Northwest Montana, where she teaches writing at a tribal college. Outside the classroom, she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, baking, long road trips, and exploring music of all kinds.

Julie Cohen is a co-founder of The College Curators and a college counselor with a background in law, leadership, and advocacy. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and was named to Phi Beta Kappa, earning her JD from the University of Illinois. As a member of both the California and Illinois Bar Associations, Julie began her career as a commercial litigator with Katten, Muchin, Zavis & Weitzman, where she developed the critical thinking and organizational skills that now inform her strategic work with students. While raising her children, she served as Parent Association President and Ex-Officio Board Member of The John Thomas Dye School. Julie earned her Certificate in College Counseling with distinction from UCLA and is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). She spent 20 years co-chairing the Los Angeles Alumni Interview Committee for the University of Pennsylvania. Julie is also a member of the Southern California Regional Advisory Board for Penn. Her deep involvement in alumni leadership, combined with her professional training and firsthand experience raising her own children, fuels her ability to guide students with empathy, structure, and insight.