Counselor Profile
Chris is a former Associate Dean of Admission at Wesleyan University, with over 25 years of direct experience in highly selective admissions.
At Wesleyan, Chris evaluated tens of thousands of applications from every US state as well as Canada and the Caribbean, developing a deep knowledge and understanding of high schools in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and the Pacific Northwest.
Chris is a native of Greenwich Village in NYC and went to Haverford College where he majored in Philosophy and captained the basketball team. He completed his degree at Temple University’s College of Education. Before Wesleyan, Chris worked in several fields, from large corporations to family-owned businesses, including a stint with the SPCA as the State Humane Officer for the city.
At Wesleyan Chris wore many hats, but counts his work in athletics, low-income initiatives, and managing student workers among his more noteworthy and enjoyable contributions. Chris was the lead athletic liaison to coaches for 20 years, giving him significant insight and expertise in the role athletics plays in the admissions process. In addition to working as the athletic liaison in the admissions office, Chris was also an assistant coach with Wesleyan’s Women’s Basketball team for 20 seasons. He understands the dynamics of recruiting, and as an AAU coach has counseled athletes on their recruiting process.
Chris is an advocate for diversity of all types, and at Wesleyan he chaired the QuestBridge admission committee for 15 years, enrolling hundreds of talented low-income students from around the country. Chris also managed Wesleyan’s Senior Interviewer program for many years, hiring, training and supervising student interviewers.
Chris loves working with students during their college admissions journey and believes that the most fulfilling and successful college searches are seen as opportunities for self-reflection. He’s seen that students who use the process to reflect on their educational journey, interests, motivations, interpersonal relationships, values, and principles not only grow as individuals, but also create authentic and compelling applications that showcase academic rigor and excellence, genuine curiosity, intellectual energy, and strong personal potential.
Chris also recognizes the nuances of the process as both a counselor and the parent of a college-bound teenager. In addition to working with students on the admissions side and as a college counselor, Chris has also guided his two children through the college admissions process, helping them land at terrific schools via ED and Regular Decision. This has given him unique insight into the dynamics of college advising from all sides – resulting in a stronger working relationship with both students and parents.
While the college admissions process is always changing, Chris knows first-hand that academics remain paramount in the admissions process. He encourages his students to take a rigorous course of study, to challenge themselves intellectually beyond school, and strive for academic excellence to both present a strong academic case and to be prepared for success in college. He also encourages his students to think about who they are and who they want to be in the world, recognize the multitude of possibilities, and imagine various paths to a successful and fulfilling college experience.
In his spare time, you can find Chris walking the dogs, engaging in a home improvement project, and working his way through the New York Times Crossword puzzle archives to maintain his streak of daily puzzles solved. In the summer Chris and his family spend as much time as possible on Fire Island.
Counselor Features
Webinars
- Kickstarting the Athletic Recruitment Process
- Beyond the Classroom: Standing Out with Extracurricular Activities
Articles
- Liberal Arts Colleges Are Still a Great Choice for Many Students
- The Benefits of Athletics at a Division III College