Who We Are

In 2001, Nina earned her MBA in Marketing from Iona University in NY. Upon settling in Bergen County, NJ with her husband, Dan, Nina was excited to learn about all the academic resources across the county. This was especially valuable as their first child qualified for speech therapy through their district’s pre-k school placement. Volunteerism via PTA events, class parent responsibilities and superintendent advisory board meetings eventually took over Nina’s calendar.  

By 2010, Nina was one of the co-founders of her district’s education foundation and remained an active board member and VP for over eight years. She also served as a parent liaison for the district’s Special Parent Advisory Network, sharing resources and encouraging parents to advocate for their children through effective means. Nina believed it was the proactive support and accommodations provided via an IEP that helped her daughter overcome adversities and exceed all expectations.

During their initial high school search in 7th grade, Nina felt her daughter may be a good candidate for Bergen Tech High School in Paramus, where many special education teachers and nurturing administrators inspire exceptional students through a variety of vo-tech programs. But by the end of her daughter’s 7th grade, having earned two years of high honors independently, Nina knew she had to compare with other schools. As much as both mother and daughter loved the Paramus school, after conducting deeper research to gain feedback from various administrators, they confirmed that Bergen Tech in Paramus would not meet her daughter’s needs. 

With a private school chosen as one of their options, they toured Bergen Tech in Teterboro and fell in love. Although anxiety was high, the hunger for the right, challenging environment and academic rigor was growing. They also liked Applied Tech at the Bergen Community College campus and explored ways to apply to both schools. 

Finally, Nina’s daughter was accepted into Bergen Tech in Teterboro where she began during the pandemic and eventually soared throughout most of her junior and senior years. She graduated with nearly 30 college credits and in fall 2024, she will be attending the University of Pittsburgh with a guaranteed admittance to their Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. 

As a longtime proponent of finding the right environment for each student, Nina also supported her younger daughter through the high school shopping process. This time, the goals and interests were different. The school philosophy along with year-round sports and clubs all played a vital role in their decision, which was leaning toward private school options. Today, Nina’s younger daughter is  thriving at Mary Help of Christians Academy, the sister school of Don Bosco Prep. 

While their home district was always an option, her daughters wanted to explore other opportunities nearby. The family believes that new challenges build character and prepare students for continued growth during their pivotal years. Once again, following the philosophy where the right environment can change the student’s trajectory as much, if not more than, family values taught at home.  

Throughout both high school searches, Nina experienced many obstacles, met with key decision-makers and completed extensive research to understand how to tap into many invaluable resources in our region. Always passionate about the topic of education, she has enjoyed sharing much of what she has learned with friends and family. Having experienced the college admissions process, Nina is also familiar with the post-pandemic, test-optional landscape that has defined 2024’s increasingly competitive, record-breaking college applications climate.

By summer 2024, with encouragement from friends she had already advised through the Bergen County Technical Schools applications process, she started Apply High – School Consulting LLC. While trends are shifting, Nina is looking forward to helping students Apply High by broadening their horizon and introducing them to the various private and public high school options in northern NJ, including a new Bergen County Technical Schools scheduled to open in 2025!