Helping You Succeed
Applying to college can be confusing. How do you decide where to apply? How can you figure out if you are a competitive applicant, and what can you do to stand out from the crowd? How much is your education likely to cost, and what can you do to maximize the amount of financial aid you receive? How do you figure out which schools excel in helping graduates land the jobs or graduate school admissions that they want? What makes for compelling personal essays?
For those applying to graduate programs, how do you pitch your application and ensure that your writing sample and research record puts you in the best possible light? At a time when many universities are limiting enrollment in master’s and doctoral programs, what do applicants need to do differently?
If you’re applying to universities outside your home country, there is an additional set of questions. What are the deadlines, visa rules, labor regulations, and course prerequisites that you need to be aware of? What scholarships are available, and will you be able to work in that country over the summer and after you finish your program?
I work with students and their families to answer these questions and the many others that arise during the application process. I am a college counselor and writing coach who has worked with students in the social sciences, humanities, STEM fields, and law. My goal is to reduce the amount of stress around the process and help families think about institutions and approaches they may not have considered before.
EDUCATION
BA with Honors, Stanford University
MA, Yale University
Certificate in College Counseling, UCLA Extension
EXPERIENCE
U.S. Foreign Service (retired)
Former Chairman of the Board, Fulbright Commission of Greece
Former Treasurer, Fulbright Commission of Turkey
TODD PIERCE
I am an independent educational counselor who works with students applying to undergraduate and graduate programs in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. While I work with many American students looking to study in the United States, I specialize in helping students who are considering universities outside their home countries. While my work has traditionally been with students from outside the U.S. applying to universities in America, I now see a substantial number of U.S. students intent on studying in Canada, Europe, and Asia. I have worked with students in the humanities, engineering, social sciences, and law.
Before becoming a college counselor, I spent 25 years as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. As the education and cultural attaché at U.S. embassies in Asia, Africa, and Europe, I ran college counseling and test preparation programs, chaired Fulbright scholarship commissions, and advised individual students. I spoke at university campuses and to the media about opportunities to study in the United States.
I have interviewed hundreds of applicants for F, M, and J visas ("student visas") and lectured about opportunities to study in the U.S. at over 30 universities. I am an expert in the Optional Practical Training program (OPT) that allows students to remain the U.S. to work for a temporary period after they have finished their degrees.
While serving in Turkey, Greece, Myanmar, Albania, Ghana, and Switzerland, I worked with both representatives from local institutions to build links with U.S. schools and delegations from U.S. universities seeking to recruit international students. This experience has made me well-versed in accreditation issues, scholarship opportunities, financial aid, and consular issues.
Originally from Connecticut, I now live in New York City and Greece.