Page 2 - Menlo School – KNIGHTtime News

KNIGHTtime News
GUIDING YOUR COLLEGE PROCESS
Natalie Ford
After 13 years in college admissions, I’m so excited
to be joining the wonderful and welcoming community at Menlo School. A few months ago, my family and I relocated to California after
my husband accepted a new job.
It seemed like the perfect time for me to consider new professional opportunities on the college counseling side of the desk, and Menlo was the perfect t!
Most recently, I served as Associate Dean of Admission at Princeton University. While at Princeton for eight years, one of my favorite responsibilities was managing the application process for recruited student-athletes of all 37 Division
I teams. I loved working with the athletic department sta and coaches to meet the needs of their varsity programs while ensuring
the academic readiness and success of student-athletes. I was also fortunate to travel both domestically and globally with colleagues from other highly esteemed colleges and universities, to share the merits of
MEET
NATALIE FORD
Menlo’s Newest College Counselor
“ I LOOK FORWARD TO CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS WITH MENLO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A WONDERFUL HOME FOR STUDENTS’ FUTURE COLLEGE YEARS.”
a liberal arts education. I met with guidance counselors, students, parents, and alumni in parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Southeast Asia, as well as from all corners of the United States.
Prior to my time at Princeton,
I worked full time at Lehigh University’s Admission O ce
while simultaneously earning my Master’s in Educational Leadership. My hometown of Bethlehem, PA, is where Lehigh resides, so it was a bit of a homecoming after going to the University of Colorado at Boulder for my undergraduate years and then living in Philadelphia for my rst admissions job at Arcadia University. What I love most about this profession is that I have experienced many cultures and have been
able to learn from a wide range of perspectives. Also, I have seen how dynamic college campuses are in the US. There are so many wonderful choices for students today, both in terms of where to attend, and also what to study and engage in on campus. I look forward to cultivating relationships with Menlo students and families as we work together to nd a wonderful home for students’ future college years. I feel so lucky to be a part of the college counseling team at Menlo, whose reputation in the eld precedes itself.
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