Alisa

Bio:

Alisa is an international development expert and educator. With a BA in International Relations from Brown University and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, her passion in development has led her to working in six different countries spanning three continents. Alisa has extensive teaching experience, starting in 2013 when she volunteered as an English teacher in Thailand. Since joining Tokyo Academics in 2021, she has mentored college applicants as well as tutored students in IB and AP subjects. On a more personal note, Alisa’s eclectic upbringing (having lived and traveled to over twenty countries before the age of eleven) makes her able to build a rapport with students from all kinds of backgrounds. Alisa is also a graduate of Yokohama International School and considers herself a Third Culture Kid through and through.

Alisa’s teaching philosophy is that establishing mutual respect between consultant and student is key to nurturing a fruitful relationship. It is only with mutual respect that students can feel comfortable to take risks, make mistakes, and create opportunities for improvement. Alisa’s main goal is be confidant, friend, and coach all in one so that students feel supported as they take the initiative in designing their own high school careers and become competitive college applicants.

Alisa has worked with students admitted to schools including Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, USC, London School of Economics, University of Edinburgh, UBC, McGill, Toronto, and Boston University. As a student herself, Alisa has studied on the West Coast, East Coast, as well as in the UK. She has experience with transferring schools from when she was accepted to Brown University (with a 3% acceptance rate for international transfer students) from UC Santa Cruz.

Curriculum Expertise

ISEE, SSAT, SAT, Essay Counseling, Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Subject Expertise

English, Humanities