Our Foundation: Excellence Through Near-Peer Mentorship.
Dewey Smart was built on a simple, powerful idea: the best person to guide a student through today's admissions gauntlet is someone who recently did it themselves. That near-peer model is our foundation. Today, Dewey Smart is owned and led by Boris Berenberg, a repeat founder who built and sold his last company and bought Dewey Smart to give students the mentorship and support he wishes he'd had. Under his leadership, a Core Strategy Team of veteran educators and 50+ near-peer mentors from Ivy League and Top 50 universities carry that mission forward, connecting ambitious students with the most current, personalized insights into competitive admissions and academic excellence.
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Results
Results that speak for themselves.
- 24
- Ivy League admits since 2024
- 62
- Top-25 admits since 2024
- $3M+
- Scholarships earned
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The team behind your mentors.
Boris Berenberg
Owner & CEO
Boris is a repeat founder who bought Dewey Smart to give students the support he wishes he'd had. A bright kid who never fit the traditional academic mold. After working at Zenefits, Uber, and Atlassian, he built and sold companies. Most recently he founded Atlas Authority, which was acquired by Modus Create in 2022. He brings an operator's rigor to one question: How do we match every student with the right mentor and the right plan to reach their potential?
Sam Mahra
Student Programs Manager
Sam is a higher education and admissions leader with more than 20 years of experience across public universities, private universities, online education, health sciences education, and corporate university recruiting. His background spans admissions, enrollment strategy, student experience, college access, and early-career talent, giving him a broad perspective on how students and families make academic and career decisions.
Kathryn Phung
Head of Coach Mentorship
Kathryn is Dewey Smart's longest-tenured coach and advises both students and coaches to maximize student outcomes. She holds a BS in Organic Chemistry from Rice University and an MPH from UTHealth Houston. Under her guidance, her students have achieved 150+ point increases on the SAT, 8+ points on the ACT, and admissions to MIT, Yale, UCLA, UC Berkeley, NYU, USC, Boston University, Georgetown, and Northeastern, among other top colleges.
Meet Our Mentors: Near-Peer Guidance.
Our coaching staff are current students and recent graduates from Ivy League and Top 50 universities, providing the most current insights into competitive admissions.
Like what you see?
Get matched with a near-peer mentor who fits your goals, learning style, and dream schools.
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Not sure we’re the right fit?
Let’s talk it through.
Tell us about your student and an advisor will reach out, usually within one business day. Or grab a time now.
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