Meet Jen!

Jen Anson, College Counselor

Jen brings more than two decades of experience to Collegewise; before joining our team, she was a counselor at an independent school in Vermont. Her students have been admitted to well over 100 colleges and universities, including but far from limited to Cornell, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Berkeley, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Case Western, Colorado School of Mines, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Boston University, Colorado College, Bowdoin, Colby, Kenyon, Bucknell, Middlebury, Pomona, Reed, Sarah Lawrence, Oberlin, Lewis and Clark, University of Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill, Penn State, American University, and Berklee College of Music.

We’ve always preached at Collegewise that kids should not spend a disproportionate amount of time polishing perceived college admissions weaknesses—they’re far better served leaning into their areas of strength. There is no such thing as a magic checklist of traits and achievements to guarantee admission to college, and applicants who stand out do so by investing time and energy into those subjects or interests where they already thrive. So it certainly resonated with us when Jen described her college counseling approach:

I believe in a strengths-based approach when working with students. I offer individualized support to increase confidence, decrease stress, and make the college application process a positive experience for both the student and their family.

After spending more than 20 years advising students, Jen is well versed and comfortable working with students presenting a wide variety of interests, levels of achievement, and college goals—from those aspiring to the most selective schools, to first-generation college students, to neurodivergent students. If forced to choose, however, Jen particularly enjoys working with students who are far from the top of the academic class but still want to go to college and just need someone to believe in their potential.  Jen refers to these students as “later maturing kids,” and she has seen them “time and time again” begin the process unsure of their college prospects only to complete it with plenty of options where they’re not only excited to attend, but also capable of succeeding once they arrive. In fact, Jen acknowledges that her own son fits this very description. As she puts it, “It’s very rewarding to work with those students.” 

A certified health coach who can often be found paddleboarding, hiking, and elongating via yoga, Jen also enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and their Goldendoodle, Mozzie. 

Education & Experience

B.S., Rutgers University

M.A., Johnson State College

College and career counselor, St. Johnsbury Academy

Guidance counselor, Oxbow High School

Professional Organization Memberships

NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling