My Bio

About Dr. Linzer

The driving force behind the IvyMaven mission is my unusual mix of education, experience, and personal history. 


I'm a first-generation college graduate who attended city, state, and private universities. I earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Syracuse University, counseled undergraduates, and also trained as an individual and family therapist and researcher. For several years I worked as a Child and Adolescent Development Specialist for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. I led a team of professionals, providing educational consulting to parents and schools. This typically began with my in-depth assessment of individual learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, academic achievement...and more. Students (ages 6-16½) ranged from those with learning differences to the highly gifted, and at times, the "twice exceptional." 


I found I made my most creative recommendations when consulting on the educational needs of gifted adolescents, where the resources seemed most limited, but the potential gains to student and society most promising. I also provided counseling and consultation for parenting issues and for individual and family life transitions.​ Building on this, I earned a year-long post-doc specifically towards my college admissions work.


This very strong foundation informs my college admissions practice.


"I have a lot of passion for the journey traveled by students--and their parents--as they transition from the high school years to leaving home for college. Selecting a college is the first big decision that students make on the road to adulthood. The repercussions can be profound. I feel honored when a family invites me to share their journey, and I give it my all."

Family

I have been married to Don Linzer for 38 years. Together, we raised our three children in Pittsburgh, PA: a daughter who's a summa cum laude graduate of Yale and holds an MBA from Stanford, another daughter who also graduated Yale with honors and Harvard Graduate School, and a son who graduated Yale and is a healthcare consultant and data analyst.


My Mission   

I began actively expanding my interest in how to best achieve student-school fit to the college/university level when our eldest was in 8th grade. I made it my mission to learn everything about selective college planning and admissions, as well as the diversity of cultures, curriculum, and outstanding options across various campuses. I found my purpose and continue to visit campuses frequently and keep current on both macro-level trends and the ever-changing details in the overall college admissions landscape.

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