About

Philosophy

Barbara Rapaport has been supporting families on their educational journeys for over twenty years. She is a long-time proponent of student-centered learning and brings that same philosophy to the college search and selection process: every student is different, so the “best” college for any particular student is the one that best matches that student’s unique set of skills, interests, and aspirations. Barbara upholds a professional code of standards and ethics whose core values are sound advice, integrity, respect, and confidentiality.

Credentials

Barbara is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the co-leader of the Performing Arts Special Interest Group of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. She is the former Director of Professional Development for the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and has previously served as the HECA 2016 National Conference Co-Chair and HECA Community Representative for central NJ (2013 – 2018). She belongs to the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling, the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling, and the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling. Barbara regularly attends professional development conferences and classes, visits 20-30 college campuses each year, and stays current on developments in college admissions through trade publications and networking with colleagues.

Barbara holds a BA in American Studies from Barnard College of Columbia University and earned the Post Graduate Certificate in College Counseling, with Distinction, from UCLA. She is MBTI® and Strong Interest Inventory® Certified. Prior to having children, she worked in the financial aid office at the University of Pennsylvania where she served as Acting Director for the work-study program.

Ongoing Community Work

Barbara serves on the advisory boards of the Princeton Learning Cooperative and the New Jersey Homeschool Association, volunteers with College Summit/Peer Forward and ScholarMatch, and coaches high school mock trial. She co-founded E-cubed: Experience, Explore, Educate teen learning group for homeschooled students. Barbara offers seminars and workshops to parent and student groups as well as to other educational consultants.