Meet Our College Counseling Team
Christine Chapman has been empowering students and guiding her client families through the private school and college admissions processes since 1995. She has coached and guided over 3,000 domestic and international students. She works closely with students and their families to help them find and secure the right educational opportunities for each student.
In 2012, Christine stepped away from her consulting practice for three years to become the first Director of International Students at a Boston area independent school where she worked in international admissions, college counseling, supported international students and families, and was responsible for SEVIS I-20 documentation and visa procurement assistance. Her role as Director of International Students gave her the opportunity to assist with institutional needs pertaining to international students with the annual fund, student health insurance, host family referrals and school-family-liaison work.
Christine has served as Chair of the Schools Committee, was a participating member of the IECA credentialing task force for schools consulting and served on the membership committee for the Independent Educational Consultants Association. She was a board member for The Cape Cod Montessori School, served as vice-president and secretary of The Sandwich Montessori Enrichment and Assistance Fund, and has served as co-VP on the Hopkins School PTA. She has also served as parent liaison coordinator for the HPTA and is a school council member for Elmwood School.
Christine Chapman is a graduate of the Sacred Heart School of Montreal and Skidmore College, and remains in pursuit of her master's degree at Harvard University. In her free time, she is with her kids, out walking the local state parks with her dog, and is an enthusiastic yogi and student of pilates.
Jennifer Berry has devoted her life to education, having spent more than 30 years at New Hampton School, an independent boarding school located in central New Hampshire, where she was a teacher, advisor, academic dean, director of studies, curriculum developer and director of college counseling. Most recently, she served as the Director of College Counseling at Western Reserve Academy, located in Hudson, OH. Jennifer's varied roles have prepared her to support students and families through the ever-changing world of college admission. She graduated from Colby College with a BA in American Studies and a Certificate in Education. At Colby, Jennifer was a college athlete and continued her passion for athletics as a varsity soccer, basketball, and tennis coach at New Hampton School.
As a college counselor, Jennifer has shepherded hundreds of students to acceptances at more than 800 colleges and universities. She has a keen understanding of standardized testing protocols, learning differences, athletic recruiting and international student college application processes. Her true specialty in application support is the college essay. As a highly experienced high school English teacher, Jen's passion lies in the student narrative and helping students bring an authentic and effective voice to their college essays. Additionally, she has visited more than 100 college campuses to enhance her work in guiding students and families as well as forge working relationships with college admission counselors.
Jennifer's experience in curriculum design and academic advising has allowed her to embrace curricular growth and initiatives, enhance student learning through successful technology integration, customize learning opportunities, implement the IB Diploma Programme, and strategically design an academic skill continuum. It is rare to have so much comprehensive and deep holistic educational experience which allows her to work effectively with students and parents as they navigate the increasingly complicated landscape of college counseling, keeping the support and empowerment of each and every one of her students in mind as they strive towards success in the college process.
Cindy Pendergast was born and raised on the Jersey Shore and traveled north for college. In those days most of the New England colleges were single-sex and she matriculated at Wheaton, majoring in English. Throughout her undergraduate years, she worked in the Admissions Office giving tours and sitting on admissions panels at local secondary schools. Upon graduation, she joined the admissions office as Assistant Director of Admissions at Wheaton. Each fall she spent approximately 8 weeks on the road visiting high schools throughout the U.S., including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. When in the office, she interviewed students and then was a full voting member of the Admissions Committee, reviewing over a thousand files each year. After four years at Wheaton Cindy moved to Washington, D.C. where she lived for 4 years while her husband attended dental school. Having co-presented at a large college event in Puerto Rico with Charlie Deacon, the Dean of Admissions at Georgetown, and was hired immediately to join the Georgetown admissions office. She had a very high-powered and busy four years in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Georgetown where she chaired various admission committees in the College, Nursing School, and all transfer admissions.
In the fall of 1985 Cindy started working part-time at The Brimmer and May School where she became the first director of college counseling and built the college counseling program for Brimmer. After 35 years at Brimmer, Cindy retired in 2019. She has 4 adult children and 7 grandchildren.
Cindy brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of how decisions are made, what things are really important (not always what people think), how a college essay differs from an essay for an English class, and she has established relationships with many other people in the profession. Cindy’s strength is her knowledge of colleges and in helping students find the right match.