University of Florida

I attend Columbia Law School on a full-ride, merit scholarship, where my studies focus on civil rights, education policy, and non-profit law. Before law school, I worked in philanthropy as a grantmaker on issues related to public policy, youth organizing, and technology regulations and in communications as a consultant for political campaigns. I'm a National Geographic Education Fellow and Forbes 30 Under 30 Awardee for my education policy and advocacy work. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor's in Political Science. I was a Robertson Scholar at Chapel Hill, a full-ride scholarship that gave me access to UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University classes. I was also a Coca-Cola Scholar and a Kevan Flagler Assured Admit. In addition to the Robertson Scholarship, I was awarded full rides to three undergraduate institutions (UK, Davidson, Wake Forest) and partial scholarships to several others. During my undergraduate studies, I interned at a political consulting firm in Washington, DC, a management consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia, and a local community development nonprofit in New Orleans. After undergrad, I pursued a Master's in Education Policy & Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where my research focused on student power in the K12 education system. In high school, I founded a nonprofit organization that advocated for more student voice in the K12 education system. I also competed in speech and debate, played soccer, and practiced the cello. During my junior year, I moved to Washington, D.C., for a semester to serve as a United States Senate Page. There, I attended class in the morning and worked on the Senate floor in the evening. Outside of academic and career interests, I love live music, hiking in the woods, and a relaxing spa day. When applying to college, the key is honing your narrative to stand out to admission officers from among the dozens of qualified applications they will review.

Hi! My name is Samantha, and I graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia in May 2022 with a Bachelor’s in History and a minor in Anthropology. After coming from a low-income background and working my way through college, I am proud to have graduated debt-free. During my time at UGA, I made sure to take advantage of all the on-campus opportunities I could find. I joined clubs that aligned with my interests and made lifelong connections. In addition to being in numerous clubs, I worked for the university in the campus bookstore and the university’s art museum. Working on campus made me feel like I was a part of a greater community, and it brought me great joy to welcome campus guests and share my love for the Bulldogs.

Post-graduation, I worked as an AmeriCorps College Adviser for underserved, low-income, and underrepresented student populations. As an adviser, I supported 1000+ high school juniors and seniors with college and career prep while individually advising over 600 students on the college admissions process. While working with students, I stressed the importance of college affordability as well as creating balanced college lists based on best match and fit. I assisted my students from the Class of 2022 in earning 27.1 million dollars in scholarships, so I love helping students secure funding to support their college endeavors. Impelled by my passion for college access, I am gearing up to start the Professional School Counseling master's program at my alma mater, and in the meantime, I am excited to be supporting students through the college admissions process!

I hold over 6 years of higher education administration experience advising students on their educational and academic pursuits. I obtained my B.S. in 2017 from Bowling Green State University where I received a 4-year full-ride scholarship. I graduated from Michigan State University with my master's in Education Administration in 2019. As a higher education professional, I strive to remove barriers to education and provide support to students from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. I believe that having access to affordable higher education is an amazing avenue to pursue, and an opportunity everyone should be able to access affordably. I have experience advising a diverse array of students from many different institution types and love connecting with students holistically and providing them support and resources to best reach their collegiate goals. As an educator the driving force behind my advising style is to provide guidance and support as well as getting to know my student goals, values, and priorities to help them make decisions best suited for their situation. My time in higher education has allowed me to gain a great understanding around academic requirements, extracurricular activities, and institution types. I am always excited to learn about the experiences that have shaped students and how they want to make their impact on the world. I am very skilled in assisting students in finding out what it is they value and how they want to "share their story" with higher education institutions. I know the application process and the search for the right school can feel daunting and overwhelming at times, but I know from experience with the right support it can be incredibly rewarding and exciting as well!

Hi! My name is Kalea O. and I'm from Manassas, Virginia (DMV area). I grew up as the daughter of a single mom and I am a first-generation/limited-income (FGLI) college grad. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2020 with a B.S. in Youth and Social Innovation (education) and minor in Urban and Environmental Planning (architecture). During my time as an undergrad, I became an advocate for change through storytelling, and influenced by my own and friends' lived experiences, my career has largely been defined by advocating for first-generation, limited-income, and other underserved students. After college, I served for two years with Americorps as a College Adviser for the Virginia College Advising Corps. My placement was at Charlottesville High School (go Black Knights!) where I worked with over 1,500+ students, from freshmen to seniors, regarding their college apps and career aspirations. My former students have been admitted to a varied and diverse range of institutions, such as Harvard, UPenn, The College of William & Mary, DigiPenn, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Virginia Tech, and several community colleges. I have experience working with students who have pursued a wide range of majors including the Arts and Humanities, Business, and STEM. My strengths as an Advisor lie in helping students explore and find their passions and then translate those experiences in their college essays. I also specialize in Virginia college applications and have familiarity with a wide range of Virginia high schools from NOVA to central and southern Virginia. I am also well versed in the scholarship and financial aid process; in 2021 I was awarded $800 by the State Council for Higher Education for ensuring my school had the highest FAFSA completion rates across the Commonwealth of Virginia (of high schools with 200+ seniors). In total I have helped students secure hundreds of thousands in scholarships, one student alone securing $100k. As an FGLI grad, my mission is to help decrease the cost of college for every student I work with! After my service with the College Advising Corps, I worked as a Presidential Fellow for the Office of the President at UVA. Now, in addition to advising through CollegeAdvisor.com, I am a Program Coordinator for Hoos First, a new team at the University of Virginia that provides support for FGLI students. When I'm not working with students, you'll find me hosting murder mystery dinners, running, playing thrilling games of Rummikub, and hanging out with my roommate--my cat Biggie Paws!

I hold a BA from the University of Georgia in International Affairs, a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Georgia, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Go Dawgs and Go Blue! I started my career in the education and nonprofit space where I built a solid foundation in supporting the academic and socio-emotional development of high school students. It was during this time where I gained a foundation in College Advising. I supported the college application process of high school students across all five boroughs of New York City. As a college advisor, I excel at helping students craft their college admissions brand making sure that their transcript, essays, extra-curriculars, and interactions with admissions officers sell who they are. And I do this while ensuring that the student feels supported, encouraged, and excited by what can be a stressful process. College advising ENERGIZES me and I've successfully supported application processes for students who matriculated into Ivy, Ivy +, and other top colleges across the US! Professionally, I have experience as a teacher, a college advisor, an MBA student, a consultant, and a corporate trainer. Over my career, I have had the opportunity to pivot, reinvent myself, and try new things often, and I want that for every student I work with. Together, we will explore all available pathways and work together to build a story and a personal brand that will unlock those opportunities. The college admissions process is the beginning of your personal odyssey, and I am so excited to work with you as you embark on this journey.

I am a current senior at Dartmouth College and will be graduating in June of 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a double minor in Global Health in Anthropology and Human Biology in the pre-medical track. I am also a proud QuestBridge Scholar and Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, both amazing programs that have guided, supported, and funded my undergraduate experience. In addition, in July of 2024, I will be starting medical school at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth as an early assurance MD candidate. Consequently, I have plenty of tips and hidden knowledge to share with anybody interested in these highly selective programs and scholarships, as well as the pre-health track, and would love to connect with anybody interested in exploring these opportunities and/or paths! In terms of my advising and mentorship experience, I began tutoring for regular subjects in early high school and later, during the latter half of my junior year, I tutored for the ACT and SAT. Today, I continue this work, but have also been working as a college counselor since June of 2020. Through my 5+ years of experience, I have learned to form close connections with my students as a student myself, meeting them where they are while guiding and supporting them through their college-preparation and application processes. In the past 3 years, I have worked with over 15 students in their college application process, all of which have received at least 3 college acceptances and most of which have been accepted into some of the most competitive colleges and universities in the country. While some of these students have been interested in the pre-health track, I have also worked with various students interested in law, engineering, computer science, humanities, performing arts, aviation, finance, business and entrepreneurship, and psychology. This has offered me the opportunity to become familiar with different colleges that have specialized programs as well as unique scholarships that students interested in certain academic areas can take advantage of! With my years of experience in the field in addition to my personal successes, I am knowledgeable of the curricular demands and extracurricular expectations of various disciplines. Furthermore, I have also had the privilege of working with 2 international students! Working with them helped me grasp the perspective of applying to college in the US as an international student, considering the financial, academic, lingual, and sociocultural challenges that come with being a foreigner. All in all, I am extremely passionate about mentoring and advising students who are going through what can be a very overwhelming and challenging process. I love listening to stories, asking inquisitive questions, giving constructive feedback, and forming close relationships with those I work with. Working hand in hand with both the students and their families, I hope to serve as a good resource that can answer questions, settle uncertainties, and find solutions. With these and the many more tools I have put under my belt, I help students figure out how to best express their goals based on their interests, talents, and values and guide them in effectively sharing their story - their who and why - to curate a wholesome and impressive application.

I hold a B.A from University of Florida in Classics ('14) and graduated from the Honors Program with Cum Laude. I hold my M.S in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University ('16). I am currently a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Technology in the Doctor of Education program, with an expected completion in 2023. After graduating from the University of Florida, I served as a Teach for America Corps Member in Jacksonville, Florida. After serving for two years, I became an Admissions Officer within the University of Florida Outreach and Recruitment team and served within this role from 2016 - 2021. I served as a program coordinator facilitating newly admitted student events, served on various committees, and worked with students and families from across the world. I currently work as an Academic & Career Advisor at the University of Florida within the Heavener School of Business, and in this capacity, I serve online students primary and oversee the orientation process. I love working with students from all types of backgrounds and consider myself a lifelong educator. For personal hobbies, I enjoy gaming through playing RTS and MOBA games such as Starcraft and League of Legends. I also enjoy traveling, and have been to England, Greece, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Colombia, and I hope to double the number of countries that I've traveled to within the next 2-4 years! I believe that College Admissions can be an incredibly crucial stage in a student's life in navigating a process that can sometimes be overwhelming, and my goal as a Former Admissions Officer with College Advisor is to help demystify and guide my students towards putting their best foot forward and achieving success throughout their application process. Ultimately, I hope to help my students gain acceptance into a multitude of universities and attend one which they find to be the best fit for their educational journey.

I am an alum of Johns Hopkins University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology with Honors, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Visual Arts minor. As of now, I am working towards a doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, specifically focusing on DEI. As an emigrant from the Philippines, my family and I were left at a loss as to what the college application journey entailed. But thanks to the guidance and care from my mentor, I was able to clarify my ambitions and attain access to scholarships, a higher-level education, and many more opportunities. I will always be grateful for the opportunities I have now thanks to my mentor's support, which is why I continue to embody her love for supporting others on their journey and understand how impactful sharing my experiences and knowledge to others can uplift the trajectory of their lives. For the 4 years I have been at Hopkins, I had the opportunity to be a mentor for Matriculate and Johns Hopkins Underrepresented in Medical Professions (JUMP) and had the privilege of mentoring and tutoring high schoolers and pre-med college students from various backgrounds with a focus on underrepresented or disadvantaged populations with the goal of promoting educational equity. Since then, I have been working with CollegeAdvisor to reach a plethora of students from all walks of life. I have worked with students interested in a diverse array of majors and students unsure of who they want to be, and in both cases, I have made sure to support them throughout their journey to give them a space to grow and to ensure their voices are heard. Whether this be through their essays or supplementals, I work with my students to enable them to communicate to admission officers their potential to elevate their campus community and their drive for further education. I have also worked with students who come with more complicated backgrounds, whether they be recent immigrants to the US or have parents who are not US citizens and supporting them through their unique financial aid process. I aim to empower students through personalized support that can help them overcome potential barriers and stressors of the college admission process. This can be a limitation in finances, information, understanding, or accessibility. Each student and their family have unique backgrounds and I want to give them the tools and support they need to ensure their loved one can matriculate into a college that fits them financially, academically, and socially. This process is not easy, and it can come with many barriers, so I hope to help share resources that can alleviate the cost of college and provide opportunities to help support the trajectory of their future.

Hello! My name is Mary Katheryn, and I graduated from Notre Dame with my Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Business Economics. After graduation I worked as a Corporate Recruiter at a tech company before returning to Notre Dame to work as an Admissions Counselor in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. I have 6 years of experience evaluating applications for admission and counseling high school students through the admission process. I'm passionate about access to higher education and helping students find their fit. I know how stressful this process can be for students and parents alike. I have extensive knowledge of highly selective admissions and look forward to taking some of the stress out of college applications!