Jeff Depew, College Counselor
While Jeff Depew is recognized for his wealth of admissions expertise, you could easily argue a better title for him would be “coach”. Jeff's superpower is motivating students at each step of their college admissions journey to reflect on their unique strengths, set ambitious but achievable goals, and put in the hard work to tackle any obstacle and take advantage of every strategic opportunity. He relishes seeing every student’s application puzzle come together in guiding them on which activities they should pursue, what majors they should research, and to which colleges they’ll apply. His students have been admitted to institutions such as UT Austin, Carnegie Mellon, University of Washington, Villanova, Reed College, Case Western, California Polytechnic University: San Luis Obispo, and Ohio State.
Jeff first began his career in higher education working as an admissions counselor at Southwestern University, where he recruited students across Texas, California, and Arizona. Prior to that, Jeff attended the University of Redlands, where he earned his Bachelor's in Communicative Disorders and competed as a swimmer. He later returned to Redlands to earn his Master's in Higher Education and worked as an assistant swim coach and recruited athletes to come swim at Redlands. Jeff is a bonafide expert in the athletic recruiting process, and intimately understands the complexity from the perspective of a student-athlete, an admissions officer, and a coach. He is uniquely positioned to provide the best strategic guidance while also supporting and prioritizing the student’s well-being at every step of their recruitment journey.
Jeff won multiple NCAA titles during his time at Redlands, was named a 16-time All American, and still holds Redlands records. But his most impressive accomplishment? Warming up in Katie Ledecky's lane at USA Nationals. While he’s no longer confined to 25 yards, Jeff loves adventure and staying active--he's hiked Half Dome in Yosemite, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, and loves road tripping and hiking. He has run half marathons every month since 2019, and he even ran a sub 3 hour marathon in March 2020. When he’s not on his next great adventure, he’s enjoying time at home with his wife Ellie and children Julia and Evan.
Education & Experience
B.A., Communicative Disorders, University of Redlands
M.A., Higher Education, University of Redlands
Admission Counselor, Southwestern University
Professional Organization Memberships
NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling
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