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Looking for a trusted College Admissions Advisor?
The East Bay College Admissions Advisors (EBCAA) is a group of Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) based in the San Francisco East Bay, dedicated to helping students and families with the college admissions process. With any one of EBCAA's IECs, you engage not only one professional's support, but the seasoned knowledge of this collaborative local group of experts. Meet us below!
How We Help You
As experienced IECs we guide and support you through this complex process
Together we've supported thousands of families through the college process, in an informed, strategic and organized manner.
Our college planning tasks include:
Course planning, majors and career exploration
College exploration, best-fit list building, guidance on college visits
Standardized testing resources and recommendations
Essay guidance, portfolios, interviews, recommendation letters
Application milestones and deadlines
Financial aid and scholarships
Streamlining the application process and reducing stress for families
We stay connected and updated with the latest admission trends
Some ways EBCAA Members stay current to best support students and families:
Attend annual UC, CSU and RACC conferences
Tour hundreds of college campuses in person (US and abroad)
Network with admission officers and present at HECA, NACAC, WACAC, IECA and other professional conferences
We serve our community, amplifying good work for students
Lead Splash at Berkeley Parent Programs (Spring and Fall)
Lead HECA National, East Bay, and Silicon Valley groups
Lead WACAC Regional Organizations, including impactful initiatives such as WACAC Camp College
Board of Education Trustee at San Ramon Valley USD
Governing Board Member at Lafayette USD
Girl Scouts of the USA volunteer/leadership committees, Gold Award Mentor
Toastmasters Public Speaker, Leader and Contest Judge
Society of Women Engineers Scholarships Annual Evaluator
ScholarMatch College Coaches
Matchlighters College Coaches
Admissions Organization Affiliations and Leadership
We bring your family accurate and timely information on admissions. As members and active leaders of local and national college admission organizations, we participate in dialogues on the latest issues in admissions; personally visit colleges for firsthand insights; and commit to honoring ethical guidelines in the profession. Every EBCAA member actively participates in multiple of these organizations, with several members serving in the highest leadership roles.
Who We Are
Who We Are
Marge Cortes, MS, PE
Tech, Industry Insights, Maker Culture
Focus Areas: Engineering, CS, AI
Susanna Ordway, MIM/MBA
Holistic, Student-Focused, Policy Leader
Favorite: Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs)
Rick Quon, BS
Analytical, Industry-Savvy, Data-Driven
Focus Areas: Business, Nursing, Student-Athletes
Bara Sapir, MA
Insightful, Connecting, Empathetic
Focus: Mindset Tools, Testing Optimization
Alida Smit, MA
Policy Leader, School Depth, Innovator
Expertise: Low Income
Maria Woodruff, PhD
Expert, Organization Lead, School Depth
Expertise: Jesuit Schools,
Student-Athletes
Jeffrey Yoon, MBA
Expert, Global, Detailed Insights
Expertise: Technology, International
UC Certificates in Admissions Advising
We're well-equipped to guide your family because we started with excellent training. Through UC Berkeley, UC Irvine or UCLA, the University of California offers nationwide state-of-the-practice training in educational consulting. These multi-year programs include professional courses and an on-site practicum advising high school students through the entire admissions process for a range of colleges. Extensive networking and case studies also provide a solid, standard foundation on which to base practices. Most EBCAA advisors hold one of these UC certificates plus several years of experience, plus ongoing refreshers through meetings and in-person college visits. Several EBCAA advisors have also completed the HECA Professional Development Institute and the IECA Summer Training Institute, which are industry standards for shorter, focused training.
Contact Us
We look forward to supporting you in this important time for your student and your entire family! Please reach out to any of us using our contact information linked under our profiles above.
If you are interested in college admissions programming for your community group, program, or school, read more here.
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