Panelists
Gena Lester
College Admissions Counselor
Dr. Gena Lester has guided hundreds of students through the ever-changing world of college admissions with enthusiasm, proven expertise, and patience. With a BA in Christian Education, Gena began her career in education as a private school administrator for a K-8 academy. During her 14 years at the school, Gena completed four advanced degrees, including a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in higher education and an MS in Psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational psychology, both at Capella University. She is the creator of the “U-Niquely-U” formula, which guides each student to find their perfect fit and best match in the college selection process. She is also an international best-selling author, speaker, and thought leader in the college admissions space, as well as a mom to three college graduates.
Elaine Wyner
College Admissions Counselor
For almost 40 years, Elaine has been successfully matching students with the best colleges for them. Elaine earned her BS in Education from Lesley University and her Master’s in Education with specialties in educational administration and supervision from the University of Hartford. She has been an educator and administrator for kindergarten through college, as well as an independent educational consultant in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Florida. As a private admissions coach, she has built strong working relationships with Deans of Admission at educational institutions throughout the world, and has successfully assisted hundreds of families in their college application process. A trusted expert in her field, Elaine has written feature articles on education for local newspapers and been interviewed on television on topics including learning styles, tutoring, and college planning.
Liz Beal
College Admissions Counselor
Liz has worked in college counseling and admissions for over 15 years at both public and independent schools. As an independent consultant, she is grateful to work more closely with students and their families, getting to know them well as she guides them through the college search and application process. Liz earned a BA in Psychology from Bucknell University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Early in her career, Liz worked with school-based programs that focused on helping students apply to college, and later founded and directed the college counseling program at Fenway High School. She has served in multiple admissions offices, including as Associate Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment at Smith College, and as an Associate Director of Admissions at Concord Academy.
Host
Katy Langhorst
National Director of Enrollment and Service
at StudyPoint
As National Director of Enrollment and Service, Katy oversees our Enrollment and Service Teams while working closely with families to identify and address their academic tutoring, SAT/ACT preparation, and admissions support needs. This includes understanding your child’s academic history and working with you to identify which instructor on our staff will be the right match for your child’s unique personality.
Before joining StudyPoint in 2010, Katy spent 13 years in the world of education, including six years as a Regional Director for SCORE! Educational Centers and five years as a 4th and 5th grade classroom teacher in a public school. She holds a BS in Child Psychology from Yale and a Master’s in Elementary Education from Lesley University, and she currently serves on the boards of several non-profits.
Check out this panel discussion to get answers to questions like:
01
What are colleges really looking for in an applicant today?
02
Should you consider applying early?
03
How should you approach “test-optional” policies?