Mission
Dedicated to helping people find their true path in life.
Eleanora Ferrante has a mission to help others become the person they are called to be. She created Square Peg Square Hole Coaching to realize her professional dream – to make a living doing what she is best suited for and thoroughly enjoys – and to formalize her role as “advice-giver-in-chief.”
Eleanora practices what she preaches to her clients: she is a role model in identifying and using her personal strengths. In her work as a college admissions advisor and a career counselor, Eleanora balances big-picture vision with a near-obsessive grasp of the small details. She can strategize the greatest possible outcome for her clients based on their unique abilities and preferences, while simultaneously ensuring that all i’s are dotted and all t’s are crossed on their essays, applications, cover letters, and resumes. She shares her love of learning with her clients, and is dedicated to finding the smartest solution and the best result.
Our Team
Eleanora Ferrante, Founder
KNOWLEDGE. EXPERIENCE. DIRECTION.
“I love guiding clients to that “aha” moment – the one in which they find
their passion, get into a college they love, or land their dream job.”
– Eleanora Ferrante
Square Peg Square Hole Coaching is the culmination of Eleanora’s many years of professional work experience in consumer-oriented roles, and decades of volunteer work in civic and cultural organizations. Her volunteer experience as an admissions liaison for Cornell University, her alma mater, gave her initial exposure to the college admissions process and began building her credibility as a well-informed resource. By the time she successfully shepherded her own children through the admissions process to brilliant results, her reputation as a subject matter expert was solidified. Eleanora’s own “aha” moment came when the friendly requests for help with the college application process from parents and high school students spread from her immediate group of friends to friends of friends, to strangers. With the completion of a College Admissions Specialist certificate program in 2017, a business was born.
A natural networker, Eleanora’s many professional relationships within various industry sectors across the region are a boon to her career coaching services. She is adept at making connections and introductions, and using those skills to help new career seekers as well as experienced professionals looking to relaunch their careers. She is a certified Gallup Strengths Coach and balances private clients with an active schedule of conducting workshops and delivering presentations for her corporate clients.
Eleanora received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Cornell University, a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University, and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Earlier in her career, she held various positions in retail banking and operations for Chase Manhattan Bank, progressing to vice president before leaving the bank for a position in consulting.
A lifelong resident of Long Island, Eleanora and her husband are enjoying a somewhat empty nest in South Huntington, where she continues to be actively involved in her church, as a member of the Pre Cana team; the school district, where she was president of the Council of PTAs for two years and served as a legislative liaison for six; the Arthritis Foundation, for whom she is a board member and organizes a team in the annual fund-raising walk; and the public library, where she is a trustee. In her spare time, Eleanora dreams up more ways to not have any spare time.
Marguerite Melone
Marguerite first entered the college counseling industry when her oldest daughter, now a Loyola Maryland grad, began her college search. Since then, her other two daughters completed professional degrees at Syracuse University and Boston College. Marguerite honed her knowledge and skills through the American School Counselors Association’s (ASCA) IEC certificate program and joined Square Peg Square Hole Coaching in 2021.
Marguerite graduated from Adelphi University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and spent over twenty years working in the pharmaceutical industry, rising to CEO of Legend Pharmaceuticals.
An active member in her community and a trustee of Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church, Marguerite and her husband live in Dix Hills, NY. During the years her children attended Saint Anthony’s High School, she dedicated 12 years to the Mothers Guild which she led as President for 2 years.
Marguerite loves working with young adults and is passionate about assisting students on their journey to find the college and career where they will excel.
Maria Ruotolo
Maria received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and her Master of Science in Design Management from Pratt Institute, a highly recognized design school. She worked as an Art Director at Columbia University, The New York Hall of Science, The New York Botanical Garden, and her own consultancy. Maria joined IBM as digital marketing took off and held numerous roles including Digital Strategist, UX Lead, Social Media Lead, Business Analyst, Program Manager, and Team Lead. In between, somehow, Maria found time to work with students as an adjunct professor and thesis advisor at Pratt and a mentor at IBM.
Her college coaching journey began when she guided her children through their engineering and pre-med undergrad application process. Maria continued to learn as her son applied to grad school at Georgetown and her daughter gained entry into the fully-funded MD PhD program at Stony Brook. Soon, she became the go-to resource for family and friends to consult on college options, portfolios, and essays. Retired from IBM, Maria joined Square Peg Square Hole in 2025 and deepened her skills through Independent Educational Consultants Association’s training and certificate program. Maria is thoroughly enjoying digging into the ins and outs of colleges and working with each student to identify their skills and interests, find colleges where they will thrive, and put their best selves into their applications.