Bridging Past Wisdom to Future Brilliance
Just like the Great Library of Alexandria served as the hub of knowledge and learning for scholars of ancient Greece, Egypt, and other civilizations, the Alexandria Institute aims to ignite the same flame of enlightenment in modern times.
Becoming great is a lengthy process that demands determination, discipline, and proper guidance. While we can motivate you with the first two, we guarantee to provide the latter. Our services include tutoring; preparation for high-level competitions; mentorship for research and independent studies; and academic advising/counseling. We are committed to ensuring our students receive the best possible guidance and support throughout their academic journey.
Why That Name?
The great library was home to influential scholars who conducted research and taught students seeking wisdom. It connected aspiring learners with the brightest minds of the time, fostering knowledge and ideas. Today, leading scientists and experts hold positions at esteemed institutions like Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford; and we aim to help you secure a place in such an environment.
Mission
To put it simply, our mission is to guide prospective STEM students on their journey to success, empowering them to achieve their full potential and make a positive impact in their field, community, and society.We believe that the chances of a student fulfilling their maximum potential are significantly increased if they pursue their studies at one of the nation's prestigious universities.The environment of these universities can provide several important elements that can enrich your undergraduate career and set a strong path for your future endeavors in science or engineering. These include:- strong competition among peers
- remarkable instructors
- intensive, mentored research or creative work that results in an original scholarly paper
- direct access to a powerful network of individuals
We are confident that we can help talented students like you earn a place in such a setting. Our team has been mentoring young students at both the high school and undergraduate levels for over a decade, and our preparation programs are tailored to meet the unique needs of each student.Our services include intensive preparation for university admissions and applications; career coaching; mentoring for independent research and study projects; and tutoring for high-level competitions in mathematics, physics, and computer science.
We are passionate about nurturing our students and helping them fulfill their dreams. Our success stories speak for themselves and are a testament to the impact we have had on the lives of our students. We encourage you to consider how far you could go in achieving your dreams with the guidance and support of our experienced mentors, who have walked the path you are about to embark on and know it well.
Team
Alexandria Institute’s co-founder, Dr. Costas Efthimiou, has been providing mentorship and advising for the last 10 years to many students who went off to get their doctorate degrees from places like Harvard and CalTech. The institute was established in 2021 through a joint effort with Vladimir Grbić, one of Dr. Efthimiou's former students. Since then, the institute has expanded rapidly due to its success, and more team members have joined. Read about each member below, and connect with us on LinkedIn.
Costas Efthimiou, PhD
Co-founder and Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Central Florida
Dr. Efthimiou earned his Ph.D. in Mathematical Physics from Cornell University in 1994. He then lectured at Cornell University for one year before spending two years as a researcher at Tel Aviv University (1995-1997). Upon returning to the United States, he worked as a distinguished scientist at Harvard University for one year and in Cornell and Columbia Universities for two years before joining UCF in 2000, where he is now leading the Mathematical Physics research as an Associate Professor of Physics.He obtained his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Athens, where he is originally from. As a young student, he competed in the International Math Olympiad and many other international competitions.
Vladimir Grbić
Co-founder and Software Engineer and Lead Analyst at the Bank of New York Mellon
Vladimir received his bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Central Florida in 2022. It was there that he met Dr. Efthimiou, who was his research advisor for over two years. While he awaits continuing his graduate studies at one of Europe's oldest institutions, the University of Leipzig, he assumes the role of a software engineer and lead analyst at the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Vladimir grew up in Serbia and attended high school that specialized in natural sciences while also attending the Petnica Science Center. Furthermore, he competed in regional mathematics and biology competitions and received numerous awards.
Services
Building Brighter Minds:“At Alexandria Institute, we are passionate about our mission to foster curiosity, learning, and growth. Our team consists of experienced educators and professionals dedicated to helping our students succeed. We offer a full range of services designed to meet the unique needs of each student.”Dr. Costas Efthimiou, Co-founder
Consulting
The motivation behind the idea to start academically consulting students was the widespread misconception that having a 4.0 GPA and a high percentile SAT score is enough to gain admission to Ivy League schools.As alumni of Harvard, Cornell, and other globally recognized institutions, we can confirm that this is a completely wrong (and dangerous) mindset to have. We have witnessed many students get rejected from their undergraduate and graduate dream programs — not knowing why — and losing their motivation to strive for greatness.
Consider this: Harvard admitted 1,984 students for the class of 2026 — 61,221 applied! The average SAT score of accepted students is about 1520, while their average GPA is 4.18. While there are no clear statistics as to what the average SAT scores and GPA of all 60,000 plus students that applied are, it’s fair to assume that they are both top-notch. That begs the question: Why did over 59,000 students with likely great portfolios get rejected?Now, it is certainly necessary to have a strong GPA and a high SAT score — we call that part a defensive strategy. However, we want to emphasize that that’s only a part of the story. Having the two means that you will pass the cursory viewing. In other words, you just gave them a reason not to immediately eliminate you from the pool of candidates. Afterward, your scores will never be looked at again, and you are once again left to prove why you deserve a spot.
That is where an offensive strategy comes into play. To establish a case for yourself, you need a history of extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation from prominent mentors, and a strong, unique personal statement. Extracurricular activities include research projects, independent studies, recognized competitions, and other undertakings.
Here lies the value of Alexandria Institute and its staff. We cater to our students with a rich and tailored portfolio of services designed to improve their knowledge and strengthen their applications to their desired programs. We screen prospective applicants and carefully select the students we want to work with. We typically develop relationships with students who have at least two years left before the end of their current program (rising high school juniors and rising college juniors looking for graduate programs or internships).We aim to recognize potential and motivation in a student, regardless of their achievement at the time of applying to Alexandria Institute. Furthermore, we require at least two years of working with the student to fully prepare them to be competitive and deserve admission to their dream program.
Once we begin a relationship with a student, we meet with them weekly with the goal to provide:- Guidance throughout the curriculum, including class selection and additional material supplementation.
- Tutoring to strengthen their skills in various STEM disciplines and prepare them for various competitions.
- Learning plans and materials that complement their interests
- Mentoring and supervising their research projects and independent studies.
- Advising students on picking the right schools/programs to apply to
- Preparing their applications for admission (CV, personal statement, interviews).With enough time and coaching from scientists and academics who graduated from top global institutions, we aim to develop aspiring scientists and engineers. With the help of our team and a lot of effort and discipline on your side, you can feel confident about your chances of becoming the great mind of the next decade, whether you want to do rigorous research at a national institute/laboratory or spark new ideas at the Googles and Microsofts of the world.Conversely, without the preparation and proper foundation in knowledge and experience, you may struggle to present yourself to the opportunities that lie ahead.
Tutoring
The Alexandria Institute's mission is founded on the belief that its students should be well-prepared and have a strong, well-rounded foundation of knowledge to excel academically. We take this essential component very seriously. Nevertheless, we are always open to nurturing potential in students who wish to join our ranks. Sometimes, this potential is not yet manifest, and students may not be up to par with the nation's top performers.
Do not worry — we can help! If we choose to work with you, there is a reason behind that decision. We are confident that each of our students is capable of achieving success, and because we seek to build long-term relationships with them, our team can bring out the best in each student.For students who are already demonstrating excellent academic results, Alexandria aims to take them to the next level. We provide mentorship for research and independent projects and prepare our students for elite and nationally recognized competitions.Many of Alexandria's staff members have competed and won numerous math and physics competitions in Europe and the United States. Today, our goal is to continue this legacy through our students.Lastly, in preparing our students for their desired programs, we work to maximize their SAT scores and teach them advanced topics.
Contact Us
If you're a prospective student or a parent/guardian interested in any of our services, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us by filling out the message form below or via the following email address: