LogicPrep CEO Lindsay Tanne connected with Greenwich Moms this week to share how she’s been helping students and families navigate the college application process for over a decade while being a mom of her 5 children/step-children.
(This article was originally posted on the Greenwich Moms blog.)
Can you please tell us a bit about yourself personally?
I’ve been helping students and families in Greenwich and around the world navigate the college application process for over a decade. I’m also a mom in what my 5 children/step-children refer to as a ‘smushed family’… so I’m busy! I love meeting families, supporting students through this exciting chapter of life as they’re on the threshold of adulthood, and helping them tap into their interests and tell their stories. In fact, I love good stories of all kinds—I’m an avid reader of fiction and TV enthusiast—and enjoy the chaos and fun of our big family (as well as my rare moments of silence and reprieve).
Please tell us about LogicPrep? What makes your approach unique?
My team and I support students and families on their college application journeys. Our College Advisors—all former admissions officers—channel their collective experience evaluating applications at schools such as Duke, USC, Northwestern, MIT and UPenn to support families in strategic decision-making and the development of an application narrative. Together, they work alongside our Tutors and Essay Coaches to create personalized success plans for each of our students and guide their families along the way.
At LogicPrep, we firmly believe that success looks like 1) an amazing college outcome that each family can celebrate, and 2) a positive, supportive, creative process that encourages growth and self-discovery and takes the stress out of the household.
How did you start your company? What is your professional background?
I first started supporting students when I myself was a student at Harvard studying English literature. Over summer breaks, I’d return to my hometown in Westchester to help high school kids with their college essays alongside my then boyfriend, Jesse. As business expanded, we hired creatives—writers, artists, and math whizzes—then former admissions officers.
Then, in 2017, when I was six months pregnant with our daughter, my then-husband and co-founder Jesse passed away from a rare brain tumor. And there I was: a 28-year-old soon-to-be-single mother with an education business to run by herself.
This personal experience has deeply impacted my approach to advising students and families; yes, planning is important…and life happens. The most important thing is to help raise children and develop students who will be prepared to take on anything, and know they will be okay.
I also tap into my background in writing and literature every day. We are a team of storytellers—both our creative Essay Coaches and our College Advisors—committed to seeing the unique story in each of our students and helping these narratives pop off the page.
Why did you decide to open a Greenwich office?
Greenwich has an unparalleled focus on education and a community of parents that cares deeply about creating the best opportunities for their children. We’ve always supported students from Greenwich so it felt natural to open here.
Who would benefit from college counseling services outside of their school? Specifically, how would busy moms benefit from additional college counseling?
I was an applicant parent for the first time last year and can say that engaging our Advising and Tutoring teams to support my stepdaughter preserved peace in our busy household with 2 full-time working parents and 5 kids (ranging in age from one-and-a half to 18). When our high school senior had questions, my husband and I would reply: “have you talked to your Advisor about that?”
We help busy parents stay proactive and ahead of the game so they can rest assured that they are making the most strategic decisions possible and keeping all doors open for their child’s future. We also keep your child on track so you can enjoy spending time with them. And you’ll get the access, expertise and 1-1 attention and a level of service you expect from a concierge service.
Testing has changed a lot. What are a couple of key takeaways?
Many highly selective universities are reinstating testing requirements, though testing never really went away. In fact, even in a test optional environment, testing is often additive and can be an asset. We encourage students to start with diagnostic testing during 10th grade, then make a game plan to maximize their potential. The SAT recently changed and the ACT is about to go through some changes, too, so it’s important to understand the current options about which will be the best fit.
Meanwhile, focus on taking challenging courses, getting strong grades and engaging in meaningful activities—this is the foundation of everything.
What do you find the most challenging and most rewarding about helping students with college admissions?
Challenging: Helping students see that this is just one decision among many that they will make which will shape their futures. Yes, the stakes feel high (and they are!), but this is just the beginning.
Rewarding: Hearing about the amazing things our students go on to do!
Favorite College Admissions success story?
I especially enjoy helping students who seem to “wake up” mid-high school and tap into their passions. It’s exciting to meet students as 9th or 10th graders who are totally undecided and sort of directionless, and help them – through summer plans, extracurricular activities, and course selection—emerge with a sense of focus and purpose.
How do you find balance with your personal life and career?
I start and end my day with my children. We always try to have dinner together. Most of my work is remote, so I’m often in back-to-back video meetings, but I take breaks with my kids. My husband and I split up going to soccer games (we regularly have 4 scheduled for one weekend) and carve out time to sneak away for fun experiences mid-week—both evenings out and impromptu post-school drop-off coffee dates.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from a client?
Start visiting colleges early! Seeing schools early on helps make the college process feel more concrete and can be hugely motivating for students. Since hearing this from so many clients, we have started emphasizing “early visits” in our college advising curriculum.
What do you like to do to relax/have fun for yourself?
I love exploring playgrounds and museums with my spirited toddler and his siblings, learning about wine, and taking pilates classes. And reading fiction, too, when I can sneak in some quiet time!
Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s so important that students and parents approach the college application process with joy, creativity and openness and remember that acceptance in college is not the culmination of everything; it’s just the beginning, actually. Our goal is to help students create a meaningful and dynamic high school experience so that they can tap into their passions – and hopefully build on them in college and beyond.
Lindsay has been helping students and families navigate the college application process for over a decade while being a mom of her 5 children/step-children.
We love to support local businesses. What are your five places when you are in Greenwich to:
Grab coffee: CFCF or Coffee for Good
Workout: Core Burn Pilates
Go on a date night: Moli
Go out for a girls’ night: Le Penguin
Go out to dinner: Miku or Hinoki – or with kids, Terra or Le Fat Poodle
Get your hair done: Davis Feliz Salon
Culture: Bruce Museum//Samuel Owen Gallery
Get your nails done: Town Nails
Have fun: Play tennis
LogicPrep’s team of College Advisors, Essay Coaches and Tutors provide students with the preparation, attention, accountability, and strategic guidance they need to succeed and grow throughout the college process—so parents can be the supportive, loving force they need during what is an often-stressful process. www.logicprep.com
Lindsay Tanne founded LogicPrep while still an undergraduate at Harvard University. More than a decade later, LogicPrep is a leading college advisory and test prep company that helps thousands of students around the world maximize their potential, tell their stories, and identify their best-fit schools. Lindsay is also the Founder & President of the Jesse Kolber Foundation, which continues her late husband and co-founder’s vision of supporting talented, underserved students on the path to achieving their college dreams.