Washington University in St. Louis

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!

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! My name is Naomi Beckley and I am a recent graduate of Yale University. I majored in Global Affairs in addition to a certificate in Education Studies. I am very passionate about working towards a state of equity in education, particularly improving the quality of education and access to academic resources for marginalized students. I professionally hope to do so by attending law school and becoming involved with education policy and legislation. I have 4 years of experience of advising high school students through their college application processes, with my students going on to attend schools like Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Pennsylvania. I really enjoy the work that goes into being an advisor, particularly guiding a student in figuring out their college fit and reading essays. Super excited to meet and work with you on what will be a challenging but ultimately fulfilling journey!

Hi! My name is Nannette Beckley, and I’m super excited to work with you! I recently graduated from Princeton University in May of 2023 with a B.A. in the School of Public and International Affairs and earned a certificate (minor) in Global Health & Health Policy. As a student, I participated in several organizations, including Matriculate, a college access program. Through my work as an Advising Fellow for Matriculate, I gained several years of experience advising high-achieving, lower-income students on the college application and financial aid process. I am also a member of the AP Alumni Council through the College Board. I enjoy helping students form their college lists and reviewing students’ essays. Outside of CollegeAdvisor, I serve as a Research Associate at NORC at the University of Chicago in their health-adjacent departments.

I look forward to guiding you through the long, complicated, but fulfilling college admissions process!

Hi! I have a B.A. in Government from Harvard University and earned an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. Alongside a career as a professional musician and songwriter, I have worked as the associate director of college counseling for a highly rigorous independent school for 11 years. I have counseled students who have gone on to matriculate at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Brown, Emory, and many other top colleges across the country.