University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke University with a B.A. in Environmental Sciences & Policy and Sociology, the latter with distinction for researching and defending my undergraduate thesis and with a concentration in the Sociology of Work and Organizations. I was part of a plethora of organizations while in college, such as being a member of Business Oriented Women, a teaching assistant for Duke's Social Marketing class, and a marketing coordinator for a civic engagement program for Duke and Stanford student-athletes. Outside of Duke, I also took accounting classes at Foothill College and plan to sit for the CPA exam next year. During my time at Duke, I advised college-aged peers and students as an alum of my high school's Women in Leadership class on landing finance internships, resume building, interview prep, and more. In high school, I was a writing tutor and helped seniors and juniors sharpen their personal statements and supplement essays. I have a lot of experience as a peer editor and reader, and also assisted my younger sibling and cousins on their college applications. I have a widely adaptable approach to advising and am quick to pivot to ensure that any student's needs are met and exceeded. I take pride in my research skills as well as my writing/reviewing abilities. I had a whirlwind of an experience while applying to college, having applied to over 20 schools and being accepted to all but 2. Yet, the most memorable part of the process for me was being able to give back and help my peers achieve success. My goal is to ensure that a holistic, impactful picture of any student is aptly conveyed through writing and, more importantly, to make the college application and advising process as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Currently, I am a Global Banking & Markets Analyst at a financial firm in New York City. I also plan to apply to JD/MBA programs in the coming years to further my passion for law and business. My passion for advising and education stems back to my childhood, not only from being inspired by my mother's experience as an FGLI student who pushed herself to earn her Bachelor's degree and MBA on her own, but also by being able to tutor and help my younger brother on his journey to college. Outside of my career, I love photography, hiking, and running my music blog.

I am currently a junior at MIT studying Computer Science and playing tennis for the school. I've previously worked as a Code Instructor at The Coder School in Northbrook, Illinois and as a tennis coach/director in many different locations. At MIT, I work as an Undergraduate Student Researcher for the Sloan School of Management as well as a grader for our Electricity and Magnetism GIR Physics course.

Hi! My name is Nannette Beckley, and I’m super excited to work with you! I recently graduated from Princeton University in May of 2023 with a B.A. in the School of Public and International Affairs and earned a certificate (minor) in Global Health & Health Policy. As a student, I participated in several organizations, including Matriculate, a college access program. Through my work as an Advising Fellow for Matriculate, I gained several years of experience advising high-achieving, lower-income students on the college application and financial aid process. I am also a member of the AP Alumni Council through the College Board. I enjoy helping students form their college lists and reviewing students’ essays. Outside of CollegeAdvisor, I serve as a Research Associate at NORC at the University of Chicago in their health-adjacent departments.

I look forward to guiding you through the long, complicated, but fulfilling college admissions process!

I have more than 18 years of experience working in higher education, from scholarships administration, undergraduate teaching and advising, curriculum development, academic research, leadership development and training to program management. My work as an administrator, scholar, mentor, and teacher is grounded on my commitment to justice, diversity, and serving underrepresented communities in education. Currently, I oversee a student success programming at UC Berkeley supporting about 200 scholars each year. I focus on removing barriers in higher education to make education accessible and on creating programming that fosters our scholars' personal, academic, and professional growth. I hold an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in English and Political Science as well as a doctoral degree in Literature from UC Santa Cruz with an emphasis on Asian American Studies, Critical Theory, Postcolonial Studies, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, and Cultural Studies. I mentor many students and have helped them get accepted to top colleges, both public and private universities such as Harvard, Cornell, Brown, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, UW, University of Virginia, University of Florida, Purdue, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UC Davis, UCR, UC Santa Cruz, Rutgers, UIUC, Baylor, Spelman, and many more. I love working with students, especially in helping them realize their own potential and guiding them though their academic and personal growth. I cannot wait to meet with you and help you shine in your essays!

I have ~5 years of experience in the aerospace/defense industry and so far, it has been a blast! I earned my bachelor's in aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and over the course of my 4 years, earned over $20,000 in scholarships. Currently, I am working as a contracted systems engineer and systems architect. As a leader in the satellite industry, I work heavily with technical requirements, CONOPS (Concept of Operations) diagrams, and Model Based Systems Engineering. I also have additional work-related certifications from MIT. My expertise includes applying for engineering school, applying for scholarships, support in figuring out which engineering discipline to apply for, and applying for engineering jobs and negotiation skills.

Fun Facts: 1) I have mentored over 50 students (most of them pre-college or 1st year in college)! 2) I have been featured on several BuzzFeed videos for the work I do. 3) I speak French and German and love traveling!

Described by coworkers and former students as an engineer-meets-social-worker, Professor Berent works full-time as a professor at Northwestern University, and part-time with CollegeAdvisor.com to provide insight to not only what gets students accepted into college, but what makes them successful once there.

Why work with Professor Berent?
• Knows the full engineering experience. Zack has been an undergraduate student, graduate student, academic and career advisor, researcher, teaching fellow, and now professor at top engineering schools, so he can speak to all aspects of engineering. Whatever career in engineering you are seeking, he likely has experience!
• What makes a successful engineer? As a professor, Zack works daily with first-year engineering students. He has advised them from high school through undergraduate experiences, internships, first full-time job, and even MS/PhD graduation. CollegeAdvisor.com works to help you get into top schools; further, Zack knows what will make you successful once there.
• Engineering admissions. When Zack worked at an engineering-focused medical school he defined the admissions criteria for engineering. This work has given him great insight into not just the what, but the why behind admissions decisions.
• Engineering excellence. Zack has been awarded with multiple teaching fellowships to enhance engineering education. He has been awarded over a dozen times as a top instructor on campus. He has not only exceeded in teaching and advising, but in research as well. He has publications in top engineering journals like Acta Biomaterialia, and been received national-level grants, so his wordcraft will help with your essays succeed.

Whether you're just starting to explore engineering or finalizing your application, he has worked with thousands of engineering students, and he is eager to help you too.