Dr. Barry Sysler, founder of Academic Directions draws on more than thirty years experience as a professor, author, college tennis coach, and parent to guide students toward the best possible educational opportunities. He is a dynamic and highly respected educational consultant in the field of college admissions and an expert on the college funding process. He holds a Ph.D. from Temple University in the area of Sports Psychology. Annually, Dr. Sysler conducts a series of workshops for parents of high school students to educate them about the college search process and how to qualify for need-based aid and merit scholarship packages. In his speaking engagements he has addressed topics such as writing powerful admission essays, marketing the student through well-constructed extracurricular resumes, obtaining dynamic teacher recommendations, preparing for interviews, understanding the early decision/action application process, and guiding students by employing their special talents and interests into internships, seeking research opportunities and summer college programs, all the while directing students through the highly selective college admission process. Dr. Sysler's primary focus however, is to match students to a college environment that addresses all the needs, goals and aspirations of the student.

Dr. Sysler established Academic Directions in 1998 after a collegiate tennis coaching career that spanned a quarter of a century. He has helped hundreds of junior college athletes navigate the recruiting process to find the right transfer program in order to play at the next level. He has helped place athletes at over 55 colleges and universities throughout the country. In 1999 he was inducted into the National Junior College Men's Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame.

To provide the best possible service to his students, Barry Sysler attends regional and national conferences on college admissions. He continually travels throughout the United States visiting colleges and meeting with Admissions Directors so that he can stay current with admissions trends and campus programs. A member of Peterson's Financial Aid Advisory Council, Dr. Sysler also is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and the Higher Education Counselors Association (HECA).