Tamara Baptiste is a dynamic college admissions coach, speaker, author, and engineer. As a STEMinist, she is determined to increase the presence of women in science, technology, engineering, and math by connecting them with academic, entrepreneurial, and professional opportunities. She is adept at building bridges and partnerships, facilitating discussions meant to find common ground, and building high-performing, motivated teams and trust within the community. A trusted advisor, Tamara employs an award-winning, empathetic and transparent leadership style.
Tamara delights in seeing others succeed by serving as a mentor to countless men and women whose goals ranged from understanding how best to grow and apply their skills, navigating difficult situations, defining their goals, and devising a course of action to achieve them. This passion led her to launch The College Application Specialist™ a consulting firm designed to provide families and students with the information needed to confidently apply to higher-education opportunities that fit them academically, socially, and financially. Tamara has partnered with the Charles County Public Library and Prince George’s County Library (both in MD), the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Alfred Street Baptist Church, and the Anne Arundel County NAACP to provide college admissions and financial aid knowledge to thousands of parents and teens. Since 2015, her students have gained admissions to over 65 prestigious colleges and universities (including the Ivy League and Top 20) with over $25MM in merit aid, scholarships, and high-profile scholarships such as the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and the USC Presidential Scholarship.
Tamara graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and a M.Eng. in Engineering Management. She holds a College Counseling and Higher Education Certificate (with Distinction) from the University of California at Los Angeles, and an Executive Certificate in Organizational Development and Change Leadership Consulting from Georgetown University. Professionally, Tamara is a member of the ITSMF, ForbesBLK™, SACAC, PCACAC, and IECA. She serves her community as a member of Top Ladies of Distinction – Concord Chapter and the Queen City Metropolitan Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.