Beth Kraemer
Beth Kraemer has been helping students successfully navigate the college application process for more than a decade. Beth pivoted to full-time college consulting after discovering that the profession merged her favorite aspects of her prior roles in law, education, and journalism.
Beth earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University as well as a Master’s Degree in Labor and Human Resources from The Ohio State University. She later earned a Juris Doctorate degree from UCLA School of Law. As a law student, Beth enjoyed her first foray into the field of college admissions by serving as an alumni interviewer for Northwestern.
Beth strives to personally connect with every student in order to make the college application process simultaneously productive and enjoyable. She loves helping students identify colleges where they will thrive and showcase their best selves in their applications. To better advise her students, Beth regularly visits campuses, stays apprised of the latest admissions developments, and maintains a Professional membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Michelle Chan
Michelle graduated from Pomona College (Claremont, CA) with her B.A. in Psychology. She worked in Pomona College’s Admissions Office all four years of her college career as a student ambassador, and later was hired as a full-time Admissions Interviewer, during which she interviewed applicants one-on-one and contributed evaluative reports to official applicant files. She also witnessed intimate decision-making committee meetings and thus offers exclusive, behind-the-scenes knowledge of college admissions.
Michelle has enjoyed working with high school seniors as a College Admissions Consultant and Writing Coach for the past 8 years. She is passionate about guiding students and families through this momentous life transition with her warm, enthusiastic personality and finds particular strength in her ability to easily develop rapport with students. Moreover, her excellent creative writing and teaching skills help students develop compelling narratives that best highlight their strengths, accomplishments, and ambitions.
Michelle is also a professional photographer and enjoys capturing people’s most treasured events, travels, and life moments through her camera. She spends most of her free time outdoors, whether that be at a sandy beach or in the mountains. Otherwise, you can find her cuddling with her dog, Koa, or playing volleyball at the park.
Rachel Dugoff
Rachel Dugoff brings years of experience as a marketing professional to in College Consulting. Prior to becoming a college consultant, Rachel specialized in brand-building, new product development, and marketing strategy. Rachel spent over ten years working at Kraft Foods on brands including Oreo Cookies, Post Cereal, and Maxwell House Coffee. Rachel leverages her marketing skills and strategic vision to help students identify and develop branding for themselves.
Rachel began transitioning into the admissions world fifteen years ago when she began conducting alumni interviews for the University of Pennsylvania. Helping her own children navigate the admissions process deepened Rachel’s interest in pivoting to a full-time career in college consulting. Rachel is passionate about mentoring and counseling students throughout the complex college admissions process – including helping students with high school course selection, college identification, resume and essay development, and application submission.
Rachel earned a BS from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University. In her free time, Rachel volunteers with several non-profit organizations and enjoys playing tennis, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
David King
David graduated with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he majored in English and Psychology. He is an experienced college essay consultant and writer with a passion for helping students find their writing voices and successfully navigate the college application process.
David taught English and Creative Writing at the University of Iowa. His educational background enables him to connect with students from all academic disciplines and help them articulate their strengths and aspirations in their college essays.
Throughout his career, David has worked at various startups and tech companies, including Spotify. As a college consultant (his favorite job to date), he approaches his work with empathy and a sunny disposition. He excels at instilling confidence and guiding students to create their best and most authentic writing.
David is a former camp counselor and a certified yoga instructor (RYT-200), which informs his approach to mindfully managing the college admissions process. He encourages students to express their passions, sidestep stress, and embrace their individuality through writing. With his wealth of experience and creativity, David is dedicated to helping students find and communicate their unique stories and present their best selves to college admissions committees.
In addition to her work with the in College Consulting team, Amy now provides a variety of freelance writing and editing services for individual and corporate clients. She became interested in college consulting while steering her oldest child through the admissions process. Amy enjoys using her writing background to help students express themselves in their essays as well as assisting them with selecting schools where they will thrive. Outside of work, Amy spends time with her two teen-aged children, rides horses and volunteers with an equine rescue group.
Jesse Oler
Jesse Oler is a 2021 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he majored in Neuroscience and minored in Philosophy. After graduating from college, Jesse worked as a researcher studying neurological disorders at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He is now a medical student at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and he hopes to eventually pursue a residency in neurology.
Jesse has a passion for writing and editing, and he published many journal articles and abstracts during his time at Vanderbilt and the NIH. He aims to cultivate a strong understanding of each student’s unique strengths and enable them to express themselves effectively to admissions committees. Jesse has volunteered his time as an ACT tutor in the Waukegan/Zion (Illinois) area, and he has experience working with test-takers to elevate their scores on various sections.
As a recent college graduate and successful medical school applicant, Jesse brings a current perspective to the in team around what it takes to be admitted in today’s college admissions climate. He understands the contemporary strategies necessary to be successful, and he enjoys helping students navigate the process. He finds joy and meaning in working with applicants to maximize their potential and earn acceptances that evoke excitement for their future.
Heather Shulkin
Heather brings more than 15 years of experience coaching and advising high school students to the in College Consulting team. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, but after a year of working as a financial analyst, she decided to return to academia to round out her education. She earned a Masters in Humanities from the University of Chicago and completed her teaching certificate at DePaul University before becoming a high school Spanish teacher. Heather found the most rewarding part of teaching, though, was not the foreign language content, but rather the connections she formed with her students. She loved watching her students respond to her genuine interest in their achievement, so she left the classroom to start a private tutoring business. In this role, Heather drew upon the breadth of her educational background to support dozens of students on the North Shore of Chicago as they made their way through the rigorous curricula of area high schools. She tutored math, history, English, Spanish and science and coached students on organizational and test-taking strategies. Heather prides herself on her ability to establish a positive rapport and connect with her students. The close relationships Heather forms with her students enables her to help identify best fit colleges and removes the stress from the process.
Heather is a seasoned yoga practitioner and a dedicated home chef. She enjoys cooking heart-healthy food for her family in her spare time. Recently, Heather has started to investigate the art of living mindfully and hopes to bring these strategies to her personal and professional endeavors.
Eric Wagnon
Eric Wagnon graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Honors Program with a double major in journalism and political science. After working as a newspaper sports writer and copy editor early in his professional career, he spent eight years as a producer and writer with the video production division of the PGA Tour in Florida. His work aired on the major broadcast networks and ESPN.
Eric spent the next 10 years in the Chicago area producing lifestyle and entertainment programming at the ABC-TV affiliate and then his own company. He also worked as a freelance travel writer focusing largely on ski destinations. He returned to Florida to produce and write golf-related broadcast shows and marketing videos. Most recently, he took his sports media experience from golf to the expanding business of competitive bass fishing.
Eric’s interest in college advising goes all the way back to his own search during prep school in Florida. He has developed a penchant for visiting nearby college campuses whenever traveling. In fact, he has been to nearly 100 college and university campuses in 30 different states, plus D.C. After years of interviewing celebrities and athletes for television, Eric enjoys the process of talking with students to elicit their unique stories for their college application essays.
Raised by his mother working in education and married to a high-school math teacher, Eric has been close to academia in his household nearly all of his life. In addition to working with his students, he guided his own two sons through the college search process in recent years.
Debbie Shiffman
Debbie Shiffman has 10 years of experience in the college consulting space. Before joining iCC, she worked with a nonprofit organization that guides students through all aspects of the application process. In that role, Debbie assisted hundreds of high schoolers with list development, essays, extracurricular activities, and interview preparation. She has also supported private clients and enjoys helping students identify colleges that align with their academic and personal preferences. Recently, she was a Seasonal Reader for a highly selective national scholarship program, gaining valuable insights and experience in application evaluation. Debbie is also an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Debbie’s legal background provides her with strong research and writing skills, which can easily extend to college applications. She earned her BA in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, her JD from the American University Washington College of Law, and her LLM from New York University School of Law. As a lifelong volunteer, she has served on The Penn Fund Executive Board and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation Board. Debbie lives in New York City and enjoys spending time with her husband and three adult children, reading, and exercising.
Jen Geiringer
Jen Geiringer works with clients of all ages, with a particular focus on teenagers, young adults, and the adults who love and support them. In her complementary roles as a coach with in College Consulting and a therapist in private practice, Jen regularly helps clients deal with the unique challenges and stressors inherent in today’s competitive, social media-driven college admissions process.
Jen‘s areas of coaching expertise for iCC clients include:
Prior to earning her Masters in Social Work from the Jane Addams School of Social Work, University of Illinois, Chicago (summa cum laude), Jen spent almost two decades practicing law. She graduated from the DePaul University College of Law after earning a BS in Social Policy and Education from Northwestern University. While pursuing her social work degree, Jen completed a specialized training program in evidence-based mental health treatment of adolescents and transitional-aged clients. Additionally, she authored a research study on best practices for mental health centers on college campuses. Jen’s distinctive background, coupled with her caring and straightforward approach, uniquely enables her to help clients determine their appropriate next steps.
As the parent of two young adults, Jen is particularly well-suited to coach iCC students and parents. Her personal experiences with the college admissions process inform her perspective and deepen her empathy for those experiencing the stressors inherent in this once-in-a-lifetime process. She treasures the opportunity to partner with students and parents to move forward in a values-driven, meaningful way while helping them preserve their relationships and maintain peaceful households. She brings a warm and approachable style to her role and loves to bring humor and laughter into her work. Jen is honored to serve as a trusted partner and resource.
Khrista Harris
Khrista Harris earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduating, Khrista moved to Colorado Springs to work for the United States Olympic Committee. Her internship for the USOC turned into a full-time role in Sports Administration. In that capacity, she curated athlete media kits and newsletters, managed portions of the USOC’s website and social media accounts, and assisted with planning several U.S.-based tournaments.
Khrista returned to Chicago to pursue a career path with Groupon before the company went public. She has spent over eight years there working in various editorial roles, including fact checking, copywriting, and web content management. If you purchased a Groupon in the past, there is a chance Khrista authored the fine print, business bio, deal copy, or all three. She also contributed to the creation of some of the technology still present on Groupon’s website today. Her range of experience allowed her to move into a position on the Legal team as a Project Manager. Khrista takes a detail-oriented and analytical approach to problem solving and process management.
Outside of work, Khrista loves traveling, going out to eat, being outdoors, and spending time with friends – human or canine.
