Dr. Carley Nuzzo is ESM Prep's Director of Undergraduate Mentorship and Graduate Admissions. She has a lifelong passion to help students realize their highest potential and achieve their goals.

Carley provides families with individualized and data-driven strategies based on the most recent trends and school-specific policies. Carley’s advice is informed by her distinguished and nationally recognized research career in data analysis and strategic decision-making. Through this proven method and her approachable mentorship style, Carley successfully guides her students desiring to attend selective universities to ultimately gain admission to the nation’s top schools for undergraduate and graduate studies.

As a mentor, Carley is dedicated to each of her students, attuning her approach to each individual’s needs and personality. She prioritizes forming close relationships with students and partnering with them to make the most of their experience through support and accountability, specialized expertise, and detailed guidance.  

Carley earned a full academic scholarship to the University of Alabama and graduated summa cum laude three years later. She then accepted a graduate scholarship to work with the nation’s top scholars at Harvard University. Following her tenure at Harvard, Carley was admitted to UCLA’s doctoral program. Her scholarly work there was funded by numerous prestigious grants and fellowships, including the National Science Foundation Fellowship. Carley has taught at UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and Saddleback College. Through these diverse experiences, she discovered her greatest impact on students was through personalized mentorship. She loves helping students develop their unique abilities, highlight their distinct narratives, and ultimately realize their dreams.

When she is not working with students, she is most likely found at the beach with her husband and two young daughters, Isla and Nina. She loves to cook, swim in the ocean, watch football, and travel—often nerding out while visiting historic sites and experiencing different cultures.

Testimonials

"You have been my rock, support and confidence for the past 2+ years. I would have been drowning without you. Thank you for taking the time to really get to know and understand me in order to properly represent me to colleges. Thank you for the countless hours in my doc to make sure everything was perfect and I was proud of what I submitted. I am so grateful to have gotten to know you and work with you." - College counseling counseling student

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"A few days ago, our son accepted an offer to attend Kellogg at Northwestern University for grad school along with some merit scholarship money. He had two other great offers from University of Chicago and Georgetown. While we are beyond proud of our son who did the hard work and executed well, Carley was totally instrumental in leading the way. With great expertise, organizational skills and patience, she kept the trains running on time so I could sit back and be a mom. Carley Nuzzo is a total rock star." - Grad school counseling student

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"I can’t say it enough how terrific you have been with our daughter. It’s the perfect combo of smart, older sister who has her best interests at heart but can also push her." - College counseling student

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"You were always so passionate about making sure my essays were the best that they could be and I always knew I could trust you to just lay things on the table and tell me if something was great or a load of cow's dung—something I needed in order to feel confident in what I was submitting. You made me feel that I was needed during the whole process and I felt respected as an editor on a team of two writers whose weird ideas somehow make good essays. I look up to you as such a well-rounded woman who can care for her family, be a genius, and have good humor! Thank you for everything." - College counseling student

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