Dr. J & Live Mind: TRANSFORM YOUR DREAMS INTO REALITY

Dr. J (Casey Jarrin, Ph.D.) is a passionate educator, experienced admissions consultant, career coach, and former professor dedicated to empowering diverse clients in their educational-professional-life paths. In personalized coaching sessions, I help you identify your talents and challenges, build your confidence, and transform your academic-career dreams into reality. I’m honored to support clients across the world, first-generation students, LGBTQ+ communities, women in leadership. I also have experience mentoring clients with a range of learning challenges into their dream schools, offering support, sensitivity, and expertise.

Authentic communication, human connection, and a desire to understand every client’s unique story are the foundation of our work together. I bring 15+ years experience as a Duke & Macalester professor, compassionate student mentor, writing coach & editor, admissions expert, Yale alumni interviewer, and member of Admissions & Fellowship Selection committees. I build collaborative relationships with all my clients, at whatever stage you’re at in your educational-career-life path. I help you discover your intellectual interests, embrace your talents, and learn to tell your authentic story in college, graduate school, internship, job, and other high-stakes applications. My approach is holistic, culturally-sensitive, and trauma-informed & integrates a global perspective.

I’ve coached students into exciting new chapters in their lives at elite colleges (Yale, Stanford, Penn/Wharton, Duke), top-tier MA / MFA / PhD / Law programs (Harvard, MIT, Columbia, NYU, Georgetown, Berkeley, Vanderbilt, Michigan), as well as global fellowships (Fulbright, Watson, Rhodes, Payne), selective high schools (Exeter, Cate, UWC, Stuyvesant), and programs for neurodivergent learners (Landmark, Odyssey).

I’ve mentored professionals at every stage in their career to identify their unique talents, develop their personal brand, expand their confidence & communication skills, and claim the professional futures they want & deserve.

My Path: I earned my Ph.D. from Duke, my B.A. from Yale, and I’m a proud graduate of Stuyvesant High School in NYC. Beyond my 20 years as an educator, I also have experience across professional contexts, from Wall Street to nonprofits, publishing to digital communications, scientific research to music performance. These experiences help me guide you from an informed and empathetic perspective. Responsive to each client’s interests, goals, and individual learning needs, I’ve mentored clients into the colleges, graduate programs, and careers of their dreams.

Fun Facts: A native New Yorker happiest in Central Park and Coney Island, I studied at Yale and Oxford before moving to Duke for my Ph.D. (where I also became a college basketball megafan!). I’m an adventurer: I've walked the Great Wall of China & climbed Half Dome at Yosemite. I’m a road tripper: I’ve driven from Graceland to the Grand Canyon and set foot in 45 states (I’m coming for you, Alaska!). I’m a globetrotter: I’ve lived in Dublin, Barcelona, Berlin and performed in Japan and China with my college singing group. Other little-known facts: I can speak Irish-Gaelic; I almost became a concert pianist; I was crowned NYC sight-singing champion in 5th grade (give me any piece of music and I'll sing it!). I’ve learned from my five wildly different siblings (a surgeon, a fashion designer, an ad agency creative director, a cyber security expert, a teacher) that everyone needs to embrace their own unique path in life. Find your passion and run with it.

Advice to Clients: Believe in yourself. Discover your talents. Be patient.

Achieving your educational dreams & building a fulfilling life takes time. You may encounter people in your life who are “glass half empty” folks, who approach situations with negativity & try to squash your confidence. Don’t listen to them! Stay positive, stay focused, stay true to who you are. We all experience challenges, difficult moments, traumatic events — though these experiences don't define who we are and what’s possible next. Finally: Most careers take twists and turns; I started off as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, then worked in nonprofits and publishing, then became a professor and educator. These experiences transformed my thinking, helped me develop valuable new skills, connected me with new communities, contributed to who I am now in meaningful ways.

Be open to new opportunities, ask for help when you need it.

The greatest success stories, the heroes and mentors you most admire, knew how to ask for help — and became stronger for it!

Why Live Mind Mentoring? 

Too many experiences shut down rather than nurture our individual interests, confidence, creativity; the competitive admissions and job search process often amplifies these anxieties. All it takes is one voice saying “You’re not good at this” or “You’ll never be able to do that” to lead clients to believe that they’ll never excel or achieve incredible things. Students become convinced “I’m not a good writer” or “I could never get into that school” because they haven’t had the opportunity to explore how they ARE talented writers and thinkers with exciting minds and unique perspectives.

Live Mind provides an inspiring and life-changing alternative: through personalized coaching tailored to each client’s interests and needs, your confidence will grow exponentially. We’ll reframe your applications or job search as an exciting opportunity (rather than an existential crisis!) and set you up for college, career, and personal success.

Inspiring Minds, Changing Lives | www.livemindlearning.com | Live Mind Learning LLC