Northwestern University Admissions Counseling From Former Admissions Officers

Marlee has a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. She has served on the admissions teams at Northwestern University and University of Illinois Chicago. In these roles, Marlee has been a part of scholarship review committees and has been responsible for overall enrollment management, especially for international students.

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Marlee is a staunch advocate for higher education and believes it is a critical access point for all students. She feels that education presents an opportunity for students to grow personally, professionally, and academically to become important members of society supporting change, innovation, and progress in the world.

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This passion is what led Marlee to coach Quad applicants. Marlee is committed to getting to know her students and working with them to present their best representation of themselves. She thoroughly enjoys learning about and identifying what makes each student unique and helping them share these qualities and strengths with their chosen colleges. Her greatest strengths include helping students identify goals, create a strategic and organized plan to meet those goals, manage their time effectively, and craft powerful resumes.

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When Marlee isn’t coaching, she loves to run, dance, and travel.

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Allan graduated from Cornell University with Cum Laude honors in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a concentration in Energy and Economics. After completing his bachelor's degree, he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Allan founded an admissions consulting program as the President of a national honor society at Cornell University. He also acted as an admissions mentor at a local high school. As an admissions ambassador, Allan provided feedback to the admissions board on the potential candidate's fit with the school. With over ten years of experience as an academic counselor, he has helped his students gain admission to Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Texas, among many others.

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As a first-generation college student, Allan has first-hand experience with how challenging and confusing the admission process can be. This fuels his passion for supporting and guiding his students through the application process. As a coach, he takes a personalized approach–highlighting each applicant's strengths and individuality. He is adaptable and flexible when it comes to what his students need, regardless of what stage in the application process they're in. Allan excels in helping his students develop a robust applicant profile that speaks to what admissions officers are looking for in an ideal candidate beyond test scores and grades. He helps his students turn their shortcomings into strengths, allowing them to shine through.

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With his Quad students, Allan breaks down the application process into more manageable steps. He helps his students understand the rationale behind each aspect of their application–specifically, why the colleges ask specific questions and what they want to learn about the students. This, in turn, gives his students the opportunity to build a more meaningful and intentional application. Through coaching prospective college students, Allan hopes to pass on his knowledge and experience to ensure that his students can more easily manage the college application process. He finds great joy in seeing his students' and their families' happy faces and tears when they receive acceptance letters from their dream school. Allan ensures that his students feel confident in their application and works hard to get each of his students to that state of mind and having fun along the way.

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When Allan isn't coaching, he mentors high school students and young professionals on career and professional development. He also enjoys playing competitive badminton–and winning!

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Allan's Pro Tip?

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Students often think they need the perfect resume and breadth of experience to be a competitive candidate. While having these experiences under your belt can be an asset, you can always find strength in your application through your weaknesses and shortcomings, making you much more resilient and competitive throughout the application process.

Emmanuel earned a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. He has spent the last eight years as a college and career counselor, collegiate seminar teacher, and 12th-grade advisor at Noble Schools, a nonprofit organization running 17 charter public high schools in Chicago. 

With nearly ten years of coaching experience, Emmanuel has helped 1,600+ students navigate their college admissions journeys. Students he has coached have been accepted into Northwestern University, Purdue University, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame, among others.

Emmanuel received Noble Schools' Distinguished Teacher Award for the 2023 cohort and is now a member of the Noble Schools' Board of Directors. He was the first college counselor and college seminar teacher to receive this very selective award, which acknowledges instructors with excellent track records for teaching and results. 

Emmanuel’s passion for coaching stems from his love of helping students and families make informed decisions. He enjoys walking students through the entire application process from beginning to end, including breaking down financial aid award letters for students and their families. His desire is to provide a safe space for students to be vulnerable and build strong, healthy, and trusting relationships with adults. He seeks to learn from students as much as they learn from him, realizing the knowledge and greatness they bring to college communities.

Emmanuel’s greatest strengths are his relationship-building skills, listening, organization, essay editing abilities, problem-solving, FAFSA knowledge, navigating college portals, interpersonal communication, and constructive feedback. Furthermore, he excels at supporting students in graduating from high school and successfully transitioning into college and careers. 

When he’s not working, Emmanuel enjoys a variety of activities. He attends concerts, goes to the movies, bike rides, drives down Dusable Lake Shore Drive, engages in community service, and travels.