As a former assistant director of admission and longtime senior admission reader at Brown University, I have read thousands of applications over the years. In that time, I gained a deep awareness of the intricacies of the college process and of the landscape of high school programs across the United States and abroad.  For twenty-five years, prior to launching ALB College Consulting, I worked closely with students as a director of college counseling, class dean, English teacher, and advisor at institutions including The Wheeler School, Lake Forest Academy, Boston College, Providence College, and Assumption College. I have supported first-generation college students in the Upward Bound program, offering guidance about crafting engaging personal statements for their college applications.

I earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and American literature at Brown, where I was active in theater and completed the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program. I also earned a master of arts degree in English at Boston College.

I am a published author of short stories and creative nonfiction, a yoga enthusiast, an amateur gardener, a decent cook, a book nerd, a native of Latrobe, PA, and a proud dog mother. I have also been through the admission process twice with my own two (human) kids, both of whom had very different, but positive, journeys from high school to college.

At the heart of my consulting work is the belief that the college process can be a meaningful journey of self-reflection allowing students to develop lifelong skills in effective communication, task management, decision making, and resiliency. I bring to my practice insider expertise, a passion for helping students express themselves in their writing, and a genuine love of working with teenagers and their families.