Our Story

AdmissionSquad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit education organization that specializes in getting high-achieving middle schoolers into top NYC high schools, top colleges and exposed to leading careers. We accomplish this mission through academic enrichment, test prep, application advising and mentorship.

In January 2016, specialized high school graduate Tai Abrams (Bronx Science ‘05) founded AdmissionSquad with a bold mission to build a pipeline of talented youth ready for the demands of the future labor market. She was clear that access to a high-quality education was linked to greater success in life so she got busy building an organization that has the capacity to get more students on what she calls the School to Wealth Pipeline. Ms. Tai brings over 15 years of experience as an educator, admissions consultant and business strategist and has leveraged these skills to position AdmissionSquad as a viable high school admissions solution for families and schools across NYC.

To date, AdmissionSquad has provided parent workshops both online and in-person to over 5,000 families/educators/community leaders and has supported over 500 students in one of our programs: Early Start Program and SHSAT Summer & Fall Boot Camp. We have also partnered with 10+ middle schools to support students on the journey to getting into a top high school. To date, we have maintained an 80% success rate of getting students into a top NYC high school. Learn more about our rock star team down below. Meet some of our alumni at this link.

Meet Our Team

We have a team of dedicated educators, leaders, mentors and community organizers who are committed to seeing our children gain admission into NYC's best high schools.

Tai Abrams, Founder & CEO

Tai had a vision to see all children in NYC be in a position to gain admission into a top high school and have increased access to opportunity to secure a bright future. She knew that information and resources were the main barriers to fully realizing this dream for certain communities. She got busy developing AdmissionSquad as a solution to this very important problem for NYC children. She is a graduate of The Bronx High School of Science, Class of 2005 and holds a degree in Mathematics from Duke University, Class of 2009 and a Masters in Mathematics Education from Brooklyn College, Class of 2021. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program - Tory Burch Cohort VI

Board of Directors

Tai Abrams, Chairman

Rodlens Dauphin, Treasurer

Karisma Jay, Secretary

Denise Colvert, Director of Outreach

Aleksei stevens, MATH instructor

Mr. Alek has helped our children grow leaps and bounds in our Spring and Summer Boot Camps. He is a dedicated and passionate math instructor that helps our children develop a deep understanding of math and increase their confidence. He is a committed mentor and educator and is results oriented. He is Master of Math Education candidate at Brooklyn College.

Tricia clarke, English instructor

Ms. Tricia is a dedicated and passionate english language arts instructor that helps our children develop a deep understanding of literature and how to improve reading comprehension. She received her graduate degree at Columbia University Teachers College and Fordham University. She is a committed literacy coach with excellent teaching strategies that have allowed our students to thrive. 

Meet Our Interns

Our interns are current students at top NYC high schools and they have made a commitment to helping the next generation of students who are getting ready for top high school admissions. Interns provide mentorship, help proctor, provide 1-on-1 tutoring and work on special projects to help develop their college admissions portfolio.