About
Founder – Eric Endlich, Ph.D.
Dr. Endlich has worked with many families around the world to help them navigate the college application process and find the ideal universities for their interests and needs.
He is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and has served on their Learning Differences/Neurodiversity Committee and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committee. In 2020, IECA honored Dr. Endlich’s contributions with the “Making A Difference” Award. Learn more about this honor here. In 2021, Exceptional Needs Today Magazine honored Dr. Endlich as a Top Contributor for his article, “7 Things Students With Disabilities Should Do When Starting College.”
Dr. Endlich is also a licensed psychologist, professional writer and former college instructor. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English from UC Berkeley, where he was awarded a Regents Scholarship (highest honor) as well as the President’s Undergraduate Fellowship for original research. He went on to earn graduate degrees in psychology from NYU and BU, and a certificate in independent educational consulting from UC Irvine.
Dr. Endlich has taught at Tufts University, Suffolk University, Boston College and UMass Boston; he co-teaches the Working with Students with Learning Differences course through the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education with Dr. Marci Schwartz. A lifelong writer, he is an advisory board member and contributor for Oakstone Publishing. Dr. Endlich is a Primary Researcher on a U.S. Dept. of Education-funded project to develop college readiness software for autistic high school students, and Co-Investigator on an Institute of Education Sciences-funded study to improve student-teacher relationships for autistic children.
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“The chances of getting into the best-known colleges may be decreasing, but we can help find a school that will be a great match for you – whether you’re a straight-A, B, or C student.”
– Eric Endlich, Ph.D, Founder of Top College Consultants
The Top College Consultants Team
Alisha Uppal, M.S., NCC
Ms. Uppal has experience with U.S. and international admissions, and has worked with students nationally and abroad. She has guided students applying to both undergraduate and graduate programs, and has mentored students with transfer applications. Ms. Uppal aims to help students find colleges and universities that best fit their academic, social, and extracurricular needs, and strives to guide students in constructing essays that authentically portray their interests, personality, and career goals.
Ms. Uppal graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, English, and Classical Studies from Emory University. While at Emory, she was a member of the Eta Sigma Phi Honors Society for Classical Studies, research assistant on several projects in the psychology department, and editor-in-chief for WMRE magazine. She has earned a Master of Science in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University, where she was a member of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for Counseling. In addition to being a college admissions consultant, Ms Uppal is a practicing psychotherapist and National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Lisa Andrews, MSW, M.S., M.Ed.
A results-oriented professional school counselor, Ms. Andrews has developed college and career readiness programs increasing students’ emotional growth, learning engagement and college acceptance rates. She is the Director of Training at the California College Guidance Initiative, and former department chair and lead school counselor at Ganesha High School in Pomona, CA. At the University of La Verne’s School of Education (Educational Counseling Department), she teaches graduate courses and serves on the graduate admissions committee.
Her commitment to deep equity work involves equalizing the playing field and creating pathways to college success for underserved students with exceptional learning needs.
Ms. Andrews is Board President of the nonprofit Gladeo (a free, inclusive career guidance platform), and an essay reader for the Gates Millennium Scholar Program, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Light and Achievement Scholarship Fund.
She earned her BA in Communicative Disorders from University of Redlands, MSW from University of Southern California, Masters in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, and MA in School Counseling from University of La Verne. Lisa is a music enthusiast and avid tennis player, and loves USC football and all things Trojan-related.
Jamey Becker, MS
A student-centered professional educator, Jamey has nearly two decades of college advising experience with a focus on working with neurodivergent students. Jamey worked for many years as the Director of College and School Counseling at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, MD, where 1 in 4 students were neurodivergent and/or on an IEP. He has helped place students in colleges all across the country and world. He has also coached and guided many student-athletes and is a former D1 soccer player.
Jamey’s approach in working with young people is grounded in getting to know each student, seeking to develop an understanding of what motivates them, and empowering them to be at the center of their process. He is passionate about reducing stress and confusion within the college admissions process. He strongly believes a successful college search is a healthy college search where students can develop self-advocacy skills.
He earned his BA in Philosophy from Loyola University Maryland, which included several Ph.D. courses during his junior year abroad at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium). Jamey earned an MS in Education from Northwestern University, focusing his thesis on the student experience of transitioning from high school to college. He is a soccer enthusiast, an avid reader and a fan of all things Baltimore/Chicago-related, and spends much of his free time coaching baseball and soccer with his three sons.
Jennie Swenson, BA, BS
Ms. Swenson has over a decade of national and international experience as a youth advocate and educator, including five years as a Post Secondary Counselor for Fusion Academy.
Ms. Swenson is passionate about connecting with each individual to discover their personalized path. She especially enjoys helping students identify meaningful extracurricular activities as well as capture their unique voice for essays and interviews.
Individualized meetings include standardized testing planning, creating a college list, pursuing aptitude testing, identifying a major, building a resume, assembling a portfolio, writing essays, preparing for interviews, selecting a college, mastering life skills and more.
She received her Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension, is a certified yoga and HeartMath instructor and has worked as an English, Psychology, and Life Skills teacher. She earned a BA in English and BS in Communication Disorders with a Minor in Music from Brigham Young University. An advocate for service learning, Ms. Swenson wrote her undergraduate honors thesis on post-operative speech therapy for individuals with cleft palate in Amman, Jordan, and taught English to youth in leprosy colonies in India. After graduation, Ms. Swenson worked with children and adults with learning differences in clinics and schools. She enjoys traveling, live music, and spending time with friends and family.
Jennifer Quinn, BA
As a full-time college counselor, Ms. Quinn assists students and their families in career and major exploration, college search, applications, essays, and financial aid. Each student is unique, and there is no single path to selecting and applying to colleges. She believes it is important for each student to find the institution that is their best academic, social, and financial fit. Ms. Quinn uses her firsthand knowledge of college disability services to accommodate each student’s needs, when applicable; she previously owned a tutoring center where a majority of the students serviced had learning differences.
Prior to working in education, Ms. Quinn lived and worked in New York City, where she held several senior-level positions in the financial industry. She has a wealth of experience that complements the broad range of personalized services and tools used in her practice.
Ms. Quinn has a BA in English from Hofstra University and a College Counseling Certificate from Rice University. She is also a member of the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC) and an associate member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Ms. Quinn is an avid reader and loves spending time enjoying the outdoors with her family and Great Pyrenees dogs.
April Miller, M.S., CCC-SLP
With over 20 years of experience in the education field, Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) April Miller guides neurodivergent students and their families through the college planning and application process. She specializes in working with students diagnosed with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Language Processing Disorders, Auditory Processing Disorders, Executive Functioning Deficits and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, among others.
Ms. Miller earned a Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders from Ithaca College and was awarded a Certificate in College Counseling with Distinction from UCLA. She is a Nationally Certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) with direct clinical experience working with diverse clients from birth to 18 years. As a Clinical Faculty member at both the University of Washington in Seattle and Towson University in Baltimore, she facilitated the clinical competencies of undergraduate and graduate students in the management of diagnostic and treatment remediation for pediatric clients. As a Clinical Instructor at Maalot Baltimore, she taught undergraduate courses in Speech and Language Development and the Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Language Disorders.
Ms. Miller owns the LD College Expert consulting practice and is the Co-Founder of the LDND Foundation (“The Authority on LDND Higher Education”). Her passion and purpose is to empower students to find their own voice, use it to self-advocate and actualize their dreams!
Melanie Mac Caskie, M. Ed.
Melanie has spent more than a decade helping students achieve their college goals in a wide range of settings: universities large and small, public and private, highly selective and open-access, first-year admissions and transfer, admissions and advising. This diversity of experience has given Melanie the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to help students navigate towards the best colleges for them.
From her training and experience as an academic advisor, Melanie brings a skills-based approach to working with students. Each student has a unique set of strengths and growth edges; Melanie helps them get the tools and information they need to forge their own paths to success.
Melanie graduated cum laude with a BA from the State University of New York, Purchase College, where she double majored in Anthropology and Literature. In 2020, she earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern University. Melanie is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
She lives in an old house in western Massachusetts, where she enjoys reading, sharing good meals with friends and family, and walking her sweet but mischievous golden retriever, Tilly.
Our Mission
To improve access to college for students worldwide, especially those with learning differences or emotional challenges.
Our Values
Top College Consultants prides itself on simplifying the college admissions process for families. Our experienced team is dedicated to supporting families every step along the way. We are guided by 3 core values:
Excellence
Top College Consultants strives to provide valuable guidance to students and families throughout the process.
Inclusion
We believe that all students, regardless of their challenges, deserve access to a quality college education.
Learning
Our diverse team of lifelong learners is passionate about helping and inspiring students.