Jeannie Borin, M.Ed.

Founder and President

Jeannie received her Masters Degree in Education and Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology/Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and is Founder and President of the Los Angeles based independent college counseling firm College Connections. She has an extensive educational background having served as counselor, school administrator, admissions director, teacher and curriculum supervisor for over twenty years in both the public and private sectors. Jeannie also mentored teachers through the UCLA teacher-training program for seven years, is state certified, and holds a teaching credential issued for life. Jeannie is a Julliard School of Music alumni and has first hand experience in selective admission auditions in top tier performing arts programs.  Jeannie has over fifteen years admissions counseling experience and continues her work of the past ten years as an independent educational and college consultant. She is an independent specialist who works with and oversees every student.  Jeannie participates in the UCLA College Admissions Counseling Certification Program and regularly attends professional conferences, networks with colleagues and visits colleges throughout the United States building contacts within the admissions staff. Jeannie has been awarded professional membership with the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Her affiliation with the National and Western Association of College Admissions Counselors as well as the Higher Educational Consultants Association keeps her on the forefront of innovative and current trends in college admissions and education.  Click here to meet Jeannie up close and personal. Watch and listen as an expert college and educational consultant answers your questions about college admission.

Amy Altman, LCSW

College Counselor

Amy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and earned her Masters in Social Work at the University of Southern California in 2001 graduating with the highest of honors. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors from Colgate University in 1997, with a major in sociology. In 1998, Amy lived in Israel and taught in three diverse high schools. In addition, her work there focused on counseling emotionally disturbed adolescents. Amy also worked in the United States at a non profit agency as a clinical social worker developing Treatment Plans, Individualized Education Plans, and counseling adolescents and their families. Amy’s outstanding level of knowledge and achievements benefit College Connections’ families. She continues working as a counselor with College Connections assisting students and their families locally and across the country.

Christina Romero, M.Ed.

College Counselor

Christina is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She received her Master's of Education in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University in 2001 and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Notre Dame in 2000. Christina worked at Harvard in undergraduate admissions with prospective applicants and their families as a Harvard Interviewer and at an inner city Boston high school through the COACH program (College Opportunity and Career Help). Christina also served as the Director of College Counseling at an independent high school in Austin, Texas where her responsibilities included administration of standardized tests and college preparation curriculum planning. Before joining College Connections, Christina was the Director of Guidance and College Counseling at a local charter high school in Los Angeles where she helped students choose the right colleges, reviewed essays, wrote letters of recommendation and interacted with admissions officers from around the country. Christina is bilingual and brings both her exceptional abilities and professional expertise in Ivy League admissions as well as her years of experience working with high school students to College Connections.

Lee Reitelman, A.B.

College Counselor

Lee received his A.B. from Princeton University, where he specialized in Comparative Literature and European Cultural Studies. While at Princeton and after, he has worked extensively with students from around the country in all aspects of the college admissions process, including ACT, SAT and PSAT preparation, Advanced Placement exam preparation, college admissions counseling, and scholarship essay coaching. Recruited by Princeton for his vocal and instrumental talents, Lee brings to the table valuable Ivy League experience in helping students present their strengths in such ways as to make them unique and attractive candidates for admission to top-tier universities. Lee is trilingual, speaking German and French, and has received numerous fellowships for research and travel. As an ACT and SAT tutor, Lee has helped develop sample questions for use in a variety of test preparation programs, and brings this experience to bear in his one-on-one work with students with astounding results. His expertise spans Literature, Philosophy, History, Mathematics, Sociology, Film Studies and Art History, and he has developed successful strategies for helping students to master these disciplines. Lee is thrilled to bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to the College Connections team.

Lisa Chan, Ph.D.

College Counselor

Lisa received her Doctorate in Education, specializing in Teaching and Learning from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2001 and is the recipient of the most competitive and prestigious dissertation fellowship offered by the Office of the President of the University of California. After receiving her doctorate, Lisa worked as a professor within the California State University system and as an integral member of the faculty, Lisa shaped curriculum, taught, and served as a counselor mentoring students. Lisa’s positive approach carries into her work as an invited reviewer for three major publishing firms: Houghton Mifflin, McGraw Hill Companies and Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Not surprisingly, Lisa is also a published author in top tier journals and continues to conduct empirical research for the advancement of knowledge. Her outstanding accomplishments and experiences from a professor’s perspective work successfully to our students’ advantage. Lisa brings her exceptional ability as a scholar and counselor to College Connections.

Luis Medina, B.A.

College Counselor

Luis graduated with honors from Yale University in 2004 with a B.A.in Psychology. Since his graduation from Yale, he has been published in several scholarly journals and has presented his work at both national and international conferences. He has extensive experience working with persons of all ages in many different realms, including psychologically and academically. During his time at Yale, Luis recruited applicants for the university and worked with different aspects of the admissions process. As a result, he is very familiar with Ivy League admissions. Since then, he assists students with the college admissions process not only as a counselor, but also as an academic tutor in subjects ranging from test prep (SAT and ACT) to English composition, Mathematics, the Sciences and many others. A native of Puerto Rico, Luis is trilingual and a welcome member of the College Connections counseling team. In addition to his college counseling expertise, he currently does work at UCLA as a psychology researcher and plans on pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology at USC in the fall. His diversified experiences benefit many of our College Connections’ students and their families.

Heather Verst, M.A.

College Counselor

Heather Verst received her Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of San Diego and her Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration & Special Event Management from California Polytechnic State University. Heather continues her education in the Advanced Master Education Program at Columbia University. Heather has worked as a counselor specifically with athletes at the University of San Diego through the mentorship program, helping and guiding students through the transition from high school to college. She has partnered with admission officers and coaches in order to facilitate counseling, workshops, and motivational sessions. Heather has worked as a counselor on university campuses, high schools, and with community groups for many years. She also facilitates career development and assessments, with the goal of supporting and helping each student find his or her own path to the right major and career that best fits the student’s passions and curiosities. Heather’s expertise in career development and years of college admissions experience, specifically working with high school and college students, is a great addition and asset to our team at College Connections.

Anne-Marie Bedney, M.A.

College Counselor

Anne-Marie, originally from Washington, DC, received her Masters in Counseling from New York University’s School of Education in 1997 and her Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Music Performance from Manhattan School of Music in 1986. Additionally, she studied psychology at Vassar College. Anne-Marie is state certified and has had a teaching career that spans more than twenty years, working in both public and private schools. She works extensively assisting students with the college admissions process, counseling them on everything from college selection, essay coaching and interviewing techniques to scholarship research and college visits. In addition, she plays both the violin and viola professionally and performs with many New York area orchestras, chamber music ensembles, Broadway shows and has done numerous commercial, film, TV and CD recordings. Music is her passion but so is working with youngsters, helping them to realize their full potential. She comes to College Connections offering her expertise in the arts and education, her understanding of and love for kids and great enthusiasm for helping them reach their educational dreams.

Page Lee, M.A.

College Counselor

Having grown up in Seattle, Page Lee explored colleges throughout the country and ultimately chose to attend Stanford University where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology in 2000. She then taught high school science courses in the Bay Area before moving to Chicago where she received her Masters Degree from Northwestern in Human Development and Social Policy in 2005. Her research work at Northwestern sparked her interest in becoming a high school counselor, and she gained certification in doing so after completing her graduate work. Page has worked with hundreds of students in her high school setting, both as a Guidance Counselor and as a specialist College Counselor. Page is an active member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) and attends national professional conferences on a regular basis including the College Board Forum and the Harvard Summer Institute. Page’s clientele includes students of a wide range of abilities and interests, athletes and artists. She visits colleges regularly in every region of the country and has successfully placed students in universities all over the country. She enjoys working with students to find colleges that are a good fit. Her expertise is a welcome addition to our College Connections team.

Gabriel Reif, M.Ed.

College Counselor

A native New Englander, Gabriel Reif obtained a Masters of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont in 2007 and his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Brandeis University in 2004. Gabe was directly involved with undergraduate admissions at Brandeis, working closely with prospective students and their families. Gabriel brings diverse professional experiences in higher education, including admissions, judicial affairs, academic advising, orientation, and co-curricular programming. As a scholar, Gabriel has conducted cutting-edge research on international admissions policies and retention trends and has presented at several national educational conferences. Bringing expertise, enthusiasm, and insight, Gabriel's approach to college counseling resonates with College Connections' mission of enabling its students to achieve their aspirations through an ideal college admissions experience while giving them the unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of themselves.