University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

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!

Hi! I am a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland, College Park, where I respectively earned my BA in Psychology and M.Ed. in School Counseling. I am a first-generation college student and have made it my life’s work to help students like me navigate the college-going process. After completing my Undergraduate degree, I joined the College Advising Corps and worked as a college advisor in a public high school in North Carolina, where for two years I was the sole College Advisor for 2000 students and guided them throughout their college application processes. I then went on to gain almost a decade of higher education experience working as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor, and Program Coordinator/Advisor for First Year College Students. I have worked with students through the pipeline, and I have a passion for helping students to find their best fit. I believe that college is one of the best experiences of your life, so it is an honor for me to help students navigate their way through this monumental milestone.

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!

Hello from Brooklyn! I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015 with a degree in political science. After graduating, I have worked for four years as a college advisor with the College Advising Corps and CollegePoint. My specialties include college list building, affordability, and essay development. I am currently a Masters Student in the City University of New York Graduate Center Liberal Studies Program with a concentration in Film Studies. Talk to me about movies, books and language learning!

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.

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!

Hello all! My name is Ryan Byrd, and I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of 2017, with a degree in Sociology and Religious Studies. After my undergraduate studies I became a college adviser for the Carolina College Advising Corps, where I specialized in, but am not limited to match & fit, financial aid/ FAFSA completion, as well as assisting in college essay preparation. I believe encouraging students to become more self-aware and exploring their passions early on helps them fully connect with a college and/or future that best serves them and the world around them. Fun facts about me: I am a 27-year-old, entrepreneur living in Los Angeles, California. I enjoy singing/rapping, writing, and playing chess!

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!