International College Counselors, a Leading Educational Consulting Firm, Introduces Three New College Advisors

International College Counselors, a leading educational consulting firm, is excited to welcome three new college experts to our team: Jennifer Abreu, Erik McLeod, and Laura Rich. Our new Directors of College Advising will be responsible for providing one-on-one educational consulting and advice to graduate and undergraduate students about the college admission process. Their knowledge and expertise will also enhance our team approach. 

Prior to joining International College Counselors, Jen Abreu served as Director of College Counseling at Scheck Hillel Community School in North Miami Beach, Florida. While working at Hillel, Abreu oversaw the college search and application process for over 400 students, helping them find strong-fit universities that met their needs academically and socially. Before her time at Hillel, Abreu worked for 13 years as a counselor at international schools in locations that include Beijing, Bangkok, and Guatemala, guiding students through the college admissions process. Her experience overseas made her skilled in helping students apply to universities in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. She enjoys helping American students as well as international students broaden their horizons. Additionally, Abreu works as an external admissions reader for a competitive university. 

Erik McLeod has been in education for 27 years – as a college advisor, admissions representative, high school teacher, and tennis coach. Describing himself as an “educator for life,” McLeod served for 12 years as a college advisor at American Heritage School in Plantation, FL, before joining the International College Counselors team. At American Heritage, he worked closely with a diverse group of students in every facet of the college journey, including helping applicants craft effective essays, create balanced college lists, choose strong class schedules and activity lists, and make those sometimes difficult May 1 decisions as to where to enroll. For college-bound athletes and their parents, McLeod has been a guiding force. He has successfully helped student-athletes gain admissions to Division I, II, and III schools in numerous sports, including tennis, soccer, football, basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, and swimming. At Heritage, he also planned college tours for sophomores and juniors; at last count, he has visited over 120 campuses. Prior to Heritage, McLeod worked for four years in admissions at Radford University in Virginia, where he made application decisions, helped with open house programming, and visited high schools, all while managing the university’s campus tour guides. McLeod holds a B.A. in English from the College of Charleston and an M.Ed. from the University of Virginia, where he worked in the Office of Admission and co-planned their admitted student days.

Laura Rich has been a college admissions professional for over a decade. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rich spent two years as an Admissions Counselor at the University of Texas at Austin where she read over 6,000 applications for both freshmen admissions and honors programs. Rich then switched to “the other side of the desk” and became a college counselor. She worked at schools including St. Agnes Academy in Houston, Texas, Whitefield Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, and she also co-founded her own independent college consulting firm. Over the years, she has expertly steered hundreds of students annually through the college admissions process. Leveraging her degrees in Art History and Music Performance, Rich is instrumental in helping students gain admission to some of the top conservatories, design schools, and arts summer programs in the country. In 2018, she received the Fleming Grant to travel to Europe to refine her knowledge of the European college admissions process, and has since helped guide students to numerous prestigious international universities in Scotland, England, Italy, Switzerland, and other countries. She also has vast experience in medical school admissions and serves as one of International College Counselors’ Medical Admissions consultants.

No matter where your family is in the college admissions process, International College Counselors can help you with every aspect. If you have questions, need educational consulting, or would like to inquire about working with Jen, Erik, Laura, or another member of our team, please call 1-954-414-9986 or visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com to discuss how we can support you and your family!