Drusilla Blackman, President
Experience
- Columbia University – Dean of Undergraduate Admissions
- Harvard University – Dean of Graduate Admissions
- New Jersey State University – Dean of Admissions
- Institutional Consultant
- Assisted colleges in strengthening the quality of their freshman classes.
- Independent College Consultant
- Successfully assists students in gaining admission to the top colleges in this country.
- Has been invited to provide expert opinions on television and in legal proceedings.
Education
- Brown University, B.S. in Psychology
- Yale University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology
- Wharton School of Business (Penn), M.B.A. in Marketing
Drusilla (Dee) Blackman has had a long and successful career with over 40 years in the field of college admissions. She herself was an Ivy League student, achieving a B.S. from Brown University and a M.A. in psychology from Yale. After spending some time as a therapist, she returned to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to earn an M.B.A. in marketing.
Dee has worked in every facet of the college admissions process, starting as an admissions counselor and working her way up to a director, dean, and a vice-president of enrollment management. She has a firm grasp of college financial aid, athletic recruitment, and legacy admissions, having supervised the departments responsible for admissions decisions in all of these areas.
When Dee served as Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid at Columbia, she estimates that she read in excess of 15 thousand applications every year. As Dean, she ultimately was responsible for who was admitted, and she understands just what an individual student application must contain for serious consideration by selective colleges.
The breadth of her long experience makes her a highly desirable resource for high school students and their families who have the determination to have a good college fit at the best possible college. With her insider’s understanding, she is able to make what may seem mysterious more predictable and bring what may seem impossible to within reach.
Learn more about her college planning services or get in touch today.
Christian Rabin, Associate Vice President
Christian is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy ’98 and Brown University ‘03. In addition, he studied abroad at McGill University and holds a M.A. in English Literature, where he was selected as an Outstanding Graduate in his class (2011). The son of a long-time English Master at the Lawrenceville School, he has extensive experience as a classroom teacher and educator (Chadwick School, The Morristown-Beard School, NJ SEEDS). Beyond the classroom, he has also been involved in pedagogical research, in crafting Humanities seminars for companies in the private sector, and in creating/facilitating workshops for schools and educational organizations.
As a college consultant, he strives to help students harness that potential by guiding them towards forging their own narratives and finding an optimal fit in terms of school choice.
For more information, call (845) 826-5310 or click here to contact The Ivy Dean today!
Testimonials
On paper, I am by no means a perfect student. However, thanks to my Application Positioning, I was able to maximize the strengths that I bring to a college to compensate for other factors. Thanks to The Ivy Dean Team, I will be attending Princeton University, my dream school, in the fall.
Dee provided excellent advice and guidance throughout the application process. Her overall expertise in admissions, professionalism and warmth made the experience a great one. I was thrilled that I was accepted to several of the most selective colleges in the country and will be attending Stanford in the fall.”