Contact Us

Meet The Team

The Plan the Path team brings deep expertise to our college counseling and educational consulting work. Our unwavering goal is to help students find their best-fit schools and to do so with integrity, honoring the student’s passions and our own values. 

Founder and CEO Marcia Kramer has trained extensively as an educational consultant, worked for many years as a therapeutic consultant, and maintains a strong network of professional affiliations through which she stays informed of the latest trends in college admissions.

Founder & Educational Consultant

Marcia Kramer

Marcia founded Plan the Path after a long career as an educator. Before focusing full-time on educational consulting, she was a high school English teacher, the director of a tutoring company, and a therapeutic consultant. Over the years, Marcia has visited hundreds of colleges, post-secondary programs, transition programs, and therapeutic programs. She deftly finds the best-fit schools for her clients, relying on her expertise and active listening to determine where they will be most successful.

Marcia works with traditional college-bound students as well as those with special needs, including young adults who have learning differences and ASD diagnoses. In addition, she consults with students who have taken non-traditional paths such as residential treatment for psychiatric and behavioral issues.

Out of office respite

Marcia is a dedicated yoga practitioner and loves to hike in the Hudson Valley.

Coaches & Consultants

Our coaches and consultants have backgrounds in education, journalism, philosophy, and literature. As a collective, we share a sense of altruism about what’s possible when we remain true to ourselves and commit to the greater good. Our interests range from yoga, meditation, and surfing to music, poetry, and travel.

Amy Rosenthal

Writing Coach

Amy guides students to create powerful personal narratives. She uses a gentle, curious, and collaborative approach to help them excavate their stories and develop admissions essays they can be proud of. Amy has a background in commercial book publishing and works as an editorial consultant for authors and professionals looking to polish their prose. She holds a BA in Comparative Literary Studies from Northwestern University and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of California, San Diego. She continues her professional development through editorial courses at UC Berkeley.

Away from the desk

Amy enjoys surfing and paddleboarding in California’s coastal waters and snatching what moments she can with her three teenage sons.

Amy Rosenthal

Writing Coach

Amy guides students to create powerful personal narratives. She uses a gentle, curious, and collaborative approach to help them excavate their stories and develop admissions essays they can be proud of. Amy has a background in commercial book publishing and works as an editorial consultant for authors and professionals looking to polish their prose. She holds a BA in Comparative Literary Studies from Northwestern University and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of California, San Diego. She continues her professional development through editorial courses at UC Berkeley.

Away from the desk

Amy enjoys surfing and paddleboarding in California’s coastal waters and snatching what moments she can with her three teenage sons.

A’Nya Marshburn

Student Services Coordinator and Operations Manager

A’Nya completed two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Psychology and Human Development and the other in Family Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University. Her superpower is creating time by building structural systems for a strong foundation. She is helping to organize and manage Plan the Path’s services so that we can increase our reach and efficiently and effectively serve students.

Best relaxation tool

Reading books, listening to music, and meditation.

Bill Hirt

Writing Coach

Bill graduated from the University of Minnesota with two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Environmental Science and the other in History. After two years in the Peace Corps in Cameroon, he got his Master’s from Columbia University Teachers College. Bill has been working as an educator and as a college counselor for 35 years.

Local and global perspective

Bill looks for new ways to keep his carbon footprint as small as possible, and he volunteers for senior citizens.

Brook Cosby

Consultant and Writing Coach

Brook coaches writing to help students discover the power they hold to shape their experiences through language. She has been teaching in one form or another for the past 20+ years: as a writing tutor at Dartmouth College while earning her BA, as a teaching assistant in the English department at UC Santa Barbara while earning her MA, as a yoga and meditation teacher in New York City, and as a small business owner training and mentoring a team. She also works as a freelance writer/editor developing book manuscripts, creating web copy, and more.

Simple Pleasures

Audiobooks and cappuccinos, often while walking the dog.

Jamie Price

Writing Coach

Jamie is a writer and educator who loves helping people to think, write, and explore their truest selves. He attended Lawrence University as an undergraduate and received his PhD from the University of Chicago. Author of two books and numerous articles, Jamie has held university faculty positions at Georgia State University, Catholic University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, George Mason University, and the University of Chicago. His student-centered approach helps Plan the Path students find their voice while meeting the requirements of the college application process. Jamie currently resides in New York City and Vermont with his wife, Vieve Radha, and their dog Rumi.

Not so secret aspiration

To channel his love of theater into playwriting.

Jeremy Lehrer

Director of Strategy and Writing Coach

Jeremy, who studied English at Northwestern University, has two decades of experience working as an editor and writer for magazines, books, and websites. He is helping to build Plan the Path’s strategic direction by matching our voice with our vision and developing new ways of sharing our expertise. In guiding students, his goal is to help them express their story in the most compelling, authentic way possible. For Jeremy, talking with students about their personal experiences is deeply rewarding and meaningful, as is the process of shaping essays that express heartfelt stories, insights, and journeys.

Favorite places to immerse

The Pioneer Valley (Massachusetts), science-fiction (anywhere), meditation (everywhere).

Kyle Lopez

Writing Coach

Kyle is a published poet, essayist, and book reviewer, as well as a freelance copywriter and copy editor. He’s previously worked as a writing coach both privately and at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He studied English and Linguistics as an undergrad at William & Mary followed by Poetry at New York University, where he completed his Master of Fine Arts and taught creative writing classes at Roosevelt Island’s Coler Hospital as a Goldwater Fellow.

Leisure time

Kyle’s a huge film fan and frequently hosts friends for screenings on his living room projector.

Lauren Harvey Shlossman

Director of Writing

Lauren is an experienced writing and admissions coach. In addition to dedicating herself to educational consulting, she has been a writing coach since 2011 and an English professor since 2016. Throughout her career, Lauren has developed a reputation for being knowledgeable, resourceful, and detail-oriented, and she is deeply committed to helping students succeed. Lauren excels at helping students discover their authentic voices, guiding them to write compelling essays that stand out in college admissions. Her students often highlight her patience, kindness, and understanding, qualities that have made her a trusted mentor. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Barnard College of Columbia University.

Off the clock

Lauren is an avid cook, yoga practitioner, and foodie.

Marwa Helal

Writing Coach

Marwa is a dedicated writer and educator. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at The New School, she worked as a journalist before becoming a poet, and is currently working on her third book.

Starts her day with…

Four shots of espresso!!!!

Mishal Mahmud

Writing Coach

Mishal is an award-winning writer, essay specialist, and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, PBS, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. A graduate of the University of Southern California and recipient of the BAFTA-GSA grant, Mishal developed a passion for helping young people tell their own stories. Today, she combines her storytelling knowledge with a strong understanding of the college admissions process to help students craft authentic, compelling narratives that stand out.

Larger than life

Mishal has a Newfoundland dog named Balu who runs her life and is twice her size.

Siobhan DeRemer

Copy Editor

Siobhan has a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies from Gettysburg College and also holds a Master’s degree in Information and Library Science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. As a lover of all things language, Siobhan utilizes her expert skills and eagle eyes to improve copy at national health and education brands, in both digital and print spaces. She specializes in allowing voices to shine through concise, accurate, and authentic edits.

At her leisure

When Siobhan doesn’t have her eyes on a screen or red pen in hand, she loves to sing; she’s been a classically trained vocalist for over 20 years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more

Testimonials

from Students, Parents, and Colleagues

Learn more