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Jodi Walder-Biesanz
College Admission Coach

Jodi puts her drama degree from UC Irvine to good use, as she is overly dramatic when explaining why it is important to find a right match college. After stints as an English teacher, media buyer, advertising sales rep, Kinderdance franchise owner, magazine editor and corporate marketing communications manager, Jodi finally found her true calling and got her college counseling certificate from UCLA. Since 2005, she has helped over 600 students navigate the college admissions process and unabashedly admits that she is an application essay geek, since she loves a good story. During reading season, Jodi has worked as an application reader for a highly selective east coast college. 

Jodi belongs to acronym professional associations for college counselors like PNACAC (Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling), HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and PACCC (Portland Area College Counselors Consortium). She visits at least 25 colleges per year, collecting pennants everywhere, but only buying additional swag if the school color is purple.

In the rare moments when she is not working with College Admission Coach students or volunteering with Minds Matter  Portland, Jodi can be found hiking through the Columbia Gorge, writing musical theatre revues, dancing at the Multnomah Arts Center or searching for exotic recipes for her gourmet dinner club to sample.

jodi.walder@comcast.net 
(503) 720-7114
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Emily Standish
​College Admission Coach

Emily grew up on a dairy farm in New York State, where she learned a practical approach to getting the job done and just how much a dollar can buy. Her strong sense of the value of education was passed down from  her great-grandmother, who taught Art and French at Stephens College in the late 1800's, and from her grandmother who graduated from the Women's College at Brown University, Class of 1905. Working with each student to find the right list of colleges at the right price comes naturally, and getting those pesky applications completed with time to spare is what she does best. 

A big believer in the Land Grant Universities, Emily earned a B.A. from Michigan State University and a  College Counseling Certificate, UCLA.  As an independent college counselor, the coordinator of the College and Career Center at Cleveland High School, and an ASPIRE mentor, she guides students through the college search, application, and visit processes.  Emily especially loves working with students interested in music, film or foreign languages.

Emily belongs to professional associations for college counselors including the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Portland Area College Counselors Consortium. Her continuing education includes dozens of college visits each year, as well as being both a presenter and attendee at industry conferences.

emilystandish@comcast.net
(503) 267-4605

Debra Sankovitz
​College Admission Coach

Twelve years of experience counseling students in public high schools gives Debra a solid grasp of how teenagers think and work. She understands how busy students and their parents are and how confusing this college-related stuff can be. Debra has supported all types of students and families, helping them navigate the competing demands of adolescence while tackling the complex college search and application process. Her goal is to help students gain confidence, reduce stress, and have some fun along the way!  

 Debra earned her College Counseling Certificate from UCLA. She prepared for her licensure in School Counseling at Lewis & Clark College, holds an MA in Education Psychology from University of Colorado at Denver, and holds a liberal arts degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. When not working with students, she and her big, furry dog Ida are routinely off on some form of outdoor adventure.

debra.sankovitz@gmail.com
​(503) 901-0059

Rachel Coleman
​College Admission Coach and Writing Tutor

Rachel is a perpetual reader who loves to empower students to effectively communicate their ideas in writing. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Comparative Literature in 2014, Rachel earned her College Counseling Certificate from UCLA.  It was not so long ago that she was completing her own college applications and is intimately familiar with the questions and challenges that accompany this process. Her time at Stanford even included a year studying abroad at Oxford University where she indulged her anglophile yearnings and spent most of her time in the Bodleian Library. 
 
Rachel also tutored for three years at Stanford’s Hume Center for Writing and Speaking, culminating in leading the Hume as the Peer Tutor Coordinator her senior year. From research proposals, to resumes and cover letters, to essays in all disciplines, Rachel is fluent in the coaching process and knows what it takes to help students tell their stories. Rachel works with students from around the world entirely via Skype to coach them through the whole application process, from creating a fantastic college list to earning scholarships.

rachelc1@alumni.stanford.edu
Abby McKinnon
College Admission Associate

Abby grew up on the water in Astoria OR, and took advantage of the public university system here in Oregon.  She attended Oregon State University for undergrad, then landed at PSU for a Master’s degree in Counseling.  Throughout graduate school and the 12 years following, Abby has worked with kids of all ages and their families, with a concentration on fostering coping skills through life transitions and school success.  Bumbling through the college admission process with her own daughter in 2013 led Abby to volunteer at Franklin High School’s college and career center, as well as make a career shift into private practice in 2015.  Abby is currently working as a College Admission Associate under the watchful eyes of the veteran CAC Coaches, and will complete her certification from UCLA this fall.  She is a current member of the Portland Area College Counselors’ Consortium (PACCC).  
 
Abby is especially committed to the notion of “best fit” and deeply believes her role is not only to help support kids TO college, but also THROUGH college.  It’s her goal to help them find the intersection of academics, healthy finances, and opportunities to connect and build relationship, all within an environment where each student will thrive.  
 
When not working with kids, Abby spends time with her daughter and hubby of 20 years, traveling, entertaining, playing cribbage, and snuggling with her kitty, Pearl.  
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​abby@portlandchildfamilycounseling.com
(503) 317-8761
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Comprehensive college counseling  
Westside: Jodi Walder-Biesanz,  jodi.walder@comcast.net, (503) 720-7114,  
Eastside: Emily Standish, emilystandish@comcast.net, (503) 267-4605, 
Portland Metro: Debra Sankovitz, debra.sankovitz@gmail.com, (503) 901-0059,
Global: Rachel Coleman, rachelc1@alumni.stanford.edu
​Eastside: Abby McKinnon, abby@portlandchildfamilycounseling.com , (503) 317-8761
College Admission Coach, LLC makes no representations, warranties or guarantees about admission to any school. 
Content copyright 2009-2017. College Admission Coach, LLC. All rights reserved.