About

Mindy Popp, the managing director and principal consultant, has worked in various positions with college and secondary school students, including college counseling, college admissions, residential life, teaching and advising. Most recently, Ms. Popp worked as the Associate Director of College Counseling at a local independent high school. Prior to working as a school college counselor, she served as the college counselor for Chyten Educational Services. Before joining the staff at Chyten, Ms. Popp worked as a Senior Assistant Director of Admission at Wellesley College. During her tenure there, Ms. Popp developed a comprehensive understanding of critical factors considered and emphasized in the college application process. She reviewed applications for admission, conducted student interviews, facilitated information sessions for students and families, advised Board of Admission student volunteers, and coordinated open house events.

In addition to her counseling work, Ms. Popp supports various college access initiatives. She worked as a college counselor in a 2008 College Summit workshop in Amherst, MA advising students from under-resourced communities. She served as a Fellow in the Boston Cares Leadership Institute for 2005-2006. During the Fellowship, Ms. Popp led a team of educators in a consulting project that benefited QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization dedicated to access to higher education. Ms. Popp also volunteers at College Goal Sunday, an annual event that offers information and support to families applying for college financial aid.

Ms. Popp is a member of professional organizations including the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). She also was a participant in the 2005 IECA Practices and Principles Institute, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Guidance Counselor Financial Aid Training (2007-2009), and the AAA Student Lending: Guidance Counselors Training (2008, 2009). Ms. Popp is a graduate of Tufts University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

What others are saying...

"Mindy was invaluable to us when our daughter initially applied to college and when she decided to transfer closer to home after her first year. She has a kind but firm no-nonsense approach that helped focus our daughter. She listened to her but was ever mindful of her professional responsibilities, keeping her on track and not allowing her to worry too much or procrastinate. We were particularly pleased when Mindy suggested schools that we hadn't considered and that our daughter really liked. I only wish we had found her earlier."

– Parent, Winchester, MA



"Working with Mindy throughout the college application process was a great experience that ended with fantastic results. I was admitted into nine out of the eleven schools to which I applied and this was in large part due to the guidance and tutelage I received from Mindy. Mindy helped me prioritize my tasks, budget my time, and offered expert advice in writing and composing application essays, especially those with difficult word limits. Mindy went the extra mile and assisted me even after I had applied to my schools, offering crucial advice when I came to her trying to get accepted off the wait list at my dream school, UPenn. Applying to college was a tedious and sometimes daunting task to undertake, but the process was certainly easier having a professional like Mindy to guide me every step of the way."

- Douglas F., University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2012