Meet The Baly Group, an expert educational counseling and concierge service, guiding families from the early childhood years through college enrollment. With a focus on college guidance as well as private day and boarding schools, we offer expert counsel to parents deeply committed to their children's academic success. Our team of seasoned educational leaders possess extensive experience at a variety of different types of schools and colleges, ensuring tailored guidance that maximizes each student's potential. Trusted by countless families and driven by our own parental insights, we understand the intricacies of both educator and parent perspectives. Our process-driven approach transforms the educational journey into a rewarding experience, culminating in the perfect "two-way fit" where schools and students harmonize seamlessly.
Our Team
President & Owner
Paul Baly, MA, MEd
When Paul landed his first job at a Boarding School, he was inspired by the way in which Independent Schools invest in student’s overall development, utilizing relationships to help children thrive. Serving in senior leadership and teaching roles in day, boarding, rural, suburban, and metropolitan schools ranging from 200 to 1300 students, Paul has worked for the past 25 years in Independent Schools. Most recently Paul served as the Middle School Director at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan and prior to that as the Middle School Head at the Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ. He prides himself on building sustainable teams and rich, student-centered educational programs. Regardless of the school, market, or challenge, Paul has worked closely with advancement teams to measurably improve enrollment and advancement outcomes through increased marketing, branding, and communications strategies and partnered with Boards to lead effective strategic planning processes.
It was Paul’s work as the Middle School Head at two K-8 schools where he found his passion for the process of connecting students and families with independent schools. Having helped counsel families with children in kindergarten, middle, and high school as well as college admissions processes, Paul believes that the admissions' process itself is a profound educational experience, not only a means to an end. When a family reflects on its values, a child’s unique talents and passions, and the various and distinct school characteristics, their child has the best opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Throughout his career, Paul leveraged his extensive knowledge of independent schools along with his experience working with children and families to help place students in some of the most competitive and dynamic schools in the New York City area.
Paul holds an undergraduate degree from Roanoke College, a Masters in English from the University of South Carolina, and a Masters Degree in Private School Leadership from Columbia University. Paul's three children have all attended Independent Schools.
Boarding School Specialist
James Aitken, MA, EdS
James has been in and around schools since he was born on the campus of Brooks School. He has had a diverse background as a teacher, coach, Dean of students, and admissions advisor. In these various roles, James has seen and participated in all of the aspects of the independent school admissions process from application reading, open house facilitation, evaluation reading, candidate screening, speaking to parent groups. His role in Middle Schools also meant that he served as a coordinator and advisor for students applying out to other independent day and boarding schools. James spent several years running his own admissions consulting business before joining the Baly Group.
Over his many years in independent schools, James has developed special skills around students with learning differences and athletes. Serving on the student support team at his school, James is well versed with neuropsych evaluations and working with students that have IEPs, 504s or learning profiles. He also has spent every year in independent schools coaching multiple athletic teams. James uses this experience when working with families through the admissions process.
He also spent several years running an overnight sports camp. Most recently, James has spent 13 years as a Dean at an independent K-12 day school. James is an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultant Association. He works primarily with students and families looking to attend Independent, Private or religious secondary and boarding schools.
Private Day and Boarding School and College Counseling Specialist
Laura Mason Khutorsky, MA
Laura has experience in virtually every field that intersects with college and independent school admissions. Her professional experience includes working in college admissions and private college counseling coupled with more than a decade working in independent schools as Associate Director of Admissions, English teacher (5-12), Secondary School Placement Mentor, dance instructor, dormitory supervisor, and academic coach. At Swarthmore College, Laura partnered with Admissions Deans to evaluate first-year domestic and international applications, assessing thousands of essays, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and interview reports. Before segueing into higher education admissions, Laura was Associate Director of Admissions at The Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS), where she led the admissions committee in its holistic application review process. Laura has experience as an educator at a variety of day and boarding schools including EMS, Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Brooklyn Friends School, Prep for Prep, Dana Hall School, and Phillips Academy Andover. Laura has taught AP English, provided guidance for constructing persuasive college essays and personal narratives, and authored many college letters of recommendation. In 2016, Laura was honored by the U.S. Department of Education at a ceremony celebrating educators whose students’ essays were selected for publication by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In 2018, she was a featured speaker at the Annual Institute of the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP). Laura is also a proud parent of a recent college graduate, two current college students, and a high schooler. She empathizes with fellow parents whose children are applying to college and independent schools in the midst of this ultra-competitive landscape. Laura earned a B.A. in English from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an M.A. in Private School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Essay Writing Specialist
Amy Dupcak
Amy Dupcak has dedicated her career to helping others find their voice and realize their ambitions through the written word. She received her MFA in Fiction from The New School, during which time she began her journey as an educator, first by teaching Creative Writing as an academic English elective at an all-girls private school, then by teaching core English courses as an adjunct professor at Pace University, where she also met one-on-one with undergrads and international students as a Faculty Tutor. After her time at Pace, Amy continued tutoring and mentoring private clients, often providing English curriculum support for students of various ages, backgrounds, and skill sets. In addition to her work in education, Amy has also served as a magazine features editor, music and culture journalist, editorial assistant, freelance manuscript editor, publications coordinator, Scholastic Awards adjudicator, and literary journal editor-in-chief.
Since 2012, Amy has been an instructor with Writopia Lab, a nonprofit writing program for kids and teens, where she truly fell in love with the art of the college essay. Over the course of twelve years, she's worked closely with dozens of high-school juniors and seniors from a wide variety of schools on their common-app essays and supplemental essays. While guiding students through brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and meticulous revising, Amy seeks to instill joy in the college-essay process and remains committed to preserving the writer's original voice and personality while improving the language, structure, tone, and focus.
A writer herself, Amy published a short story collection and co-edited an anthology of poetry and prose in which her work was also featured. Her fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction have appeared in such journals as Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Entropy, Phoebe, Sonora Review, and Pangyrus. She is currently working on a second collection.
Writing Coach and Essay Specialist
Rose Baseil Massa
Rose Baseil Massa (she/they) joins the The Baly Group team as a Writing Coach & Essay Specialist. Rose graduated from the University of Southern California in 2019 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration and a focus in social entrepreneurship. She has long held an interest in higher education, specifically surrounding increasing accessibility and equity within the higher education system. Rose brings 7 years of experience in college consulting as a student coach and application specialist, having traditionally focused in guiding high school students through the Common App and supplements process. They have edited hundreds of college essays, applications, and resumes throughout their career and are excited to support dozens of students this college application season with the Prep Academy Tutors team.