Our Story
Why do we exist?
Simon and Max founded Rook College Prep to help students make the most of their time and minimize the stress of college applications while working toward their dream schools. They know firsthand how transformative the college journey can be. It took them years to figure out how to tell their authentic stories—now they’re here to help you discover yours. Whether it's demystifying the admissions process or building a compelling narrative, Rook is committed to guiding you every step of the way. Fun fact: Both Simon and Max were voted “Most Likely to Become President” by their senior class.
Our Co-Founders
Simon is an undergraduate at Harvard University. During high school, he focused his time on three areas: research, activism, and academic competitions. His work in computational politics was presented at the MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference and featured in a TEDx Talk. He represented Massachusetts at Boys Nation as one of 100 students selected from 20,000 nationwide and New York at the U.S. State Department’s Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship.
A strong advocate for financial literacy, Simon led his school to a state championship in the National Personal Finance Challenge and co-developed StockSense, a youth-focused financial education app. He also testified in support of a bill to bring financial literacy education to nearly 300,000 high school students in Massachusetts.
Simon is an award-winning Model UN delegate and writer, recognized with a First Class Distinction from the National Council of Teachers of English and a Scholastic Gold Key. After four years of navigating academic and leadership opportunities, he hopes to share his knowledge and resources to help others do the same.
Max is an undergraduate at Brown University. During high school, he spent three consecutive summers as an intern at the Blue Hill Observatory, the longest continuously operating meteorological site in the country. After his junior year, he published an original research paper on the observatory’s website.
Outside of his scientific interests, Max has played tennis since the age of five. He was a four-year member of the Boys Varsity Tennis Team and served as captain during his junior and senior years. He earned the All-ISL award as a sophomore for outstanding performance. He also served on the Junior Council, a student-led fundraising board supporting the Sportsmen’s Tennis and Enrichment Center, a nonprofit where he trained for seven years.
Academically, his dedication to language earned him the Spanish Prize at his school's awards ceremony. After finding and refining his own story, he’s excited to help other students save time, reduce stress, and stand out in college applications.
