PrepNow Tutor - Christopher S.
An admission consultant with over fourteen years of experience in college access, Christopher holds a BS in economics from Duke University, an MBA from the Quantic School of Business & Technology, and a College Advising Program Certificate from Columbia University. He has assisted over a thousand students through the college exploration and application process. “The chance to support young people drew me to this work,” Christopher reflects. “Students and families can easily feel overwhelmed by the admissions process and I love to help simplify things and bring a sense of joy to the process.” Throughout his career, Christopher has helped his students earn over a million dollars in scholarships and grants. He has visited over seventy-five universities and continues to nurture relationships with college admissions representatives. Christopher loves getting to know students’ strengths and college goals to best assist them with the transition from high school to college.
Christopher entered the admissions world in 2012; at this time he joined the College Advising Corps and began advising on all facets of the college process in both individual and group meetings. Christopher went on to work at several schools in New York City; not only did he work as a college advisor, but he also served as director of college counseling. In these two roles he was responsible for establishing a college-going culture by coordinating college rep visits, college fairs, and visits to universities. In 2016, Christopher moved to Texas to work as a Manager of College Partnerships for a network of charter schools. During this time, he built college partnerships to help support students and was responsible for a group of ten college counselors. Christopher started working as a college admissions consultant in 2020 and has since guided clients through every step of the college and scholarship application process, including, but not limited to, list creation, essay preparation, resume building, and interview prep. Alongside consulting, Christopher works in a sales role for an organization, providing professional development to educators.
“I am a collaborative consultant,” Christopher says. “I believe the student is the driver and I serve as a guide throughout the process.” Christopher helps every student identify their goals and make meaningful progress towards those goals as he works to demystify the application process for families. He believes a significant part of this is building a sense of trust and respect early on. “I consult the way that I do because I want to help simplify the process for students," he explains. "I know firsthand how daunting and difficult things can get if you let them and I make sure students I work with don't get to that place.” Christopher considers himself a generalist when it comes to admissions. He’s helped students navigate the financial aid process and apply to honors colleges and other specialty programs. He’s also worked with a diverse population of students, including those who had taken a gap year, received their GED, were undocumented, and more.
“What I love most about helping students with the admissions process is bringing a sense of joy and ownership to the process,” Christopher says. He points to an important facet of this process: helping students submit applications that are the best-written representations of who they are. “I also love when I have a chance to reflect on the admissions journey with families—highlighting just how much has gone into the process to get them to the finish line of the application process and the starting blocks of college.” Christopher enters into partnerships with his students’ families so that they understand they are in it together and he is always eager to learn alongside the families he’s supporting. “If there is an area I am not an expert in, I leverage the expertise of my colleagues.”
Christopher loves to share a success story of when he helped a student see the value of attending a school they did not have on their original college list. “This student loved politics, loved law, and they loved the idea of going to a college based on name alone,” Christopher recalls. “We collaborated not only to unpack what that meant to them but also to explore alternatives that were just as selective.” The student eventually visited one of the schools that Christopher recommended and discovered that it was indeed the place for them and they applied via early decision. “But we did not stop the work there,” Christopher says. “This young person was driven and we researched a selective program at the school that only admitted a cohort of 25 annually. This program also gave them a chance to graduate in three years, which meant they could apply and get into law school earlier. We applied and eventually got admitted to the university AND the selective program. This was a success because this young person would not have known or even thought to apply to this program had we not worked together.”
In his free time, Christopher enjoys jogging and competing with friends using the Nike Run Club App. He is an avid reader and part-time coffee enthusiast.
