Meet Our Counselors and Coaches

Snap Academics counselors and coaches are highly experienced professional college counselors and coaches, essay writing instructors, and veteran educators. We share the common core beliefs that college selection and application support should be balanced, ethical, informed, and individualized.

Mary Finn

Mary is the founder and director of Snap Academics. Mary is an experienced teacher, counselor, and school administrator with more than 16 years of professional experience working with college-bound young adults. Mary has worked with students from a wide range of familial and cultural backgrounds and she specializes in working with students who have learning disabilities. Currently, Mary serves as the administrator and manager for the San Francisco Unified School District’s (SFUSD) AVID program in the Dept. of College and Career Readiness. Prior to her work in SFUSD, Mary served as the Dean of Studies at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, CA, an independent private high school.  In her role as Dean of Studies, Mary oversaw the UC course submission and certification process and she supported the schools’ College Counseling Department. Mary teaches analytical and expository writing essay writing skills and has supported dozens of students in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C. with their personal essay statements from generating topics to polishing final drafts.

Mary’s student clients have been accepted to a wide array of colleges and universities ranging from the UC’s and top-tier selective schools to specialized art and music programs throughout the U.S.

Mary has particular interest and skill in supporting students who are the first in their families to go through the U.S. college admission process as well as those students who may need extra support organization and deadline management and essay development..

Mary earned her BA from American University, Washington, D.C and she holds two masters degrees from Brown University, Providence, RI and St. John’s College, Santa Fe.