Meet Dr. Ava Gilani
With over 15 years in education, as both a classroom teacher and administrator, Ava has worked at the intersection of elementary and middle school, guiding students and families through one of the most formative transitions.
An Educator’s Perspective
Throughout my career, I have guided families through every aspect of this process—from academic readiness and school selection to application development, interviews, and testing—while building strong relationships with schools across the middle school landscape. This work has always extended beyond the application itself, focusing on what it truly means for a child to be ready: academically, socially, and for what comes next.
Over time, I saw a clear gap. As educational pathways became increasingly complex and high-stakes, the support available to families often remained limited—focused more on logistics of the application process rather than on the full experience of the child. Schools and teachers are stretched thin, rightly focused on helping students meet grade-level standards and succeed in the classroom day to day. There is rarely the bandwidth to also follow each student's path beyond elementary school and be there with them as the transition unfolds. What should be a thoughtful and supported process increasingly became a significant lift for families to navigate on their own.
The Merit Review was created to offer a more intentional, end-to-end approach—strengthening the bridge to middle school, while ensuring that each child is both thoughtfully represented and truly prepared for what comes next.
Behind the Name
The name ‘The Merit Review’ reflects a core belief: that every student deserves to be evaluated thoughtfully, holistically, and on their own merit. Rather than relying on surface-level metrics or one-size-fits-all expectations, our approach considers the full picture—academic readiness, character, curiosity, and potential. It’s a more nuanced, expert-led way of understanding where a student stands and where they can go.