Counselor Profile
Rachel specializes in students applying to competitive and/or highly selective schools and students interested in a wide range of schools.
In her experience as an independent counselor, Rachel has guided students through the various stages of the admissions process year after year, helping them to identify their passions and areas for growth. She enjoys teaching students how to be both authentic and compelling in the admissions process. Rachel sees herself as a translator for families, helping them to understand the conversations happening behind closed doors and get to the core of what colleges are looking for.
Rachel is a former Assistant Dean of Admissions at Swarthmore College, a top-three ranked liberal arts college by U.S. News, where she worked with prospective students and their families across the entire U.S., including the Pacific Northwest, the Chicago metropolitan area, and Miami. Along with managing and reading thousands of applications during her time at Swarthmore, Rachel served on scholarship committees, trained student interviewers, and reviewed applications for fly-in programs. She has also read applications for Northeastern University.
Prior to her work in college admissions at Swarthmore, Rachel was a City Year Corps member where she served as a tutor, mentor, and college counselor for high school students in underserved schools. She then served another year in City Year’s recruitment office, where she helped recruit and train new corps members. In college, Rachel studied psychology and participated in the Quaker Leadership Scholars Program.
Rachel spends her free time reading nonfiction, watching Jeopardy! (or the latest Marvel movie) and enjoying time in the backyard with her husband and toddler.
Counselor Features
Webinars
- Brown University: How to Get in and What to Know
- A Look Inside Arts Colleges with Former Admissions Directors
- A Look Inside Consortiums with Former Admissions Directors
Articles
- How to Plan a Productive Summer Break
- What Makes Extracurriculars Stand Out in College Admissions
- Building Your Applicant Profile vs. Telling Your Story
- Designing Your Own Major: What You Need to Know
- What We Can Learn from an AI-Generated College Essay
IvyWise in the news
- Parents are sharing the embarrassing questions their kids asked when they went off to college: ‘What’s my shoe size?’
- What a Minor Is and Why It May (or May Not) Matter
- The SAT Is Making a Comeback. Here’s a Look at the Numbers and What They Tell Us
Just Admit it! Podcast
- What Does It Mean To Build Your Profile?
- How Can Students Prepare for College Admissions Interviews and Auditions?
- What Extracurricular Activities Do I Need To Do?
- How Can I Make the Most of Campus Visits?
- Does Demonstrated Interest Really Matter?
- What Should I Write About In My Personal Statement?
- How Many Universities Should I Apply To?
- Rachel, Former Assistant Dean of Admissions at Swarthmore College