I have over thirty years’ experience as a high school English and theater teacher, college counselor, and college admission officer (Amherst College). Since 2007 I have worked with underserved students and the teachers/counselors who serve them. In May 2011, after several years of consulting for them, I accepted a full-time position with Chicago Scholars as the Director of College Transitioning Programming.
I read a lot about college admission and bring my experience on both sides of the desk to bear when I counsel students and adults. My background in anthropology and theater (degrees and experience in both) helps me understand cultural differences and speak comfortably to many different audiences. There’s a lot of “performance” in college admission, as there is in life.
I’ve worked with community groups and schools, including Chicago Scholars, Latinos Progresando, and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, helping teachers and counselors understand the college admission process so they can help their students plan for college success. Click here for more information about my firm, College Access Counseling. I’ve written for NACAC‘s blog, Admitted. You can read my entries as well as some of my colleagues’, here. Click here to read one of my entries in the New York Times‘s blog, The Choice. I’ve been published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Journal of College Admission and other periodicals, and have been quoted in Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. I’ve also been a featured speaker or panelist at many conferences and presentations around the country.
Chicago is now my home but I’ve lived in New Orleans; Princeton, NJ; Pottstown, PA; Baton Rouge, and Amherst, MA. I received my undergraduate degree in anthropology from Amherst College. My graduate degrees are from Princeton and Northwestern Universities (anthropology and theater). When I’m not immersed in the college admission process, I’m reading, exploring the neighborhood, or traveling.
I have a limited number of private clients, whom I see by referral only.
In your article “Listen Up, Parents!” you mention an episode of “Leave it to Beaver.” I would like to show a clip of that in my senior/parent college night as I am having a section for parents. Can you please tell me which episode and season it’s from? Or, do you know the episode title? I have tried to find it on YouTube, but there are too many.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Kerry– I’ve been trying to track down the episode with no luck as yet, although I can think of worse things than watching some older LITB episodes. It’s probably in the later years. I’ll keep you posted!
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Will,
I work at a college in the Boston area. Do you know of financial sources like your list of scholarships for the Northeast?
Do you know John Pendleton, Amherst ’58?
Thank you
Hi Cindy– Thanks for your question; unfortunately I don’t have a list that’s specific to the Northeast. I can do a little digging and see if you like.
The name John Pendleton sounds familiar but I don’t know one from ’58. I think there might have been a JP in or around my Class of 1977…