Jesse R. Borges has been advising on professional advancement, college, and graduate school admissions for over 30 years. In the process, he has helped more than 3,000 applicants, aged 19 to 65, from every geographic region of the world, as well as political, racial, ethnic, economic, and religious background to secure admission to more than a thousand programs in the United States and abroad. Dr. Borges advises applicants in virtually every field of undergraduate and graduate school education — from law, to health (including medical school, dental school, optometry, speech language pathology, public health, and veterinary programs), to business, to the sciences, to the social sciences, to the humanities.
Admissions Consulting
Jesse advises candidates to College, Law School, Medical School, and all other Graduate Programs in his role as Senior Graduate Admissions Consultant, as well as College Admissions Advisor, at Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions. Given the depth and breadth of his experience, Jesse has been called upon to handle the most challenging and high-profile admissions consulting cases. As a result of his many successes, Borges was not only honored as Graduate Admissions Consultant of the Year, but also the first Kaplan Admissions Consultant ever to earn the company’s National Consultant of the Year Award.
On the administrative side, in his role as a Senior Consultant and Trainer for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions since 1998 (one year after he joined the company), Dr. Borges has screened, trained, and led professional development sessions for more than one hundred consultants — Law, MBA, Medical School, and general Graduate School Admissions — in Kaplan’s Consulting group. He also helped lead the launch of the Kaplan Medical School Admissions Consulting Program in the early 2000s and assisted with its relaunch nearly two decades later. Borges has written extensively on graduate school admissions and has presented more than 200 public seminars, workshops, and professional advancement sessions on both college and graduate school admissions-related topics at colleges, universities, Wall Street firms, as well as online, benefiting thousands of graduate school applicants globally.
““Over the years, Jesse earned near-perfect reviews from a diversified set of clients, worked with numerous VIP clients from throughout the U.S. and around the world, and screened, as well as trained over 150 potential and newly hired graduate admissions consultants.”
~ Leslie Curry, former Director, Kaplan Graduate Admissions Consulting
Academic Background
Jesse, who began his undergraduate studies at the age of 16 (while still a student at Brooklyn Technical High School, one of New York City’s most rigorous and prestigious secondary educational institutions — ranked among the top high schools in the United States), has a Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Princeton University. To prepare for graduate school while keeping student loans at a minimum, Jesse attended Binghamton University’s Harpur College, situated in the tranquil and idyllic setting of Western New York. He sought a quiet and focused environment to immerse himself in his studies, enabling him to dedicate long hours to his coursework. Jesse’s goal was to excel in all his courses, achieve a high score on the GRE, and secure full scholarships and fellowships for graduate school. His plan proved successful.
He earned a full fellowship, including cost of living expenses, from the National Science Foundation, as well as one or more school-specific fellowship offers to every graduate school program to which he applied. This list includes Harvard, Yale, MIT, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan. He also has nearly a decade of teaching experience, having served as a faculty member at institutions such as Haverford College and Barnard College of Columbia University. Jesse has presented his research on politics and public policy at various universities, including Yale, Wesleyan, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard.
Additional Professional Experience
In addition to advising applicants to college and graduate school, Dr. Borges has taken on a wide range of projects, in most cases serving as an executive consultant. This has enabled him to acquire years of experience in providing knowledge and insights to individuals and institutions in areas such as management, professional development, training, program development, and strategy across different fields.
He’s written articles and made presentations in a number of fields, from politics, to education, to journalism, to healthcare, including his work on mentoring a diverse workforce in NurseLeader, the peer-reviewed, official journal of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. His clients have included Columbia Business School, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, LEAD National Program in Business, and UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. (which at the time represented 10,000 Asian American, Black, Latino, and Native American journalists nationwide).
At UNITY, Dr. Borges oversaw a national journalism mentoring and training program funded by the Kellogg Foundation and partnered with leading companies in the field of journalism, including Knight Ridder, ABC News, Tribune Company, and the Medill School of Journalism, establishing programming in Chicago, San Jose, and Washington, DC, as well as online. His consulting contributions included conceiving, writing and producing events covering national politics and public policy, and moderated by nationally renowned TV News Anchors, such as, the legendary, Gwen Ifill (then with PBS), and Joie Chen (then with CBS News). In addition, Borges was a member of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where he served multiple Board presidents, including John Aubuchon and Rick Dunham, as an advisor on diversity. He also served for two years as a presidential appointee on the National Press Club’s prestigious Speakers Committee, helping to facilitate an international platform for leaders in politics and journalism worldwide.
Select Awards & Honors
The following are just a few of the prestigious honors and awards that Dr. Borges has earned:
- The National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
- National Graduate Admissions Consultant of the Year – Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
- Graduate School Admissions Consultant of the year – Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions
- The Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (declined to accept another award / granted Honorable Mention)
- The Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (Honorable Mention)
- Best Practices in Mentoring
- Princeton University Graduate Fellowship
- Harvard University Conference Travel Grants (three in all, funded by the Ford Foundation)
- Proctor & Gamble Research Grant
- Hanna Fund Research Grant
“During my time at Kaplan Admissions Consulting, Jesse was our ‘ace in the hole.’ His expertise is unmatched.”
~ Laurie Motyka, former Director, Kaplan Graduate Admissions Consulting
When I decided to apply to business school with only one year of work experience, I was facing an uphill battle. I knew I would need strong essays to effectively demonstrate that I was ready to pursue an MBA. I decided to work with Jesse, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Jesse helped me every step of the way, from brainstorming to the submission of my application, and provided plenty of helpful and constructive feedback. Just as importantly, he never let me get discouraged despite the long odds I was facing. The process paid off, and I was ultimately accepted to the GSB at Stanford. I’d definitely recommend Jesse to anyone else applying to graduate school – you’ll be happy with both the process and the results!
— Stanford MBA Applicant
I’m going to Harvard! I can’t adequately express my gratitude to Jesse Borges for his guidance during the graduate admissions process. Every step of the way, Jesse’s experience and knowledge made it clear that I was in good hands. He worked around my very busy schedule and helped me manage my time effectively to reduce the stress of the process and produce better essays. Most importantly, Jesse’s insightful critiques of my writing were invaluable in helping me craft effective admissions essays. He showed me how to cut out the fat to meet the word limits, highlight my strengths, explain gaps in my record, and differentiate myself from the other candidates. The proof is in the pudding: in the previous year, I was rejected by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and I can honestly say that Jesse’s assistance made the difference. I highly recommend him to anyone who is serious about getting into the graduate program of their choice.
— Harvard MPA Applicant
Jesse assuaged my anxieties regarding applying to graduate programs. He helped me devise a structured approach to selecting programs that would be the best fit for me, as well as creating a calendar to allow me to keep track of and meet the various required deadlines. Most daunting of all was the personal statement, as I was basically starting from scratch with a difficult genre. Jesse encouraged me, after each draft, to push myself a bit further until eventually I had a highly polished, sophisticated personal statement. As someone who had been out of school for four years I wasn’t sure what to expect from the application process but, with Jesse’s help, I was accepted for admission to my top choice program. – Accepted to every school targeted, including Cardiff, Queens U Belfast, Glasgow, Royal Holloway, Kings College, and York
— Successful Medieval Literature & Studies Applicant
I decided to pursue a PhD after 20 years of work as a business professional — many of those years as a corporate executive. Jesse helped me present my work experience in a way that was relevant to academia and he helped me avoid several acceptance pitfalls that I would have fallen into on my own. The result was that I was fortunate enough to get multiple acceptances. Thanks for all the advice Jesse!
— Successful Computer Science PhD Applicant
Jesse, thank you for all your help. I was accepted to Yale and MIT! And I was accepted to Boston College and received a roughly 70% scholarship. All of these developments exceeded my wildest expectations. You really helped me organize my thoughts and present myself in the best way. I appreciate how quickly you worked and how you were able to provide applicable advice on all my applications.
— Successful Business School MBA Applicant
I sought Jesse’s help with my law school applications and am thrilled with the results. I knew that I would need a strong personal statement in order to gain entry into my top choices, and Jesse helped me every step of the way. He helped me narrow the focus of my piece and decide which aspects to highlight and which ones to cut. He also meticulously went through each of my drafts to make suggestions and catch any mistakes I had made. I am very thankful for the hard work, and it certainly paid off!
– Successful Stanford Law School Applicant
Thank you so much for all your guidance. I know I could not have been as successful without your support. I didn’t even think I would get into the schools, much less receive merit scholarships, especially for top ranked schools! – Accepted by multiple schools, including Vanderbilt U Peabody College of Education and Harvard Graduate School of Education
– Successful Harvard School of Education (Ed.M.) Applicant
I’m pleased to say that I got into every school to which I applied, and have decided on Purdue. Thank you for your invaluable guidance; I couldn’t have done it without your help.
– Successful Aerospace Engineering (MS) Applicant
I am writing to inform you of my admissions consulting experience with Dr. Jesse Borges. At the outset, I want you to know that working with Jesse has absolutely been the best move I could’ve made in order to gain admission to law school. His consultation, organizational, and people skills are at the very top tier of professionalism. Jesse is an intelligent, affable, extremely thorough consultant who has laser-like focus and can extract the very best from his clients.
I came to Jesse as a non-traditional student, age 50, who recently retired from the federal fire service after a 32-year career. I sat for the LSAT on three separate occasions and obtained an average score. I am completely convinced that my successes are because of the way Jesse guided me through each and every step of the law school application process. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would do so well – and it was because I presented my best self through Jesse’s guidance and support.
Jesse has an amazing story with regard to how he studied at Princeton and other top schools – he and I share many similarities in our upbringing and matriculation. This is definitely a plus for Kaplan, because Jesse has real world experience, he’s had some triumphs over challenges, and is extremely well-rounded. It is no surprise to me that Jesse has garnered amazing accolades such as “Consultant of the Year,” because he is so incredibly genuine which put me right at ease. Thank you for having Jesse as a member of your team.
I have no doubt that no matter who you pair with Jesse, he’ll mold to that person, find their strong points, and deliver to them the absolute best chance they’ll ever have at being accepted into one of several of their schools of choice.
Take it from me – simply put, Dr. Jesse Borges is the best in his class.
— Successful Law School Applicant
I want to thank you once again for all your help and guidance with my law school applications. Neither my GPA nor my LSAT score were good enough to ensure admission to UCB; so I am sure the SOP, resume and the essays played a key role in my success!
– Successful UC Berkeley School of Law Applicant
“I worked with Jesse on my application to business school and I could not say more good things about him! Throughout the application process, he was patient, encouraging, and supportive. He provided me with extremely valuable insight that was integral to my getting accepted into the school of my choice! I have worked previously with other consultants and they don’t even compare. I am thrilled that I had the chance to work with him and would highly recommend him to anyone looking to successfully gain entry into a top school!” – Accepted by Columbia Business School
– Successful Columbia Business School (MBA) Applicant
It’s been a while since we spoke but I just wanted to let you know that I have been accepted to Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine! I am still on 5 other waitlists for this cycle but I am fairly positive I will be matriculating to KSU this fall since it has been my first choice for a while. I just wanted to thank you for all of your help with my essays! I’m positive it had a huge impact on my overall application. Your help truly helped me make my dreams come true, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful!!
– Successful Veterinary School (DVM) Applicant
Recently, I received amazing news! I got accepted to NYU! Obviously I would’ve never done it without your help. I want to thank you for all your assistance, which enabled me to achieve one of my biggest dreams – becoming an NYU student. I greatly appreciate and admire your experience and professionalism. It was such a pleasure to work with you. Thank you for providing such a wonderful service and making a priceless contribution to my life!
– Successful NYU Human Resource Management & Development (MS) Applicant
I have very exciting news to share with you: I got into HBS!!!! I am of course absolutely thrilled. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from a 617 number this morning!
Thank you very much for all of your help and guidance. Your input was absolutely crucial. Thanks for pushing me to make the essays as good as they possibly could be. I am truly grateful!!!
– Successful Harvard Business School (MBA) Applicant
I would highly recommend Jesse’s consulting for anyone applying to graduate school. His vast knowledge of what admissions officers look for, combined with his ability to critique and improve essays, and assess an application’s strength and weaknesses, make him extremely valuable throughout the application process. He responds in a timely manner and is extremely good about setting turnaround expectations, and is honest with candidates about their chances and applications. I can safely say my applications were significantly strengthened by his help and I’m excited to be attending the University of Chicago Booth and Harris schools for a joint MBA/MPP in Fall 2015!
– Successful Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA) / Harris Public Policy (MPP) Applicant
I am writing this letter on the first day of school, as I am getting settled in and trying to keep up with the busy schedule here at Law School.
I have taken a few moments to reflect on my journey for the past few years as I tried against all odds to get into Law School. While there was no shortage of people giving me all kinds of advice, I was short on help. I had no friends or family in University let alone Law School. I did not know where to start. I desperately needed someone to take a personal interest in guiding me through the application process, however all those that promised to help either never came through or simply did not know how to help. When the rejection letters started coming in it seemed that I had no chance. People told me that I was wasting my time and should just give up. I was not ready to give up but was at a loss of what to do.
I remember that first conversation with Jesse. I couldn’t believe it! Here was someone I never knew before but I could tell from that short conversation that this was the man I was looking for. Jesse is a person that lives for helping those who need it most. He held my hand and walked me through the application process. He took a personal interest in helping me, working late at night and on weekends to help me make my deadline. Jesse was patient and always knew the right thing to say. Jesse has not only helped me get into Law School, he actually gave me a crash course in the art of writing. He did not write the essays for me, rather he taught ME how to write them!
Jesse, I wish you would be my professor. I owe you a great thanks and will always remember you as the one who saved the day for me.
I am looking forward to keeping up the connection with you and turning to you for guidance when the time comes to look for a job. Hopefully one day I will continue in your footsteps and build a career in which I can spend my time being there for those that need it most.
— Successful Law School Applicant
I went 4 for 4:
- Accepted to BU’s MBA/MPH program with $30K scholarship
- Accepted to GW’s MBA program with $45K scholarship
- Accepted to Rollins School of Public Heath at Emory
- Accepted to Yale School of Public Health (they only accept 15-20 students in their Health Management program each year!)
I’m in a great spot. Thank you again Jesse for your sound advice! I am very grateful for the assistance I received from you.
— Successful Public Health (MPH) / Business School (MBA) Applicant
At the beginning of the application process for law school, I knew that I needed a personal statement and a diversity statement that would tie together the various professional experiences I have had since graduating from college. Not only did Jesse help me in the brainstorming stages, but he also provided insightful advice on the best ways to tell my story in a highly personal way. Through numerous drafts and rewrites, Jesse guided my writing process that culminated in two statements that I am certain made a huge difference in the way admissions committees reviewed and decided on my file. As a result of Jesse’s thoughtful comments and expertise from years in the field, I was accepted into all the schools to which I applied and was offered the Mordecai Scholarship at Duke Law and the Toll Public Interest Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania. I would without a doubt recommend Jesse’s consulting services to anyone about to begin the application process! – Accepted to every law school applied to, including Duke, U Virgina, and U Penn
— Successful Law School Applicant
Jesse was a constant source of support and his guidance through each step of the graduate school admissions process was invaluable. I was able to go from a few brainstormed ideas to a strong personal statement that I was proud to submit. Jesse’s comments on every version of my personal statement and curriculum vitae made me feel confident that I was always moving in the right direction with each draft. In addition to his written suggestions, Jesse provided feedback on my application materials over the phone. He was always friendly, positive, timely, and prepared to talk about the details of my application. He made me comfortable with the entire application process and confident that I was submitting the best application possible. Working with Jesse was truly a privilege.
– Successful NYU Religious Studies (MA) Applicant
Jesse Borges is truly a Godsend. After working with him, I am off to the Ivy League for my graduate degree. I will be attending Cornell.
From day one, Jesse helped me determine the type of degree that I should pursue for the career I want as well as the mechanics of the applications themselves. Jesse is wise, intelligent, compassionate, and caring. He means business, but he also lends a helping hand at every step of the way. He draws not only from his own elite degrees but also from personal experience. While it is very easy to step into a classroom and take a Kaplan admissions test preparation class, Jesse provides a far deeper, more unique experience. I could not have a brighter future ahead of me and I could not have done it without Jesse.
I would go so far as to say that no other individual in the United States of America can provide precisely the services that he provides.
Go Jesse!!!
– Successful Institute for Public Affairs (MPA) Applicant
I highly recommend Jesse Borges’s services. Without his help, I would not be at Cornell’s Johnson School. As a non-traditional applicant I had many weaknesses that I needed to overcome. Jesse showed me how to minimize my weaknesses while also optimizing my unique background, strengths and overall application strategy. – Also accepted by U of Virginia (Darden)
– Successful Cornell Business School (MBA) Applicant
Upon receiving many secondary applications, I quickly realized how overwhelmed I became and how much I wanted someone to be there coaching me and helping me to make the most of the small space I had been given.
I think of myself as a good writer and with a generally sound idea of what is professional, appropriate, sought out from medical schools etc. However, I knew far less than what I thought I did and am so thankful Jesse was there to tell me not to proceed with a certain idea, or how to most productively and efficiently highlight my unique assets. I found his criticism essential to my outgoing correspondences with medical school. He brought in a perspective that I never considered, i.e. what schools were really asking through their interview or secondary questions or secondary. Jesse had an astute eye for what was obvious to medical schools or common amongst many applicants when I may have thought an answer was ready for submission.
Overall, my experience with Jesse was extremely beneficial and I highly recommend him.
– Successful Medical School (MD) Applicant
During the application process for law school, I was completely lost. I figured I would take a chance and reach out to Kaplan for admissions consulting and I am so glad that I did! Kaplan put me in touch with Jesse who helped me from before I even got my LSAT score to visiting campuses and making a decision. Jesse wasn’t at all thrown off by my unique professional background and his extensive previous experience was extremely valuable in helping me write my personal statement. My LSAT score and academic career are nothing special, however, Jesse helped me to focus on my strengths in me personal statement and resume and I ended up getting several generous scholarship offers. Applying to law school for me was a very daunting task but Jesse and everybody I have worked with at Kaplan have been amazing! Jesse worked with me to meet all of my deadlines, even answering emails on nights and weekends. I am thrilled with my results and I would absolutely recommend Jesse to anybody looking for help with admissions consulting!
Thank you again!
– Successful Law School Applicant
When I decided to apply to business school with only one year of work experience, I was facing an uphill battle …
Jesse was an absolutely excellent consultant! My main struggle during the application process derived from having an unclear direction regarding my personal statement. After our first meeting, I knew I was in good hands and the prompts he provided for brainstorming my statement were amazing!!!! Just what I needed to create that momentum I’d been missing from my writing. Not only was he a pleasure to work with, but he also provides a professionally critical approach to pointing out any weak spots in your application. His suggestions were very useful and his accessibility was convenient. He suggested that I applied earlier than I had expected to, and I am pleased to say that I was accepted into my university of choice within 3-4 weeks! I highly recommend his services!
– Successful Business School (MBA) Applicant
I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help! I know I was probably not the easiest client as I am not very tech savvy! You helped me reach my goal of attending law school. I remember at the beginning of our sessions I was worried if one school would accept me and by the end I had 13 acceptances! I really appreciate all you have done to help me reach my goals and am wishing you all the best!
— Successful Law School Applicant
The Guide to Grad 