BACK TO OUR TEAM | ALEXANDER CASTILLA • 1:1 COLLEGE ADVISOR
Alexander Castilla
Alexander Castilla, Ph.D. is a college counseling strategist, youth leadership coach, and educator with over fifteen years of experience guiding American and international students to highly selective and elite universities in the United States and abroad. An authoritative yet highly approachable advisor, Dr. Castilla is known for his straightforward guidance, innovative admissions strategies, and exceptional ability to connect with students and families.
Dr. Castilla holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and International Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he specialized in political science and served as President of the Society for International Education. He also earned a master’s degree from New York University in International Studies of Education, with advanced, internship training in public diplomacy through the U.S. Department of State. Earlier in his career, his scholarly and policy work focused on international politics and identity, culminating in the publication of Re-imagining European Identity Politics in the 21st Century. His contributions to cultural diplomacy and security & peace studies have been supported and recognized by the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, UNESCO, and distinguished American and European universities & NGO’s.
As a college counselor, Dr. Castilla has worked closely with and received training from former admissions officers at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Chicago, Stanford, and MIT. He has advised students, helping them gain admission to Ivy League institutions, top U.S. public universities, and leading global universities such as Oxford, McGill and the London School of Economics.
A former sociology and international politics professor, Dr. Castilla brings an educator’s depth and a storyteller’s sensibility to the admissions process. As an Ivy League–trained communications specialist and published writer, he teaches students how to craft creative and convincing college essays that reflect intellectual curiosity, leadership, and purpose. Families value his emphasis on helping students find colleges that are genuinely the right fit.
In addition to college admissions, he has mentored students and young professionals who have gone on to internships and leadership roles in public service, education, the arts, business, and STEM. This includes the U.S. Congress, U.S. State Department, United Nations, Teach for America, Peace Corps, Oxford University Press, and leading Wall Street and Silicon Valley companies such as McKinsey and Apple. Since 2014, he has also served as an alumni mentor at Columbia University’s Center for Career Education.
Dr. Castilla is fluent in Spanish and has traveled extensively in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia. His trusted reputation and global perspective make him a valued advisor to families seeking thoughtful, high-level academic and leadership guidance.
Select Undergraduate & Graduate Student Acceptances • Boston College, Boston University (5), Brown University (2), Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown University (2), Georgia Tech (3), New York University (3), Northwestern University (3), Princeton University (3), Rhode Island School of Design, Tufts University, University of California - Berkeley (3), University of California - Los Angeles (4), University of Michigan, University of Michigan - Ross (4), University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Oxford (2), University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California (2), University of Texas - Austin (3), University of Wisconsin - Madison (3), Wellesley College (2)
Pronouns • he/him.