Check out the video below to get answers to questions like:
01
What are colleges really looking for in an applicant today?
02
Should your child consider early action or early decision?
03
How should you approach "test-optional" policies?
Panelists
Jamiere Abney, M.Ed.
Associate Dean of Admission at Colgate University
Jamiere serves as Associate Dean of Admission and Coordinator of Outreach for Opportunity & Inclusion at Colgate University. Through his work leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies for Colgate’s admissions process, the university enrolled its most diverse first-year class in its 200-year history in the fall of 2021. Jamiere earned a B.A. in Psychology from Willamette University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a first-generation and Pell-eligible college graduate, he has sought opportunities to provide support for young people seeking achievement and access to opportunity. He has been a guest on multiple podcasts, including Black & Highly Dangerous and On the Mic with Ray White, hosted by a fellow Willamette alumnus. Jamiere is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania, studying in the Higher Education Management Program.
Liz Beal, M.Ed.
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 B.A. 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.
AK Ikwuakor
Former Admissions Officer & Associate Dean of Students at Phillips Exeter Academy & St. Paul's School
Coach AK is a former 4x All-American and professional track and field athlete who attended the University of Oregon. Following his retirement in 2015, AK served as a volunteer coach to recruit student-athletes and held various workshops on navigating the college recruiting process. In 2016, AK left collegiate sports and transitioned into the secondary boarding school world, where he served as an Admissions Officer and Associate Dean of Students at both Phillips Exeter Academy and St Paul's School. He then moved into international education, starting an NGO (Empower2Play) which focused on Sports Diplomacy, while also helping build out and scale educational consulting companies in China. AK is currently the Sales Excellence Coach Lead at Google, where his team is in charge of implementing a global sales coaching program for over 20,000 employees.
Moderator
Katy Langhorst, M.Ed.
President at StudyPoint
As President, Katy oversees our StudyPoint operations 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 B.S. 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.