Advisors

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!

Hello and welcome! I'm Natalie, a dedicated Senior Advisor with a passion for guiding students through the transformative journey of higher education. I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May 2023 and currently hold a full-time position at Emory University, where I continue to learn more about the academic world. My journey in advising high school students began in the summer of 2020 when I, alongside fellow alumni from my high school, founded Brentwood Alumni College Coaches. This initiative was born out of our shared recognition of the need for personalized support in the college admissions process within the Brentwood Free Union Free School District in Brentwood, NY. As a first-generation, low-income college student myself, I deeply understand the challenges of navigating this crucial phase without adequate guidance. During this program, I had the privilege of mentoring two students who successfully enrolled in Johns Hopkins University and Stony Brook University. Inspired by this experience, I joined Matriculate during my undergraduate years, a national nonprofit organization that virtually connects high-achieving, low-income juniors and seniors with highly-trained undergraduate advisors. My role as an Advising Fellow allowed me to empower students to attend colleges where they would thrive, such as New York University and Cornell University. In addition to advising, I took on the responsibility of a Working Group Lead, facilitating monthly meetings to discuss the college advising process and the Matriculate curriculum with my peers. One of the aspects of my approach to advising is the incorporation of personal experiences, drawing not only from my journey but also from the diverse experiences of my peers. I believe in providing students with real-life accounts of college life, sharing insights into what I wish I had known during the admissions process, and offering guidance on optimizing both the admissions process and the overall college experience. My commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of students extends beyond the technicalities of college admissions. I find immense joy in assisting students in realizing their full potential, fostering a supportive environment that goes beyond academics to encompass personal growth and fulfillment. I look forward to working with you and helping you navigate the exciting path that lies ahead in your academic journey. Let's embark on this adventure together!

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 worked with students full-time for over 7 years and worked with high school students part-time for over 2 years in my undergraduate career. At Mays Business School, I had the pleasure to advise and mentor students who are part of the Regents’ Ambassador First-Gen Scholars Program, a program of approximately 250 freshmen through senior year first generation college students with high financial need. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Office of Admissions Regional Prospective Student Centers to recruit students throughout the state of Texas including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Laredo, San Antonio, Austin, and the Rio Grande Valley. Before my current role, I served as a College Access Advisor at Aldine Senior High School, a Title 1 school in North Houston. At Aldine, I advised 700 high school seniors through the college application and matriculation process utilizing programs such as Apply TX, Common App, FAFSA, and TASFA and approximately 600 juniors on the college application process including finding best-fit, SAT/ACT preparation, scholarship applications, and career guidance. I am currently a College and Career Readiness Advisor for Houston ISD where I have advised over 300 students in the college application and financial aid process. One of my greatest strengths is having experience with students both in the secondary and post-secondary level with assistance in the financial aid application process. I am passionate about helping students reach their college and career goals.

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!

I am a first generation, low income student and I have a bachelors degree in Human Services from Western Washington University. I started my higher education career as a student worker with Western Washington University where I worked as a Tour Guide, was the Admissions Office Transfer Days and Personal Visits Manager, worked with the WWU Donor Foundation as a Student Ambassador, and was a Student Staff Manager for our Alumni Association. During this time I had so many opportunities to learn about the different sides and facets of higher education and really fell in love with Admissions. When I graduated from WWU in 2017, I was hired as an Admissions Officer for Vanderbilt University where I got the opportunity to learn the parts of a highly selective admissions process. Currently I work with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology where I help setup, oversee and support all of our dual enrollment programs within Metro Nashville Public Schools. Through all of my jobs at these various colleges and universities, I have had the opportunity to learn so much about the industry and how I can support students in whatever their journey is from a technical education, to a mid-size liberal arts state school, to a highly selective, top 20 university. My approach to student support is to listen to them first and really learn what their main priorities are and hear what their goals are. Once these are identified, I can help guide students with my knowledge of the admissions process. The college admissions process is such an exciting time, and while it can feel daunting when students focus on what all they HAVE to do, then they also get to learn about what they will GET to do and there's something so special about that!

I am an international student from Nairobi, Kenya, who embarked on an academic journey at the Claremont Colleges in California. My undergraduate pursuit led me to Biochemistry, with a strong focus on premed and leadership studies, until a pivotal moment during my senior year when I decided to shift my focus toward Cosmetic Chemistry combined with Marketing—a unique trajectory I aim to pursue at the graduate degree level. In addition to my academic journey, I have actively contributed to the field of college advising. Working and interning at a college advising firm in Nairobi, I have played a pivotal role in guiding fellow students through the intricate process of applying to international schools and navigating the complexities of securing financial aid. My distinct perspective as an international student has provided invaluable insights to assist others in achieving their educational aspirations.

I graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a High Distinction Honors B.S. in Computer Science. I applied my education to a successful career in Information Technology Consulting at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) and Strategic Management Consulting at Deloitte and Touche (now Deloitte). Following my consulting career, I took years off to be a stay-at-home mom of my four children. As my oldest was applying to college, I became fascinated in and took a deep dive into the college application process. With my depth and breadth of information, I have worked as a CBO College Counselor for the past 9 years—first at Evanston Scholars and then at Chicago Scholars. Through my CBO work, I have the privilege of developing solid rapport, personal connections, and trusting relationships with students and families from a variety of backgrounds. In addition to my CBO College Counseling, I am a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and provide Independent Educational Consulting by referral. I stay current on shifting trends in the application process and versed in colleges’ academic climates and landscape. I understand, as a parent of four college graduates—University of Michigan Ross School of Business ('16), University of Michigan Ross School of Business ('18), University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy and Ross Minor ('20), Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering ('22) and Stanford University ME PhD (anticipated '27), how to inspire and motivate teenagers while creating a supportive and nurturing environment. My professional qualities are based on a faculty for meticulous research and analysis as well as organizational, written, and interpersonal communication skills. These traits translated well from a consulting career to a college counseling career. In my free time, I love to travel to Philadelphia, Miami, and Palo Alto to see my kids. I am an avid reader and I am addicted to pickleball.

I am Megan Tang and have 10+ years of experience in advising and supporting students through the college admissions process, college access and success, ensuring students' achievement through their first year in college, and a number of other aspects that ensure your collegiate experience is transformative for you. I graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Additionally, I have a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I started my journey in the college access space working in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Wake Forest University where I conducted thousands of interviews, reviewed prospective student applications, and was a part of the team in deciding which students were admitted into Wake Forest. Currently, and for the past 8 years, I have worked with a college access organization in North Carolina, serving over 2,000 juniors and seniors each year. Through my college access work and advising, students in the program have enrolled in over 135 different colleges and universities across the country at schools such as Duke University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Tufts University, UNC Chapel Hill, and many more. My time in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Wake Forest and my current role with college access provided, and continues to provide me, with a full understanding of the best practices to enhance your essays and other supporting materials for college admissions. Additionally, I have significant experience working with students to develop a strong target list of colleges and universities for their specific portfolio. I look forward to learning more about you, working with you to help you realize your college dreams, and finding the school that will suit you best!

Hi! My name is Megan, and I was born and raised in Orange County, California, and currently live there as well! I received my Bachelor of Arts in European Studies from UC Irvine (Go Anteaters!) and my Master of Science in School Counseling from the University of La Verne. During my undergrad experience, I spent a semester living and studying abroad in London, England. I have worked as a high school counselor for the past 5 years, and prior to that worked in higher education for 8 years in both advising and in study abroad roles. I have also been an admissions reader for a UC school in the past. I am extremely passionate about helping students achieve their goal of attending college. As a high school counselor, I am confident in working with any student, no matter your major/interest. In my free time, I like to read, go for walks with friends, play board games and cook. I can't wait to work with you!

Hi everyone! My name is Mattia Mahmoud, and I am a Harvard College graduate (Class of 2020) and a current MD/PhD student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I am excited to help students get accepted into their dream colleges! I have extensive experience in advising premed and public health students about college decisions, essay editing, standardized test prep, and preparation for college interviews. I know that the college admissions process can seem very daunting, but I am here to both alleviate the fears of and instill confidence in parents and students that a top tier school is in reach for them!

I am a proud immigrant, first-generation college student. My professional career started upon earning my B.A. in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. A few months after graduating, I started working for Advise TX (a partnership program between UT and the College Advising Corps, the nation's largest nonprofit in college access) as a college adviser at a high school in Austin. My caseload for the 2 years I was a college adviser was 600+ students each year so I've advised all types of students with all types of interests (Engineering, Pre-Med, Humanities, Business, etc.) get into all types of schools (Ivies, Highly Selective Schools, Private, Public). I advised students (and their families) who were interested in out of state schools, but my expertise is concentrated in Texas colleges and universities. I have a passion for getting students to and through college, so much so that I went back to school to earn a Masters in Higher Education Administration in 2023. I currently work full-time as an academic advisor for a Student Support Services-Disability (SSSD) Program where I help college students with disabilities persist and thrive in their university setting. Previous students appreciated me for my enthusiasm to help and my knowledge base on everything college related. I highly value higher education and together, we can make sure that you can go on to receive a quality education, too!

My name is Manuel Stefano Castaño. I am an international student that graduated with honors from the B.A. Politics program in Princeton University, and with the LExS Award in the M.P.A. program in Leiden University in The Hague, Netherlands. I am currently a PhD Candidate at the same school. Throughout my academic career, I have been fortunate to have won multiple awards and honors. I have been advising high school, university, and adult applicants for over 7 years, specializing in College Admissions Counseling, Applications, Essays, English/Verbal sections of standardized testing (ACT, GRE, etc.), Interviews, and related areas. I have helped applicants stand out and be accepted into schools like Harvard, Columbia, U Chicago, Berkeley, and UCLA, amongst others. During my time at Princeton University, I founded the "College Crash Course," a service initiative in cooperation with an NGO called MIRA USA. This was a service initiative based on helping vulnerable student populations understand the application process and succeed in it. I worked as the coordinator of this program for four years, helped hundreds of students apply to their choice universities, and it is still running to this day. Outside of College Advising, I am a self-motivated and results-oriented international consultant, political advisor, editor, writer, translator, and interpreter with knowledge and experience in national and international governance. I have professional experience with international organizations like the United Nations, as well as political parties in Colombia. I have founded and led public service projects, as well as cooperated with NGOs in various human-rights related programs. Facilitating intergovernmental cooperation, sacrifice, and change through diplomacy to increase the normative and socio-political legitimacy of people's welfare are my prime motivators. I was born in Colombia in 93', where my mother and I escaped the Armed Conflict in 99'. Knowing the struggle of those who are most vulnerable, my passions are justice, peace, and honest governance.

Hi there! My name is Madeline Schloss and I am a former admission officer and college counselor. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and then earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The Ohio State University. After graduating, I worked on the international admission team at Ohio State and then at Northwestern University, supporting students through the application process, reviewing thousands of applications, and learning the ins and outs of the university admission landscape. I then switched sides of the desk, working as a college counselor at a high school in Guatemala, prior to joining the CollegeAdvisor.com team. My experiences at two very different universities, and on the other side of the admission desk, have given me a unique insight into the university admission space. Throughout my career, I've had the pleasure of working with domestic and international students applying for both freshman and transfer admission to universities in the US and abroad. I can't wait to support you and your family in the college admission process as your Admission Officer through CollegeAdvisor.com!

Hello! My name is Madeline and I cannot wait to help you on your college journey. I was an early decision student at Northwestern University, where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Psychology, receiving minors in Dance and Theatre for Young Audiences. While at Northwestern, I directed 10 theatrical productions, was the president of two theatre organizations, and produced the largest student-written musical in the United States. Prior to attending Northwestern, I grew up in the international school system, attending Shanghai American School and The American School of The Hague. I worked at the admissions office of Northwestern University for three years, first as a tour guide and then as a senior admissions counselor. My strong suits in the college process are essay development and, for non-seniors, learning how to fill in any of those blank lines in the extracurricular space. I have a particular affinity for the performing arts, both as a performer and as a director who worked in casting at an educational and professional level. I hope to help my students in making the best decision for them, whether that be in selecting their university or cultivating the most attractive application to have a host of schools to choose from.

I earned my B.A. from Davidson College, where I graduated Cum Laude in 2020. I am currently working towards my Masters of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill and plan to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after graduating. I spent two years (from 2020-2022) working as a College Advisor through College Advising Corps. I served at a rural, Title I school in North Carolina, where I guided approximately 200 seniors (and their families) each year through the college application process, both remote and in-person. I helped them consider, prepare, and apply for college, while striving to increase the number of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education. While working in this role, I helped my students research different schools, create their school lists, write and edit essays, fill out applications, claim residency, prepare for interviews, and more. I also helped my students fill out the FAFSA, apply for scholarships, and consider loans. I helped hundreds of students receive federal, school, and scholarship funding. My students were accepted to schools such as UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, and Elon, often with generous scholarships. In my second year with AmeriCorps, I was selected as a Team Leader for Davidson's group of College Advisors. In this leadership role, I assisted in advisor training and recruitment and was a point person for other advisors to come to for help. I love working with students and their families and helping them get through this process that can so often be murky and confusing. I find joy in assisting students in sharing themselves with the world, starting with their college applications. This is an exciting time in students' lives, and I hope we have fun working towards their futures together!

Hello! I am Linda Ayala, and I am excited to work with y'all! I graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Sociology and Policy Studies in 2016. I have worked with public, charter and private schools for the past 4 years to guide mainly first-generation students through the college application process.

I am a graduate of Texas State University and have spent 5 years of my career as a college advisor and university liaison for an oil corporation helping to place students in top schools including Ivy League, State, and small Private universities. Much of my experience stems directly from conversations with admission officers from these universities and their application procedures. I am dedicated to the pursuit of helping students to obtain higher education.

Hello! I am a Houston native who is first-generation college graduate, alumni of St. Edward's University (BA in Liberal Studies with the concentrations of English Literature and Religious & Theological Studies) and Abilene Christian University (M. Ed in Higher Education), Educator at Heart, Christmas Queen, and a fanatic of Harry Potter, books, cooking, Shakespeare, movies, and traveling.

Hi everyone!! My name is Lauren! I am from the Inland Empire in sunny Southern California. I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2018 with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Public Health on the pre-med track. (GO BEARS!) I am a first-generation college student who spearheaded revamping the Black Students in Health Association to increase the Black social network for pre-meds on campus. I also served as an Intern for Northern California Recruitment for the Black Recruitment and Retention Center and served as the President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Rho Chapter. I have been involved with college applications and mentoring students through the process for over 8 years. I love to work with students from all backgrounds and help them illustrate their uniqueness, especially those who struggle identifying what makes them stand out (I was that student). I love hearing what motivates my students and assisting them in streamlining that motivation through storytelling via their personal statement and their extracurricular activities. I love to reassure my students that there isn’t a “cookie-cutter” mold for college applicants and encourage them to be bold and authentic in their application. I look forward to working with students who want to enter STEM specifically or Pre-med. I have a ton of experience (leadership, research, clinical etc.) in the pre-med journey and am actually in the process of preparing for medical school applications. My perspective on medicine is unique and I love encouraging young students to continue to pursue STEM regardless of the barriers/ challenges. In my spare time I like to work out, hang out with friends, eat and play with my fur baby! I look forward to working with you and your family during this application process. Get ready to dig deep and put in the work!

I am a true military child, having grown up around the country and overseas. I am a proud alumna of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where I received my BS in Health Sciences. I am also a graduate of The George Washington University where I received my Master of Public Health in Health Communications and Program Planning & Evaluation in January 2020. For over 8 years I worked in Admissions for TAMUCC including 3 and a half years recruiting in Houston and helped over 5,000 students. I currently work as an Academic Advisor for students pursuing graduate certificates, MD/MPH, Ph.D./MPH, DDS/MPH, MS/MPH, MBA/MPH, MSW/MPH, and JD/MPH programs at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. I am very passionate about helping people in any aspect of their life. College is such an amazing, exciting experience and I love to be a guide for students to find their true fit for college. Can't wait to meet you and help you on this journey!