Advisors

Higher Education professional dedicated to making sure that all students, no matter their background, race, or socioeconomic status, has access to quality higher education options. Excellent at collaborating with multiple university offices and community organizations to solve problems creatively, while also building lasting relationships. Bringing over 15 years of experience working in college admissions in large state schools and highly selective institutions. Joined college advisor to continue my quest to help students, from any and every background, realize their dream of achieving higher education. Please, come work with me!

Tia D. Rideout is currently an Interim College and Career Counselor. Prior to this, she served as an educator specializing in College and Career Readiness for the School District of Philadelphia. She has over 13 years of experience working as an educator in College Readiness and is perceived as an expert in the Philadelphia area. Through her leadership, Tia headed the #ReachHigherPhilly College Signing Day with ultimately hosting Former First Lady Michelle Obama to host the 2018 National event in Philadelphia. In addition, Tia has led several district college readiness initiatives such as the HBCU College Fair, Step Up to College Pre-College Conference, and the BEYA Conference. Prior to working at the school district, Tia worked as an Intensive Case Manager at CATCH, Inc. serving children and families with severe mental health disabilities. Her passion for serving children runs across the spectrum from womb to workforce. Tia is trained as a childbirth doula and Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, working with nonprofit organizations such as Maternity Care Coalition and the Breastfeeding Resource Center. In addition to her professional work, Tia works with various nonprofit organizations such as the F.A.S.T. Foundation, T.W.I.Y.O, Camp Sojourner, the Breastfeeding Resource Center, The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc., and her beloved sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. which is joined as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. Tia is a Philadelphia native and a first-generation college graduate. She holds a Master’s degree from Eastern University in Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently working on obtaining a PMP certification. When Tia has downtime, she enjoys life as a foodie and spending time with her beautiful 10-year-old daughter, Classie. With over 13 years of experience working in urban Schools as a College/Career Readiness Specialist.

Tayla is a junior at Michigan Ross pursuing Business Administration and a minor in User Experience (UX) Design, with the goal to work in consulting post-graduation. She is heavily involved with professional business organizations on campus, specifically her business fraternity and professional consulting club. Tayla interned this past summer with United Airlines in Chicago, IL and will be working in consulting this upcoming summer in New York City. Tayla is experienced in essay writing and revisions, activity and extra-curricular selection, and the financial aid/scholarship application process! She currently works on-campus as a student ambassador and career peer coach at the Michigan Ross School of Business Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Hi! My name is Tatiana Diaz. I am a first-generation college student and the first in my extended family to graduate college. Navigating the college application process was a bit daunting when I was in high school, but I was able to use the resources around me, including Upward Bound and GEAR Up to successfully achieve the goals I had set for myself. I am looking forward to working with students and their families as they navigate this process and am very hopeful that I will be able to provide assistance through some of the bumps that might come up along the road. I graduated from UC Irvine where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior and Chicano/Latino Studies with a minor in Education in 2010. In 2014 I graduated from Loyola Marymount University and received my Master’s in Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential. I am now in my tenth year as a high school counselor. I have had the pleasure of guiding and educating many students about their college, career, and financial aid options during their high school years. I very much look forward to working with you and continuing to learn with you!

Languages spoken: English and Spanish

Hey! My name is Talya, and I am a recent graduate of Pitzer College in Claremont, California where I majored in Sociology. Here, I worked as a Head Writing Fellow at Pitzer College’s Writing Center for the past three years. In this position I assisted students at all levels of writing, ranging from first-year assignments to senior theses and graduate school applications. I have also supported the application process for numerous students who were accepted to prestigious fellowships like Fulbright, Watson, Truman, and Melon Mays. As an advisor, I combine my love for storytelling and conversation with my keen editorial eye, and sense of humor to support students in achieving their personal and educational goals. I approach advising with an open mind, understanding that each student has different strengths. I am committed to reducing stress, making this process more accessible, and helping students develop confidence in themselves. While I majored in sociology, my interests include psychology, public health, politics, and history and I am excited to work with students from a myriad of educational interests. I love learning, especially with and from my students. In my free time, you can find me learning how to rock climb, throwing dinner parties with friends, and taking walks by the ocean.

Hello! My name is Sydney, and I am a proud Midwest native, first-generation college student, and Tar Heel! I received a B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) from Duke University. As a high school senior, I was accepted into all 13 schools I applied to and I earned over $1.7 million in college scholarships, including the prestigious national Gates Millennium Scholarship and Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC. Along with being a Senior Advisor with CollegeAdvisor.com, I am also a Webinar Moderator. I used my undergraduate experience as a time to explore different subject areas. I entered college with the hopes of attending veterinary school, so I am familiar with pre-health tracks and requirements. During a required introductory computer science class, I fell in love with programming and ended up pursuing a minor in Computer Science and working as a Teaching Assistant for several semesters. I also earned a minor in Education because of my passion for educational equity and access. Outside of my academics, I played club rugby and acted in Company Carolina productions. After graduating in December 2020, I applied to a variety of marine and environmental science graduate programs at schools like Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and University of Miami. I ultimately decided to go back to North Carolina where I pursued a Master of Environmental Science with a specialization in Coastal Environmental Management at the Duke University Marine Lab. My Master's Project compiled community art projects and individuals' creative representations of the word "entanglement" for a digital zine. I also have experience with research, as I have traveled to places like the Galapagos and Australia to work in the field on a range of research projects. Currently, I have a science communications fellowship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I am excited to work alongside students to showcase their authentic self to colleges and can't wait to see all of the amazing schools they are accepted to!

Over 20 years ago I began my career as a college admission professional in upstate NY. Since then, I have worked in undergraduate and graduate admissions for seven public and private colleges in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. I've worked for a small liberal arts college with fewer than 1,00 students, a large public with over 10,000 students, and a top 25 research institution. I understand the admissions process and aim to make it less intimidating for my students. I also spent five years as Senior Manager for a national internship program where I recruited college students from 200+ institutions across the country. I became more familiar with students from many schools and visited over 50 campuses. My students interned with media companies like ESPN, HBO, NFL, CBS, Paramount and many others. That experience led me to author my first book, The Internship Manual: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Internship of Your Dreams. I enjoy the process of working with students and helping them navigate the admissions process! I've done thousands of admissions interviews and read countless admissions applications. I hold an M.S in Professional Writing from Towson University so you might have guessed, essays are my jam. Let's get to work!

Scott Wilson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA, 2012) and the University of California, Los Angeles (M. Ed, 2015). For the better part of a decade, Scott has been committed to helping both students and professionals pursue their next steps. Scott brings breadth and depth when advising high school students and their families as he's worked in high school, university, and corporate settings. Scott's admission experience includes over six years at UCLA, the nation's top-ranked public institution and most-applied to institution, as a Senior Assistant Director on the high school recruitment team. He presented to and counseled thousands of students and families through the UC application process throughout the country, but predominantly worked with families in California, New York and New Jersey. He has reviewed thousands of applications for admission to UCLA (first-year, international, and transfer) across all majors and continues to review applications for the University. Additionally, Scott worked as a Technical Recruiter at Meta (formerly Facebook) on their Emerging Talent team, working to bring the world's top up and coming software engineering talent to the company. Scott's goal is to make sure students and families have a clear understanding of the college admissions process, turn what seems like a daunting application process into a story telling opportunity, and provide expertise to help students achieve their short and long-term goals.

My name is Sara Whitelaw and I am a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. I studied cognitive neuroscience and criminology and completed an honors thesis in my final year surrounding the effects of militarization on protest outcomes. Throughout university, I worked as a research assistant at the Center for Autism Research connected to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, while also being actively involved in student groups on campus. In my free time, I worked as a marketing intern for a woman-owned small business in Philadelphia. I have previous advising experience through working with Matriculate: a non-profit college advising company that helps low-income students and first-generation students apply to successful and financially accessible universities. I loved this experience and cannot wait to continue my advising journey for CollegeAdvisor. I have advised students who were successfully admitted into top programs such as USC's Annenberg School for Journalism & Communication with a full-ride scholarship as well as Stanford University. I look forward to building a connection with eager students excited about the college process!

I hold my Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University where I majored in Secondary English Education. Upon graduating I was selected to serve as a 2010 Teach For America Corps Member Teaching Middle School English in Houston, TX. After completion of my teaching requirements, I stayed within my placement school and moved into the college initiatives team specializing in personal statement development and ACT/SAT test prep. Upon returning to my hometown of Chicago, I continued working within the college admissions sector. I served as a program director within a local nonprofit organization providing college access and success programming that included building college lists, personal statement essay support, test prep, career exploration and development, application and financial aid/scholarship submission. Most recently, I worked as a college advisor for academically ambitious students throughout the entirety of the application process, including interview preparation for some of the top universities. As an educator and college advisor, I have worked with students who have major(ed) in Business and Entrepreneurship, Education, Pre-Health and Sciences, Engineering, Psychology, and more. With 12 years of experience within the education sector, I can provide the support and knowledge to help navigate the college application and selection process. I am passionate about providing a holistic approach to college counseling to include identifying best fit schools in which a student is going to feel academically challenged, successful, supported and happy. I specialize in working with each student's unique goals and work in partnership to provide the support and encouragement to ensure those goals are met. I believe in ensuring that students are able to have a safe space to work through the application process and a healthy mindset to achieve the goals set forth.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Michigan – Go Heels & Go Blue!! After graduating from UNC, I started my career as a college advisor where I helped guide students through the college application process, both in-person and virtually. As a first-generation college student, I am passionate about ensuring that students feel supported, uplifted, and encouraged through the college application process. I enjoy helping students craft their story to allow their strengths, their passions, and their authentic selves to shine in college applications. During my time as an advisor, I have had the honor of successfully advising students who have been accepted into top colleges and Ivy League schools across the US. Throughout my professional career I have gained experience as a College Advisor, an MBA student, a digital marketer, and a product manager. Understanding the importance of exploring your passions and pursuing your interests, I have had the opportunity to pivot and explore different opportunities – and I want to encourage you to also explore different pathways as you begin your college journey! The college application process doesn’t have to be stressful – I look forward to working with you to find colleges that are the best fit, craft your essays, and submit strong applications that you are proud of… and ensuring that we have fun along the way!

I hold my B.A. in Pre-Health Studies and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, where I graduated in the Spring of 2021, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, having completed a 4-year program in 3 years. I am a current first-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine, where I plan to graduate with my M.D. in 2027. Between my undergraduate and graduate studies, I spent two gap years exploring my interests: applying cutting-edge computational techniques to the study of a rare genetic disorder in a research lab at Notre Dame, studying the most effective policies to aid in the elimination of malaria on-site in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and working to gain insightful clinical experience in a hospital near my hometown. Prior to joining CollegeAdvisor.com, I helped both international and U.S. students craft successful applications to both undergraduate and graduate programs. I have personally experienced both undergraduate and medical school applications within the past few years and understand firsthand how daunting it can seem, but enjoy using my expertise to help guide students through the process. With CollegeAdvisor.com, I work mostly with students applying to careers in the health professions, including both conventional pre-medical paths and accelerated BS/MD programs.

17 + years of experience in College Admissions/Enrollment Management Professional at Vincennes University, Purdue University, Iowa State University, and the University of Louisville. Most recently served as Director of Admissions at Vincennes University. I love to build a trusting relationship with my students and provide guidance on the college application process. My goal is to put you on a path for success! I've recruited and helped guide thousands of students from all the across the US, Puerto Rico, and internationally.

Getting into college is becoming increasingly difficult day by day. With more students getting top scores and developing strong extracurricular backgrounds, it's extremely tough to set yourself apart. However, I can help with the nuanced components of each individual application, helping to build a cohesive, unique story that can maximize your chances. I have extensive experience advising students on undergraduate admissions, running my own independent admissions consultancy for multiple years. I have helped students get into many of the top schools in the United States, such as Northwestern, UChicago, Duke, and more. I view the college admissions process as holistic in nature -- meaning I will work with students to optimize each and every component of their application. Whether it be maximizing impact on the resume, crafting school-specific essays, or applying for competitive scholarships, I know what it takes to build the "complete package" necessary for admissions in today's age. I have a particular interest in writing, something I've been passionate about for as long as I can remember. I specialize in helping brainstorm, plan, and edit essays that are impactful for top-school admissions.

Like many residents of Washington Heights, I was born to immigrant parents who came here with nothing and had limited options. I am family-oriented, an advisor, a leader, and passionate about what I do. I have been a college advisor for the past 5 years. Within this position, I have been able to advise students at such a pivotal point in their lives where I am able to guide them towards a better future, whether it be college, trade school, work, or even building some post-secondary plan. I graduated with my Master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs from NYU Steinhardt, hoping to push further to become the best version of myself and continue advising students toward a better future. This expedition was not only for me but for others to see that it is possible, underserved students need representation. One must know that no one can stop you from achieving your goals but yourself.

Hello! My name is Persis and I am a senior at Princeton University studying neuropsychology, with a minor in African-American studies. As a first-generation college student from an underprivileged background, I am passionate about college access. I was accepted into prestigious summer programs and colleges, and earned over 1.5 million dollars in scholarships. Over the past four years, I have helped students get accepted into Yale, Princeton, Bates, and George Washington, among others. I assist students throughout the entire college process: researching schools, writing essays, finding recommenders, applying for scholarships, and choosing programs. Most notably, I have helped many students get full-tuition scholarships to their dream schools. You don’t need to be a prodigy, valedictorian, or class president to enter your target program! Nor do you need to be highly connected or wealthy. I empower my students to highlight the skills and experiences they already have, to show their unique value in their applications. In college, I started off pre-med, conducting and publishing neuroscience research. I was interested in marketing, and was selected from externships at Google and P&G. Now, I am pursuing a career in private equity and have had prestigious internships on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley. I have a hybrid of experiences that I can pull from to advise you. I’m excited to work with you!

Hello, my name is Nikki. I graduated from Brown University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, which I am very proud of as a first-generation college student from the Rio Grande Valley in TX! At Brown, I was part of 2 different engineering research labs and worked a part-time job as a barista at the cafe in the engineering building. After graduating from Brown, I joined Teach For America and taught 8th grade math for 2 years. Now, I am a College Counselor at a charter school in Houston, TX. I walk students step-by-step through the college admissions process from building a college list to helping them understand their financial aid packages. I love having the opportunity to serve students whose shoes I was once in and show them the patience and kindness needed through the admissions process. I particularly enjoy getting to know students personally and finding the best way to help them tell their story in their application. I look forward to doing the same with my advisees and being a support for you in your journey to college!

I am an educator with over fifteen years of experience working with diverse students in a range of educational settings. I hold a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in Sociology and Chicana/o Studies, where I graduated with honors and a Presidential Citation. After graduation, I participated in an AmeriCorps volunteer program at a K-12 school on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. In 2012, I earned a M.A. in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University, while working for a California Student Opportunity & Access Program at a high school in San Francisco's Mission District. Over the past ten years, I provided both hands-on advising, developed programming, and led strategic initiatives to support students throughout Southern California as they explore, identify, and apply to educational options that are a fit for their unique interests, needs, and goals. I approach my work with students with curiosity and care, ensuring that the college application process is accessible, empowering, and exciting.

After my time at Saint Joseph's, I attended West Chester University of Pennsylvania for my Masters degree. I received my Masters in School Counseling and I am now a School Counselor in a Middle School. I was born and raised in New York, did my higher education in Pennsylvania and now reside in Texas. I love talking about the future, exploring options, and getting organized.

Hello, I'm Nick, a Mechanical Engineer with a B.S. degree from Lehigh University (2022), currently working in the Defense Industry. As a former Teaching Assistant in various engineering courses during my time at Lehigh, I honed my skills troubleshooting technical problems, and assisting students in developing their own skills at the dawn of their engineering journeys! Growing up in Brazil and Uruguay, I've navigated the challenges of international transitions. Serving as an International Orientation Leader at Lehigh, I've had experience guiding students at the beginning of their academic journeys. Having been on both sides of the student experience, I offer a unique perspective to my advising role. I am a passionate person, seeking to fully immerse myself in whatever I do, whether parachuting off bridges or strategically maximizing tax deductions! I enjoy taking life by the horns take pride in devoting myself to whatever piques my interest. Whether you're excited about your path or still exploring, I'm here offering guidance and support! Thank you for considering me as your advisor. I'm excited to embark on this journey with you, offering insights, guidance, and a personalized approach to help you achieve your academic and personal goals.

As a first-generation college student, I understand how daunting the college admissions process may seem to those who have no experience with it. Despite the challenges I encountered, I was admitted to every college I applied to and learned how the process works along the way. I bring my past advising experiences helping students draft and write essays, create college application plans, and manage their time to my role as an Advisor. The pride in seeing my students succeed makes me excited to help you on your journey to college. I believe that behind every successful student there are individuals who have helped them find and express their voice, and I can’t wait to work with you to accomplish this!