University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

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.

Hello! My name is Alex Garcia, and I’m a rising junior at Cornell University studying business, government, science, and technology. I’m currently interning at KPMG in NYC and aiming for a career in consulting post-grad. At Cornell I strive to stay active by serving as a senior board member of an advocacy organization and regularly take part in a variety of other student clubs ranging from the student ambassadors to weightlifting groups. Outside of school, I work with a large-scale nonprofit to review grant applications and finances of organizations across North America. My college experiences build on my high school activities, where I was President of the largest student-run organization in Maryland’s most-populated school district, collaborated directly with politicians (local-national) on legislation impacting students, and much more. I’ve learned about the business world from unique perspectives and believe it’s inclusive across disciplines. With today’s competitive college and internship landscape, creative self-branding is crucial. As a Specialty Advisor for Business at CollegeAdvisor.Com, I’ll help with brand creation to align with your experiences and suggest ways to maximize high school opportunities to attract college and internship recruiters—a process I’ve recently navigated.

Side Notes: 1) I received the International Baccalaureate Diploma in HS, but also received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award - I would love to assist with course selection. | 2) I recently received the 2024 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Award - I am able to guide students through scholarship applications. | 3) A lot of my experiences involve politics - I have lots of insights into this field as well for college/career related matters

Thank you for your time.

I graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience with a Minor in Psychology. During my time in college, I worked as a resident assistant fostering community for first-year students and mentoring pre-med students. Since I graduated from Duke University in 2021, I have dedicated myself to promoting equity in college access for students from rural and underserved communities. For three years, I worked with Duke College Advising Corps in Sampson County with over three hundred students over their senior year to help them realize their post-secondary goals. I have also volunteered with the Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD for over a year. I am currently pursuing my dual master's in Social Work and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to continue my work toward increasing access to healthcare and education for women with mental health concerns. I have worked with prospective students interested in being Pre-Med, Pre-Law, and studying Engineering, Computer Science, and Communication and Media Studies. College advising is an opportunity to foster independence, introspection, and growth within students. I will be with my students every step of the way, ensuring they understand their options and find joy in choosing their next steps forward!

Hi! My name is Morgan and I am a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying Engineering, with interests in the built environment, climate change/adaptation, and computer science. I am from Brooklyn, NY and am a current Junior (class of 2026). I grew up with a low-income immigrant single mother from the Caribbean, and attended boarding school from 9th through 12th grade. I have done a lot since starting my degree, with many of my activities revolving around engineering, research, career exploration, leadership, and the college application process. For example, I have worked in two labs during my undergrad, one of which is focused on computer science, architecture, and engineering. I have worked there for 1.5 years. Currently, I am working in a UCL lab focusing on tsunami engineering and disaster prevention. Back at MIT, I am a part of MCG (MIT Consulting Group), a club that allows me to work on real consulting cases as an undergraduate student. I understand the difficulty of the college application process, as I went through it a few short years ago. In my cycle, I was able to receive acceptances from many prestigious universities, some of which being Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Duke, and many more. With that being said, I am a huge proprietor of open and honest communication; I am here as a resource to demystify the college application and help the student reach their fullest potential. In my free time, I like to read and try new cuisines. Hope to be in contact with you soon!

My journey to where I stand today, ready to mentor and inspire as an advisor at CollegeAdvisor.com, has been as unique as the students I aim to guide. Bringing my love for technology and a bit of entrepreneurial flair into the mix, I believe I can leverage my diverse background and perspective to help students navigate the challenging college application process. I, too, have once struggled with finding my true voice in essays, deciding on majors, and choosing the right school. Therefore, I am eager to lead the next generation of innovators to their perfect match school with empathy and insight.

My experience in higher education is from working as an Assistant Dean of Admissions at Wake Forest University. I reviewed thousands of applications, served as a voting member on application review committees, and interviewed hundreds of applicants. I aided in the implementation of several systems to create an equitable review process to give all applicants a fair chance. While working in Undergraduate Admissions, I made it my mission to offer the best support to families and counselors while navigating the college application process. I educated families on the uniqueness of a liberal arts education and how the holistic nature of it can be beneficial. As a first-generation college graduate and woman of color, I provided extra support to students of underserved backgrounds to help them understand the college application process and help them on their journey. I now even mentor some of those enrolled students to this day! Higher education is something that I'm truly passionate about. I look forward to working with all families from all walks of life!

Joshua Ford attended UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar in the Honors Program. Upon graduating, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study entrepreneurship in Mexico. He spent several years as a management consultant before moving to startups. He previously worked for Candid and Uber before becoming the CEO & Founder of HipTrain. HipTrain was acquired by FORME which Joshua helped bring public on the NASDAQ exchange in April 2023. He now serves as the Global Head of Redesign Health.

Hello! My name is Heidi McClure and I have spent the last 18 years as a School Counselor, supporting students in grades 6-12. Much of my experience has been as a High School Counselor and College and Career Coordinator, helping students identify and pursue their goals beyond high school. Helping students find, apply, and get into schools that are a great fit for their academic and personal profile has always been my favorite part of my job. I am passionate about supporting students to both identify the best fitting colleges and craft their application story to gain admittance to the school(s) of their choice. I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Colorado College and hold dual master’s degrees, in School Counseling and School Administration, as well as a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. In addition to having experienced the benefits of both a small, liberal arts college, and a large public university for my own education, I have had the opportunity to visit many colleges both in the United States and abroad. As a result, I am knowledgeable about a wide array of post-secondary opportunities and their application processes. During my time as a School Counselor, I have advised thousands of students through the college search, selection, and application process. I have also had the opportunity to forge relationships with several College Admissions representatives from whom I have gleaned valuable insight about the college admission process. I enjoy being able to share these insights with the students and families that I work with to help as we craft an application strategy. The most important part of the advising process, for me, is ensuring that each student’s unique lived experience is told through the various application components that they submit. As an advisor, I feel successful when a student looks at their application package and sees their voice amplified and their story captured within it. With the increasing complexity of the college admissions and application landscape, the experience that I bring helping students navigate not only the Common Application, but the Coalition, University of California, QuestBridge, and UCAS applications, as well as Apply Texas, ensure students will receive tailored support no matter what schools they ultimately apply to. I recognize that each student has a unique application journey, and I am thrilled to partner with students and their families to understand and applaud the work that you’ve already put in, while crafting a plan and strategy that will help you get where you want to go. It is this level of personalization and my commitment to each student I work with that has helped the students I’ve worked with see extraordinary admissions results. Some of the schools that students I have recently worked with have been accepted to include Princeton, Rice, NYU, Colorado College, Wellesley, Scripps, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, University of Michigan, Stanford, and Washington University in St. Louis.

I look forward to getting to know your students and supporting you throughout the college application process!

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!