Rebecca Besthoff
College Admissions Consultant
Former admissions officer at Bowdoin CollegeI joined College Coach after working for many years in college admissions at various institutions. I began my career at my alma mater, Bowdoin College, where I was in charge of applications from northern California, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, and the New England states, as well as the transfer admission program. While I was an associate director of admission at Cornell, I oversaw recruitment in New England for all seven of Cornell’s undergraduate colleges. I reviewed every application that came from the region and sat on the selection committees in the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. At Harvard, I personally evaluated every application for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and international territories. I enjoyed being a strong advocate for students in an extremely selective admissions process. My most recent position was senior associate dean at Barnard College, where I was responsible for all aspects of the international admission program. I recruited in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Bowdoin College
Bachelor's in Psychology and French
What I most loved about my years in college admissions was making a meaningful connection with students and communicating good information to families. I really wanted them to feel empowered and confident when they submitted applications to any school. At College Coach I have an even greater opportunity to know students well and to guide families through a complex and intimidating process. Searching for the right schools will often reveal a student’s growth in surprising ways. Creating an application that reflects an applicant’s unique talents, qualities and values can seem overwhelming, but it can also be one of the most memorable projects a student will ever do! I feel it is a privilege to be a part of this personal process with young adults and their parents.
Telemark skiing, choral singing, road biking, international travel, watching movies with my family