College & Post-Secondary Planning
It is our mission to prepare our twice-exceptional students to embark on the successful future of their choosing—and our robust in-house Cloverleaf Transitions Program, led by Director of College Counseling Lisa Marfleet, is equipped with resources and initiatives to fulfill this mission.
Building on the talent development experiences in the Lower School years, Cloverleaf Transitions, our college counseling and transition program at the Upper School, acts as a nexus for the next steps our students choose to take to make their impact in the world.
Our Personalized Approach to College & Post-Secondary Planning
The transition to adulthood is a developmental process, and for our twice-exceptional students, this can be a complex and nuanced process. Our all-encompassing Cloverleaf Transitions Program is uniquely tailored to each individual student to support the asynchronous nature of the twice-exceptional education journey.
By bridging the gap between school and the “real world”—college and potential career—we alleviate the anxiety surrounding the question of, “What’s next?”
Through evidence-based transition planning methodologies, our students take charge of their learning.
This looks like:
Cornerstones of Cloverleaf Transitions Program for Twice-Exceptional Learners
Cloverleaf emphasizes several primary transition areas that are integrated into each student’s school environment and schedule:
- Student-Centered & Backward Planning Transition Methodology
- Family Involvement and Dynamic Collaboration
- Practical Life Skill Development
- Self Advocacy Skill Building:
- Explicit Self-Determined Learning
- Self-Advocacy Training
- Career Exploration and Readiness
- College Counseling
Partnering with Families
Our families are key partners in every step of transition planning, and we provide many opportunities throughout the year to connect with Lisa Marfleet, Director of College Counseling, Cloverleaf Transitions. Q&A sessions and meetings are held by grade level to answer questions and provide information about each stage of the transition planning process. In addition to the group sessions, Lisa meets 1:1 with parents, as needed, to tailor the post-secondary plan to match their child's needs. Lisa also meets with students 1:1 and in a group setting to facilitate in the college application process.
Cloverleaf Transitions Program Team
Lisa Marfleet | Director of College Counseling, Cloverleaf Transitions
Since joining the team in 2018, Lisa, in addition to her current role as Director of College Counseling and Cloverleaf Transitions, has filled several other roles including Director of Talent Development and Upper School Coordinator for Community Partnerships. Lisa brings over 25 years of educational consulting and college counseling experience to Quad Prep. As a member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), her background and focus has been dedicated to supporting students from non-traditional educational backgrounds as they transition to higher education. Helping to provide access to underrepresented students is at the heart of the work she has done for decades and has been instrumental in our mission to help students embark on their chosen futures. Lisa's varied background in arts and education has included work as an NYC public school teacher, humanities tutor, educational consultant, college advisor, fiction writer, literary editor, talent agent and film casting director.
Alberto Bassi-Smith, MEd | Director of Experiential and Global Learning & World Languages Department Chair
Alberto joined Quad Prep in 2014, and he developed its first curriculum for foreign languages. Alberto is also a member of the World Leadership Council, which provides a regular forum for world language educators and administrators to discuss and share their questions, concerns, and suggestions with the New York State Education Department.
In Italy, he received a BA in Liberal Arts and an MA in History of Italian Theater and Events Management. Before moving to the United States, Alberto worked as a producer for his theater company, which staged Italian literature masterpieces for middle and high schools. When he moved to NYC, his love for sharing his culture and language combined with his interest in pedagogy pushed him to earn his second MA in Adolescent Education at Hunter College, where he received the Teaching Award in Romance Languages and the Distinction in Graduate Studies Award. Currently, Alberto is furthering his education in the Educational Leadership program at SUNY Fredonia, driven by his desire to have a broader impact on students' educational experiences.
Before arriving at Quad Prep, Alberto worked with several private language schools where he taught both adults and teenagers. He firmly believes that learning a language must incorporate group interaction that sparks the interest of the students while instilling love and respect for other cultures and nationalities, and consequently creating a sense of community.
Francesca Cicale | Clinical Advisor to Cloverleaf College Counseling
Bio coming soon!
"As an educational consultant and college counselor, my main focus has been on providing access and opportunity to those students from non-traditional and eclectic educational backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential as original thinkers and confident self-advocates in this complex world. Access is everything, and I’m thrilled to be able to work alongside our students and help them learn to navigate the world that awaits them beyond high school."
Lisa Marfleet
Director of College Counseling, Cloverleaf Transitions
A not-for-profit independent college preparatory school, Quad Prep’s rich and robust curriculum engages, challenges, and inspires students at all levels, K–12, through our Lower School and Upper School programs. Quad Prep does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial consideration, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs.