College Admissions Officer “Ask Me Anything”

The college admissions process can appear intimidating and mystifying. For example, test scores, interviews, and certain essay prompts may say “optional” but do schools prefer when you take the option? Conventional wisdom says that you shouldn’t tell admissions officers “what they want to hear” in your personal statement, so what do they really want to hear instead? And since nobody’s perfect, how should you balance being well-rounded vs. specialized, or taking challenging classes vs. getting perfect grades. If only there were a way to know what admissions officers are really thinking… Now there is! Join former Harvard senior admissions officer Devery Doran for a live “ask me anything” session to get your questions answered and demystify college admissions. As a former admissions officer, college counselor, and essay reader she’s seen admissions from all angles and will clarify how admissions decisions are made and provide strategy on how to end up in the admitted pile. **Students can submit questions ahead of time [HERE](https://forms.gle/tSCNBhaPZKFh4Toh7). Devery will answer as many of the submitted questions as possible during class.** **About Devery Doran** Devery Doran worked as a Senior Admissions Officer at Harvard University for four years and has read application essays at UC-Berkeley in addition to her current role as a college admissions consultant. A graduate of Harvard with a master’s degree from the University of Texas, Devery has spent her career helping diverse groups of young people unlock their potential through educational and career opportunities.