About Our College Admissions Experts
Jeff Selingo
Jeff Selingo has written about higher education for more than two decades and is a New York Times bestselling author of three books. His latest book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, was published in September 2020. Jeff is a special advisor for innovation and professor of practice at Arizona State University.
Jeff Levy
Jeff, a specialist in paying for college, has been an educational consultant since 2007 and Jeff completed a Certificate in College Counseling “With Distinction” at UCLA Extension. In 2014, he earned the designation of Certified Educational Planner, the highest level of competency awarded in the profession. He is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, formerly serving on its College Committee and Nominating Committee and a founding member of its Subcommittee on College Affordability and Financial Aid. Jeff is also a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the Western Association for College Admission Counseling, and the National College Advocacy Group.
Stephanie Meade
Stephanie Meade has been working with teenagers and their families and the college process for 30 years. In addition to providing college guidance to hundreds of teens, she and her company, The Collegiate Edge, offered standardized test prep for 25 years, as well as academic support and mentoring to a range of students, including those with ADHD and mild learning and emotional challenges. The neuroscience of learning and the teen brain have long fascinated her, and she enjoys weaving that information into her work with families. Modern parenting, and how it has changed over the last 30 years, is another favorite topic.
Stephanie is one of only 33 consultants in California who holds the designation of Certified Educational Planner, the highest level of competency awarded in the profession. She is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling. She has served on a number of professional boards and committees, and on the faculty for IECA’s Summer Training Institute for newer members of the profession. She presents regularly at national conferences and community events on topics related to college planning and parenting teens.
Jed Applerouth
Founder & President of Applerouth Tutoring
Jed Applerouth is a Nationally Certified Counselor with a PhD in Educational Psychology, Jed has researched student cognition, memory, motivation, and learning strategies to enhance the pedagogical strategies of Applerouth Tutoring Services. Jed is also a trained artist. He has found a way to merge his counseling and educational insights, visual talents, and whimsical sense of humor into a highly effective and original method for teaching academic subjects and preparing students for college and grad-school admissions tests. No stranger to assessments, Jed scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and a super-scored 36 on the ACT.
Jennie Kent
Jennie received her B.A. from Skidmore College and has a Masters in Education from Framingham State as well as a certificate in independent educational consulting from UC Irvine. She is also one of less than 250 educational consultants worldwide who have earned the designation of Certified Educational Planner. An active member of her associations, Jennie is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and has served on the Outreach, Global, and Nominating Committees. She is also a member of the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the International Association of College Admission Counseling, and the Higher Education Consultants Association as well as being a member of the Small Boarding Schools Association and the Enrollment Management Association.
Dr. Belinda Wilkerson
Dr. Belinda J. Wilkerson, the founder of and principal counselor at Steps To the Future, LLC, is a lifelong educator. She held teaching, school counseling and counselor educator positions in Rhode Island before relocating to North Carolina. She is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center and provides college and career workshops for the GEARUp Program at Fayetteville State University.
The former VP of Ethics and Professional Practices for the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) she served on the IECA board for six years and is a member of the Black IECs Affinity Group. Currently, she serves on the IECA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
A first-generation college student, her interest in career awareness, career development and career exploration began at an early age with her interest in a teaching career. Belinda earned an EdD in Educational Leadership from Johnson & Wales University, holds an MEd in counselor education and a BA in history/ secondary education from Rhode Island College.
Married with two adult sons, she enjoys reading, traveling and listening to podcasts.
Allison Slater Tate
Allison Slater Tate advises college-bound students and their families to find college homes where they will thrive and grow. She is a college consultant for Dunbar Educational Consultants (www.dunbarconsultants.com), where she uses her extensive experience in test prep and personal essay writing to help her students find the fun and the positive in what can be a stressful process. She also serves as the Director of College Counseling for Lake Mary Preparatory School in Lake Mary, Florida, where she is the testing and AP coordinator and a registered UCAS adviser. She loves to help each student find their voice and their story through the college application journey. Allison is also a professional freelance writer covering parenting, education, and college admissions for national outlets including NBC News, TODAY.com, Grown and Flown, YourTeen Magazine, Washington Post, and The Huffington Post.
Chris Andersson
Chris was the Director of Admissions for the Drama department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts for a dozen years and is now an independent educational consultant who advises students who want to pursue an education in theatre, film or dramatic writing. He provides guidance for applying to undergraduate, graduate and summer high school programs in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. To serve young artists in the best way possible, he founded Nothing But Drama in 2014.
Sydney Montgomery
Sydney Montgomery is the Executive Director & Founder of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting. She received her B.A. in English and Certificate in French Language and Culture from Princeton University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. As the first lawyer in her family, She has used her platform since 2012 to help 200+ students break down generational barriers and step confidently into their future. She holds a graduate certificate in Independent Educational Consulting through UC Irvine and is in the process of obtaining her Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education online from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Sydney is an MDiv/MACEF Candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary. She is a member of the Ethics Committee, the current Graduate School Committee Chair of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, and a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, among others.
Marilyn O'Toole
Marilyn O’Toole, CEP, is the founder of The College Consortium, which she launched to create an ethical, professional consortium of experts to advance practices in the college admissions community. Since 2007, Marilyn professional experience has helped countless students achieve their potential, guiding them through college exploration and application on a path that’s designed to be inspiring, enlightening and successful.
With memberships and leadership positions in IECA, HECA, NACAC, and the Character Collaborative, Marilyn is a powerful voice focused on fact-based decision-making, ethical relationship building and elevating character-related attributes in the admissions process. Having been a teacher, an admissions advisor, a parent leadership council member and the parent of college graduates, Marilyn brings a deep understanding to the dynamics and nuances of the admissions process and the essential role of each stakeholder.
Cyndy McDonald, PPS/MA
UCLA College Counseling Certificate Faculty
As the first in my family to attend college, I recognize the challenges many families and students face as they plan and prepare for college. As a student who received financial aid, I understand how important finding the money to pay for college is. As a mother of four children, I understand the parent perspective of sending a child away from home. As a credentialed high school counselor who has worked at the high school and the middle school level, I understand the challenges high school counselors face as they assist students in this process. As an adjunct faculty at UCLA (College Counseling certificate program) and as a professional, with leadership roles in professional organizations, I value professional growth, and being able to stay current on trends in college admissions. I love working with students, parents and the community in the college admissions process.
Kristina Dooley
Kristina Dooley, Certified Educational Planner and founder of Estrela Consulting, was formerly the Assistant Director of Admission at Hiram College and the Director of Admission and Marketing at Andrews Osborne Academy.
In addition to assisting students from the U.S., Kristina has had the opportunity to work with students from around the world. Having lived in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, Kristina has a strong sense of the hurdles international students and “global nomads” face when applying to study in the U.S. or Canada.
In addition to her work with students, Kristina serves as Past President of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and President of State of Mind: Hudson, a non-profit mental health organization. Kristina is an instructor for the University of California Irvine teaching College Consulting Resources, and sits on the faculty of the IECA Summer Training Institute for aspiring educational consultants.
