Meet Jonathan!

Jonathan Gowin, College Counselor

After successful stints as an admissions counselor at Trinity College and an assistant director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon, where he also oversaw athletic recruitment, Jonathan worked at the New England Board of Higher Education directing their Regional Student Program. Jonathan also brings an expertise around the increasingly complex world of paying for college, having not only reviewed scholarship applications for organizations like the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, but also run a tuition savings program at a higher education non-profit that educated families about college affordability and financial aid. In fact, Jonathan has achieved something of celebrity status in the college counseling community, having received the National Association of College Admissions Counseling’s Rising Star award in 2021 as well as being featured on the same organization’s podcast, College Admissions Decoded. 

Experience has taught us the best college counselors treat their work like a calling. That deeper meaning is what drives them to progress towards mastery in the art of college counseling. We were particularly moved by Jonathan’s own words in describing what calls him to this work: 

I believe in education. It changed my entire life trajectory, and I am grateful every single day for the opportunities I had in college and beyond. I do this work for what I believe to be the right reasons: to guide students and families towards an outcome that feels good and right for them, that they can be excited about and proud of and, ideally, as grateful for later in their life as I am in mine.

A self-described “higher ed nerd of the highest order” and a frequent speaker at admissions conferences, Jonathan’s impressive mental rolodex of universities and programs helps him find good options for students even when they aren’t yet sure what they’re looking for. As transformative as his journey through higher education has been for him both personally and professionally, Jonathan admits he is still chasing the adult version of that fleeting, elite social status he once enjoyed after winning “Best Hair” in middle school. 
 

Education & Experience

M.Ed., Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Lycoming College
Director of Regional Student Program & Technology Operations, New England Board of Higher Education (3 years)
Assistant Director of Admissions, Carnegie Mellon University (1 year)
Admissions counselor, Trinity College (3 years)

Professional Organization Memberships

NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling (Presented Crafting Effective School Profiles & Recommendation Letters - 2020)
PCACAC: Potomac & Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling