College Planning

With 20 years of experience working in admissions, development, teaching, and researching Novella Prep founder and educator Dr. Di Giacomo brings a depth of relevant knowledge to students, families, and education professionals.

Dr. Di Giacomo pursued education-focused degrees, first At Boston University, where he majored in Secondary English Education, mastering the domain of English and was trained in teaching. Following his undergraduate degree, Dr. Di Giacomo obtained a masters degree (M.Ed) in Policy, Planning, & Administration where he learned about the intersection of the classroom with leadership and policymaking. Throughout his undergraduate degree and following his masters degree, Dr. Di Giacomo worked for the Boston University Office of Undergraduate Admissions in a number of key roles, where he gained a unique insight into the operations of the admissions program. Following this experience, Dr. Di Giacomo worked for the University of Virginia supporting their growth initiatives and working directly with students.

These experiences prepared Dr. Di Giacomo for his Ph.D. in International Education Policy at the University of Maryland, where he studied comparative and international education as a foundation for supporting U.S. and international education reform efforts.

Concurrent with his doctoral degree, he worked for an education consulting company founded by a former U.S. Secretary of Education. Dr. Di Giacomo then worked at the College Board, a non-profit that owns and operates, the PSAT, SAT, and Advanced Placement (AP), where he broadened his network in the higher education community. He met and collaborated with most university and college admissions directors and staff, and gained insights into the ever-evolving admissions field. in addition to presenting at numerous conferences, he is published in peer-reviewed journals. He focused his recent work in the Research Department at the College Board, where he led and managed research on the SAT, PSAT, AP, and other programs.

Dr. Di Giacomo founded Novella Prep to meet the holistic needs of students by applying his education expertise and experience working with students from many different cultures, backgrounds, and learning needs. Dr. Di Giacomo is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC).

“An application is not a stand-alone exercise that a senior completes. The application should harvest a series of decisions that goes back many years.”

— F. Tony Di Giacomo, PH.D. | Founder of Novella Prep