Education: Barbara earned her B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia and her M.A. in English & American Literature from Georgetown University. A graduate of National Cathedral School, she brings a strong academic and educational foundation to her work with students and families.

Experience: Barbara has 18 years of college counseling experience in independent schools and private practice combined. At Marks Education, she helped hundreds of students tell their stories through their college applications and interviews and led the firm’s transfer admission practice. As Director of College Counseling at Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, Barbara transitioned the school to digital submission of transcripts and recommendation letters, wrote the college counseling handbook, and served on the administrative team. Her most recent high school role was at The Potomac School, where she served as Associate Director of College Counseling. In her eight years at Potomac, Barbara developed a college counseling curriculum for Junior year and expanded the school’s programming for parents to help demystify the college admission process. She was also an academic advisor and Upper School admissions interviewer. Returning to her roots in private educational consulting, Barbara currently advises high school students and their families, college transfer students, and graduate school applicants. In recent years, she has also been a seasonal admissions reader for Swarthmore College and American University.
Barbara has presented at professional conferences and parent workshops on topics ranging from recommendation writing to athletic recruiting to highly selective admissions. She was a two-time Chair of the Potomac & Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling’s Summer Institute for new professionals.

Specialties: Barbara is known for her warm and forthright manner, strategic advice, attention to detail, and strong advocacy for her students. She stays current with the evolving landscape of college admissions and standardized testing and brings a particular strength in research and data. She believes in equipping families with knowledge so that they can make informed decisions throughout the college process. Having visited approximately 90 colleges and universities and developed strong relationships with professionals on both the counseling and admissions sides, Barbara also brings a deep understanding of the unique factors that shape each college search. She specializes in helping students identify colleges that are an excellent fit. A former high school English teacher, Barbara has a passion for supporting students at every stage of the writing process and helping them prepare compelling applications. She works with high school students as well as college students who are looking to transfer schools.