PrepNow Tutor - Alicia F.
An educational consultant for the Southern California region, Alicia earned a BA from Claremont McKenna College and an MEd from the University of Southern California. She has extensive experience in college admissions, student advising, and managing educational programs and has worked for highly selective colleges and universities. Over the years, she has developed a thorough understanding of what admissions committees look for when considering prospective students and, as an admissions consultant, uses this knowledge to help her students become competitive applicants. Alicia has also worked with principals, counselors, teachers, and parents to help students improve academically.
After graduating from college and working with an educational publishing company, Alicia was contacted by her alma mater about an Assistant Dean position in their admissions office. This job led her to discover that she loves talking with students and parents about the admissions process and connecting them with the best opportunities that fit the student's abilities and interests. Ever since, she has continued to work in the field and hone the skills necessary for helping students find and apply to their compatible schools. “Students should learn all that they can about themselves and what type of environment best compliments them (including the size of the school, academic and co-curricular offerings, the weather, how it feels to be on a particular campus, etc.)," she says. In addition to her experience with college admissions, she has also assisted with financial aid, the interview process for parents and students, and essay writing.
“I love unpacking what students are interested in studying, in addition to learning about their co-curricular passions and where they want to devote most of their time outside of academics,” Alicia says. She recalls working with a particular student on his personal statement; while he had a great idea, it was difficult to tease out his main thoughts and respond to prompts in his own voice. “I coached him through the process and was careful about making sure that he was expressing what he wanted to say,” Alicia shares. “Not only was the student accepted to the selective university, but the admission counselor wrote him a note about enjoying reading his personal statement. I remember the student beaming with pride because he wrote an excellent essay.”
Alicia enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and hanging out with family and friends. In addition to Southern California, she has lived in New York, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Georgia.
