ANGELA

College Advisor
Former UC Berkeley application reader

Angela is an experienced college advisor based in Los Angeles who brings over ten years of insight to support students who seek to make their application stand out from the rest. She previously served as the Associate Director of Admissions at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and has evaluated thousands of applications from renowned universities like USC and UC Berkeley to highly selective scholarship organizations like Questbridge and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

Angela graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Linguistics and a Masters in International Relations from UC San Diego. She finds purpose and joy in working with motivated and earnest young people to help them find the best path to accomplish their college goals. In her free time, she can be found at the beach or the mountains almost every weekend. She loves a good story and when not reading a book, she is usually listening to a fascinating podcast. A few of Angela's favorite things are large baskets of french fries, comfy Crocs, and fun nail art.

OLIVIA

College Advisor
Former College Admissions officer

Olivia’s interest in college admissions began during her undergraduate years at Colorado College, where she interviewed prospective students for the Admission Office. She loved hearing their stories and witnessing the “aha moment” when they realized they’d found a college that aligned with their values and interests—just like she felt when she visited her alma mater for the first time.

This experience led Olivia into admissions at Regis University in Denver, where she worked with students from around the world while pursuing a master’s degree in Marketing with a focus on marketing for higher education. Following Regis, Olivia joined the admissions team at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, further cultivating her admissions expertise with a particular emphasis on helping students find the right fit for their values and goals.

Olivia is an intentional, contemplative, and curious advisor. She believes the best college matches are made when a student’s college list and application materials sincerely reflect their personality, interests, and aspirations. Additionally, her background in creative writing makes her a thoughtful and inventive partner in the essay process.

Outside of work, Olivia can be found on a mountain, at the curling club, working on a novel or two, or keeping her hands busy with various arts and crafts projects.

JOE

College Essay Coach
Author & Composer

Joe is an award-winning composer, a published author, and a freelance graphic designer. His most successful musical, “Yank!”, followed up its lauded run off-Broadway with numerous productions across the country and around the world (from London to Brisbane to Rio de Janeiro). In addition to composing musicals, Joe has written a number of historical murder mysteries and co-authored a marketing book. He’s also created logos and promotional materials for a wide range of design clients.

Joe sees these different pursuits as variations on a theme. All of them involve finding a fresh, arresting idea that can draw a reader, viewer, or listener in, and then working hard to shape, refine, and polish it until it’s found its perfect expression. Joe brings this same creative enthusiasm and clarity to his work with students.