GayPepper

Education & Degrees
B.A., With Distinction, Stanford University, CA
M.A., Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Ed.D., Columbia University, NY
Post-Graduate Study, Oxford University, England

Experience
Dr. Pepper worked as Associate Dean of Admission at the University of Pennsylvania for five years before becoming a college counselor. She served as counselor for 23 years in leading secondary schools, including: The Dalton School ( NYC), Greens Farms Academy (CT), The Community School of Naples (FL), Shorecrest Preparatory School ( FL), and Crystal Springs-Uplands School ( CA). She was the founder and director of The Scholar´s Workshop (PA) in l980 before founding College and More, Inc. (CT) in 2005

Focus
At College and More, Inc., we offer professional guidance to students and their families so that they can move through the college admission process confident that they will have good college choices. The goal is to find the right "match" between student and college. Our approach is holistic. In addition to a student´s academic record and extracurricular activities, the counseling takes into consideration the student´s natural abilities, personal values, and interests, as well as longer-term personal and career goals. A team effort, the student is always in the center as the client and parents are the customers. The program includes a preliminary session to discuss with the family the scope of the program and an initial evaluation of the student´s secondary school profile. The subsequent sessions are done one-on-one with the student. These include completing the self-evaluation with the option of ability testing to provide the foundation for building the college list. Other topics include: researching the college, taking standardized tests, visiting colleges and having interviews, completing the application, evaluating acceptances and making the final college choice. The counseling often begins as early as the sophomore year (although many prefer to start in the junior year) and concludes at the end of the senior year. College and More, Inc. is strategically designed to help each student move through a process that, if done well, can be a journey of discovery that builds self-esteem.

Strengths
I combine expertise in college counseling on the secondary school level with an extensive knowledge of the unique identities and strengths of colleges across the country. In talking to admissions deans, I have also come to know what colleges look for in prospective candidates. On a personal level, I enjoy the challenge of helping students make a successful transition from school to college. More importantly, I understand the importance of a building process that has to be put in place early on to assure success in meeting college goals. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the value of ability testing as a way of understanding the unique strengths of students which, in turn, provides a foundation for determining which colleges are best suited to match these abilities. College and More, Inc was designed to provide this kind of enriched counseling so that students can make informed decisions about college and careers that build on their growth potential and personal interests

Clients
I concentrate on high school students who seek admission to colleges that fit their talents and needs. I have worked with many of the leading colleges to gain admission for my clients.

Statements & Testimonials
Dr. Gay Pepper has been instrumental in finding superb college matches for my three youngest children. She brought tremendous expertise, knowledge, and insight into their very different needs and personalities, showed respect for our family's values, and added a great deal of warmth to the process. As a result my children are happy and challenged and continue to grow in their love of learning. What parent could ask for more?

Parent, and former Curator of Renaissance and Baroque Art, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, of Students at Carnegie Mellon, Museum School of Fine Arts/Tufts, and Trinity University in Texas

The College Guidance process is more art than science. Many have mastered the statistics but not grasped the nature of the student. Others have mastered the student but are clueless as to the appropriate choice. In Gay's case, we got the rare combination of both. Our son was both angular and "outside the box", clearly a challenge to find not only the right path but the right fit. Not only did Gay help our son design an appropriate college program but also was a tremendous resource, a strong ally in the process, and a needed confidante in what can be a remarkably stressful process. We can't thank her enough, and we know that our child is the direct beneficiary of a remarkably well thought out road map.

Parent of a Boy who attended two music programs before enrolling in an Ivy League school.

Dr. Gay Stebbins Pepper is an insightful and adept educator who is able to pinpoint the uniquely individual strengths and talents of each student under her tutelage and help them to shine. Specifically, she uses ability assessment as the foundation for student-centered counseling. Gay is one of those rarest of individuals – both an inspired thinker and an intuitive counselor who can deftly motivate those students under her guidance to carve out a niche for themselves and to excel.

Parent of a Student at Sarah Lawrence College