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A national expert on colleges and higher education, Rob is a publisher, editor, lecturer, media contributor, and author as well as a former college admissions administrator.

As Editor-in-Chief at The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review^®, he oversees the company’s of 150+ ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review books distributed by Penguin Random House. He also directs the company's annual surveys of students, parents, and school administrators. The survey findings are reported at dozens of education conferences and by hundreds of media each year.

Over his 33-year career, Rob has visited more than 1,200 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges and graduate schools. It is his interactions at them with students, parents, and counselors that he cites as his most inspiring professional experiences. He gives more than 100 talks a year to audiences of students, parents, educators, and counselor/advisors. He has chaired panels and presented keynotes at many National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conferences and delivered commencement addresses at three universities.

Rob is author of four books: The Best 390 Colleges; The Best Value Colleges;  College Admission 101; and Colleges That Create Futures. He also spearheaded the publications of The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs and The College Wellness Guide.

As director of The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review's surveys, Rob has polled millions of college and graduate school students for the company’s school rankings which are based on student ratings of their schools and tallied in dozens of categories. Rob also oversees the company’s annual College Hopes & Worries Survey of thousands of college applicants and their parents as well as its annual College Administrator Summer Survey.

Rob has hosted 140+ videos on The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review's . which collectively have received more than a million views. Among them: , , and .

Sourced by the AP, Voice of America, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, and other media, Rob has also appeared on hundreds of broadcasts including more than 30 appearances on NBC TODAY. Hoda Kotb, the show's co-anchor, has introduced him saying “He talks. We listen!”  Rob has also appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NPR, PBS, and NHK (Japan) as well as the Emmy-award winning show Teen Kids News.

Rob earned his B.A. at Drew University (NJ) and serves on its Board of Trustees. Prior to joining The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review in 1999, he was a college admissions administrator at Wagner College (NY) for six years.

A resident of Manhattan, Rob is a New York history buff and an avid runner.

Some of Rob's 2023–2024 national media interviews include:

• NBC TODAY, "Making the College List,” October 7, 2024,
• Voice of America "US Colleges Reembracing SAT as Admission Requirement," August 2, 2024,
• CNBC, “Costs at Some Colleges Nearing $100,000 per Year, But Many Families Pay a Lot Less," April 3, 2024,
• The Chronicle of Higher Education, “U.S. News’ Took a Hit on Rankings. Its Competitors Say They’re Doing Just Fine,” July 7, 2023, 

About The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review

The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review^® is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; a of more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review is now in its 43rd year. The company’s brand, now in its 24th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 27 million tutoring sessions. The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review, headquartered in New York, NY, is not affiliated with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ University. For more information, visit ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵReview.com and the company's Media Center. Follow the company on X (formerly Twitter) () and Instagram ().

ACT^® is a trademark registered and owned by ACT, Inc.

SAT^® and AP^® are trademarks registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review.

Franek is pronounced FRAN-ik. A headshot of Rob is downloadable here.

Contact: Jeanne Krier, Publicist for The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review, pressoffice@review.com

Updated October 2024