Counselor Advisory Board

Matt Mettille
College Counselor (formerly Director of College Counseling at North Shore Country Day)
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools 
Chicago, Illinois
mmettilleucls.uchicago.edu

Matt Mettille is starting his 17th year in college counseling at Independent Schools.  Previously, Matt worked at Menlo School (CA), Georgetown Day School (DC), and at Pine Crest School (FL). His career started as an Admission Intern at Grinnell College (IA), then an Admission Counselor at Beloit College (WI). He has a BA from the University of Northern Iowa and an MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Rolando Crisostomo
Director of College Counseling
Sonoma Academy
Santa Rosa, California
rolando.crisostomosonomaacademy.org

Rolando Crisostomo is the Director of College Counseling at Sonoma Academy, a 9-12 independent school nestled in Northern California. With a career spanning more than 15 years in college admissions and high school counseling, Rolando has cultivated his expertise through notable independent schools such as Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, CA, and Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, CA. Rolando is a member of California Association of Independent Schools, Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, Western Association for College Admission Counseling, and National Association for College Admission Counseling. Rolando is driven by a deep-seated passion for recognizing and celebrating the unique qualities that propel each student toward success in their college journey. Rolando also mentors other college counselors who are new in the profession, and he generously volunteers his time working with first-generation students in local public high schools and community-based organizations

Claudia Jolivert
Director of College Counseling for the King’s College Schools (Formerly Senior Associate Director of College Counseling for Ransom Everglades)
Ransom Everglades School
Miami, FL
 The Bahamas & Panama (remote)
claudia.jolivertKingscollegeschool.bs

Claudia Jolivert is Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at Ransom Everglades School, where she has been a member of the College Counseling team since 2008. Born in Bogota, Colombia, Claudia received her BS in Finance from Georgetown University and her MS in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University. She currently serves as Treasurer on the SACAC Board of Directors and served a five-year term on the Board of Trustees for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS).  A mother of three and the proud owner of two rescue dogs, Claudia enjoys volunteering with Breakthrough Miami, practicing Ashtanga yoga, and dancing salsa.

Tiffani Hooper
Director of College Counseling
The Dalton School
New York, NY
thooperdalton.org

Tiffani Hooper is Director of College Counseling at The Dalton School. Before arriving at Dalton this year Tiffani worked at the United Nations International School (UNIS) for 7 years. Tiffani also worked in admission at Amherst College, focusing on international admission and diversity recruitment initiatives. In addition to working at Amherst and UNIS, Tiffani has also worked as a college counselor at Brooklyn Friends School and The Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut. Tiffani has served as a member of the International ACAC Ad-Hoc Committee on Issues of Diversity, the Dickinson College Counselor Advisory Board, and the Cialfo Counselor Advisor Board.

Katy Nowiszewski
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling and Director of Student Life, (formerly Head of College Counseling at Avenues: The World School, Dean of Students 10-12)
The Nightingale-Bamford School
New York, NY
knowiszewskinightingale.org

Katy Nowiszewski is an educator with over 12 years of experience in counseling, admissions, curriculum design, and teaching. She was raised in New England and fell in love with education and New York City while pursuing her BA in History at Barnard College, where she was an Athena Fellow for Leadership Studies. She started her career as a researcher on college admissions, which led her to Thessaloniki, Greece as international university counselor and to Lewiston, Maine as an admissions officer for Bates College. She spent her graduate program focusing on student development and success in higher education. In 2016, she returned to NYC where she taught and was a Director of College Counseling at Title I schools in the South Bronx and East Harlem. Katy’s counseling practice is guided by a strong personal mission of access, equity, and social justice for marginalized groups, young women, and recent migrants. She has sat on the advisory committee for University of Chicago’s “Stand Together” campaign, has been a member of the Coming Together Conference planning committee, and has been a panelist and guest speaker for NACAC, NYSACAC, and through Barnard College’s Alumnae programs. She served as the counselor advisor for the #DegreesNYC campaign for the NYC Department of Education during the 2020-21 school year. She is a member of NACAC, NYSACAC, CANNY, NPEA, and CACNY and holds a Certificate of International School Counseling from the Principals’ Training Center in addition to her BA from Barnard College and her Ed.M from Harvard University. 

Mia Maldonado
Associate Director of College Counseling
Francis W. Parker School
Chicago, IL
miatamaldonadofwparker.org

Prior to Mia's time at Parker, she worked at Lake Forest Academy as an Associate Dean of College Counseling and at Hamilton College as Senior Assistant Dean of Admission/Director of Diversity Recruitment. Mia earned a Master of Arts in Higher Education from the University of Maryland, College Park and an undergraduate degree in Comparative American Studies and Theater from Oberlin College. Her professional interests focus on increasing equity and access for marginalized students within the field of college admission counseling and higher education overall.

Tim Pratt)
Director of College Advisory- Spring Education Group (Formerly Dean of College Advising at St. Paul’s School)
St. Paul’s School
Concord, NH
tprattspringedugroup.com

Tim Pratt has served in various roles in secondary education for 35 years, and as Dean of College Advising at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire since 2009. He also spent a year teaching and serving as college counselor at School Year Abroad in Rennes, France, and currently serves on the SYA board of trustees. In addition to AUP, Tim is on the counselor advisory boards at Brown University and Dickinson College.

Chris Sharp
Associate Director of College Counseling
Brentwood School
Los Angeles, CA
csharpbwscampus.com

After spending 6 years at Carnegie Mellon University as a application read team leader, Assistant Director of Admission, and coordinator of the Andrew Ambassadors student tour guides, Chris jumped sides of the desk to start his career working in independent high schools in 2014 at the International High School of the French American International School where he counseled French Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate students.

In his current role, now year 7, as Associate Director of College Counseling at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, Chris thoughtfully engages with his students as they follow their head and their heart towards colleges and universities domestic and abroad. He also is the lead for the Case Studies Program hosted at Brentwood and Testing Coordinator. 

Chris earned his Masters of Public Management Degree from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the first in his family to earn a Masters and also is a first-generation high school student.

Prior to his work in higher/secondary education, Chris worked for ESPN/Radio Disney in promotions in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, home of his beloved Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers. He’s a dog dad to his Scottish Terrier, Wallace, and scheduled to dog sled in the Swedish Lapland this December!

Adam Materasso
Dean of College Counseling
The Pennington School
Pennington, New Jersey, USA
adam.materassopennington.org

Materasso has served as Dean of College Counseling at the Pennington School since 2022. Prior to then, Materasso was the Dean of Enrollment Management and College Counseling at Ranney School, where he worked for almost twenty years. Materasso attended Drew University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Spanish. He earned his master’s degree in private school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Materasso is actively involved in the Association of College Counselors at Independent Schools (ACCIS) and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Linda Mathews
Director of College Counseling
The Madeira School
McLean, VA
lmathewsmadeira.org

Linda Mathews has been an independent school educator for more than 30 years, having served as a teacher, academic division head, director of admission, and college counselor. She is currently the Director of College Counseling at The Madeira School, an all-girls boarding and day school in McLean, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. First serving in Madeira’s admission office, she transitioned to college counseling in 2012 and became the Director in 2019. After serving in a diversity of roles, she shares, "Building close relationships through one-on-one work with students and families has kept me energized in my role as college counselor, the role I have held the longest." Prior to joining the Madeira community, she lived and worked at independent schools in New York City. Linda embraces the value of a liberal arts education, having earned a bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a double major in Music and Religion prior to earning her Master’s Degree at Bank Street College of Education. She is a member of NACAC, PCACAC, and ACCIS (Association of College Counselors at Independent Schools), and has served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for ACCIS.

Mark Spencer
Dean of College Advising
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield, MA
mspencerdeerfield.edu

Mark Spencer, Dean of College Advising at Deerfield Academy, draws on more than 30 years of experience in admissions and counseling. Before joining Deerfield in 2013, he held leadership roles at Vassar College, Cornell University, and Brandeis University, gaining broad insight into how different types of colleges evaluate applicants. These roles gave him a deep understanding of how different kinds of colleges—liberal arts, engineering, and research universities—approach the admissions process. At Deerfield, he leads the advising program with a student-centered philosophy, encouraging reflection and authenticity in the college search. Known for his calm, thoughtful guidance, Mark helps students view admissions as a process of discovery and fit—ensuring that each graduate finds a college where they will thrive.