Meet the Admission Counselors
"Each Admission Counselor wears a number of hats in the Andover community."
We in the Andover Admission Office are eager to assist you as you search for an independent high school. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have specific questions about the application process, financial aid scholarships, a specific extracurricular program, or residential life. Each admission counselor wears a number of hats in the Andover community. In addition to our daily responsibilities in the Andover Admission Office, we are coaches, advisors, Andover alumni, house counselors and club leaders.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Phillips Academy Admission Office
(978) 749-4050 tel
(978) 749-4068 fax
Jane F. Fried
Assistant Head for Enrollment, Research and Planning
Dean of Admission
Jane Fried always wanted to work in education. "In high school and college, I tutored students in a variety of subjects. I loved the classroom environment," she says. "I also had the unusual experience of coaching at the middle school and high school level while I was a student at Bowdoin College." She received a B.A. degree from Bowdoin and an M.A. degree from Tufts University, writing her master's thesis on adolescent perceptions of leadership.
After college, Fried decided to work in a boarding school, which allowed her to teach history, coach field hockey and lacrosse, and house counsel in a girls' dormitory. "I loved the boarding school environment and decided to stay in education," she says. She made the switch from the classroom to admissions in 1985. "I really appreciate how admissions allows me to combine my teaching and counseling skills with institutional and strategic planning, as well as communications. Admission work demands an overall knowledge of the institution, a keen interest in education, and a love of children."
At Phillips Academy since 1991, Dean Fried says, "I appreciate the opportunity to meet so many bright and interesting students each year. I never tire of traveling to new areas for the school in search of 'youth from every quarter.' However, the aspect I enjoy the most is building a class for Andover. Reading every application to the school, learning about both students and schools across the nation, and determining who benefits the most by being part of this extraordinary community is an awesome experience each year."
Dean Fried lives on campus with her family and serves as an academic advisor to several students.
James F. Ventre '79
Director of Financial Aid and Admission Operations
Jim Ventre, Class of 1979, received an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1983. He then joined the Phillips Academy faculty as a teaching fellow in English and later became an admission counselor. In 1990, he was appointed director of financial aid. Ventre has concurrently held the positions of senior associate dean of admission and, most recently, director of admission operations. He has served as president of the Association of Financial Aid Officers and was named Educator of the Year by the Albert G. Oliver Foundation in New York for his work with underprivileged families. He has dedicated his professional career to working with students and their families with financial aid and is particularly proud of the recent Board decision to adopt a need-blind admission policy. In addition to his responsibilities in the Office of Admission & Financial Aid, Ventre has served as an advisor, coach and house counselor. He is presently a house counselor in Fuess House, where he lives with his family.
William D. Leahy
Senior Associate Dean of Admission
Bill Leahy has spent the past 18 years working in schools as an admission professional and it is something he sees himself doing for many, many years to come. His greatest joy is helping students and their families find the best educational match for their high school years. From his days as a camp counselor and director at YMCA Camp Coniston in New Hampshire to his internship at the Westminster Children's Hospital in London, Leahy's passion for working with young people has always been at the center of his life. After graduating from college, Leahy spent two years working as an assistant dean of admission at Boston University. It was during that time that he was able to visit several boarding schools throughout New England. He soon found himself joining the admission staff at Phillips Academy in 1991. “Working at Andover is an incredible job, and the students I meet every day remind me of just how fortunate we are to have a community that attracts young people from all over the world,” he says. “Not a day goes by when I am not impressed by the extraordinary talents of our students. Even more importantly, their talents are matched by their natural humility and humor - making Andover a place where it is truly fun to be.”
Leahy and his wife, Bethany (who also works in the admission office), live on campus with their three children-their oldest is currently in 11th grade at Andover. In addition to his roles in the admission office and as a current PA parent, Leahy is a complementary house counselor in America House, a ninth-grade boys' dorm.
Hillary R. Abe
Admission Counselor
Teaching Fellow in English
Hillary Abe joined the Andover community in the fall of 2008, after graduating from Dartmouth College with a major in Native American studies. Abe splits his time between the Shuman Admission Center and Bulfinch Hall, home of the English department. He is also a house counselor in Bishop Hall, a large, 10th-12th grade boys’ dormitory, and a JV swimming coach. “I am lucky enough to see the many different phases of PA student life—from admissions to academics, and from athletics to dorm life,” Abe says. “I’ve learned that everywhere can be a classroom.” An aspiring filmmaker, Abe is excited to be a part of the Andover faculty, “a team of dedicated professionals who are all committed to the betterment of our society, by preparing our greatest asset: the youth.”
Stephen W. Carr Jr.
Associate Dean of Admission
Steve Carr joined the admission team in 2002. Originally from nearby Concord, Mass., Carr graduated from Amherst College in 1997 with a degree in American studies and English. Prior to coming to Andover, he lived in San Francisco, where he worked as a corporate finance analyst at an investment bank, a product manager in a software start-up company, and a director at an after-school learning center for the Score Learning Corporation.
Carr very much enjoys the interview process and finds "the chance to meet and interview a wide variety of talented young people interesting, educational and often times inspirational." As an associate dean of admission, he reads and evaluates the 12th grade applications and all post-graduate (PG) applications. Carr is an academic advisor to 10 students and head coach of both the boys' varsity soccer and boys' varsity lacrosse teams; he enthusiastically brings his experience as an All-American athlete and collegiate two-sport captain to the Andover athletic program. He and his wife, Shayna, live on the Abbot campus.
Kevin E. Graber
Assistant Dean of Admission
Formerly a professional baseball player, professional and collegiate baseball coach, director of alumni and parents programs at Amherst College, and residence director at UMass Amherst, Kevin Graber joined the Andover admission team in the fall of 2008. As an assistant dean of admission, he reads and evaluates the 10th grade boarding boys' applications. In addition to working in admissions, Graber is head coach for Andover’s varsity baseball team and complementary house counselor in Pease House, a small boys’ dorm. He is excited to make the career switch to secondary school admissions. “The opportunity to represent a school like ours and help prospective students investigate all that Andover has to offer is an honor and a privilege I’m extremely proud of,” he says. Graber graduated from The College of Saint Rose and earned a Master's degree in education at UMass Amherst. He lives on campus with his wife, Tina, and their three young children—Katie, Kyle and Kelly.
Lisa M. Joel
Associate Dean of Admission
Dean of Abbot Cluster
Lisa Joel first joined the Andover community as the sports information director in 1993, after graduating from Amherst College with a B.A. in English. In 1995, she found her way to a new opportunity at Andover, in the admission office. As an associate dean of admission, Joel has been the class officer for day students as well as ninth grade boarding girls. During the 2008-2009 admission season, she will oversee the entering 10th grade class. What she enjoys most about her job in admissions is interacting with the families who are moving through the independent high school search. "Interviewing is a great opportunity to talk with students and their parents about educational goals and extracurricular passions," she says. "After scratching the surface in the interview, it is fun to read in detail about students during the selection process. Once the class is admitted, the fun continues. Our entire office gears up for welcoming and matriculating another talented group of new students to Andover during our annual Spring Visit Program."
In addition to her duties in the admission office, Joel is one of five residential deans at Phillips Academy. As Cluster Dean, she looks after the 170 boarding students and 47 day students who belong to Abbot Cluster. She lives with her family in Stowe House, an historic building which houses eight 11th grade boys. During her 14 years at Andover, Joel has lived in several different dormitories. She spent her early years as a house counselor in large girls' dorms in Flagstaff Cluster (Day Hall and Paul Revere). Following these residential experiences, she spent three years living with ninth grade girls in Nathan Hale House. In 2005, Joel and her family moved to Stowe House.
One of Joel's favorite responsibilities at Phillips Academy is her role as head coach of the girls' varsity soccer team. She has also spent many years coaching the girls' junior varsity lacrosse team in the spring and serving as an academic advisor.
Dean Joel and her husband, Chris, have three daughters: Mariel, their youngest, and identical twins Hope and Emma. The Joel family enjoys spending time outdoors, relaxing at their vacation home in New Hampshire, cooking, and watching sports. Their favorite teams to cheer on to victory are the U.S. women's soccer team, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots and, of course, any Andover sports team. Go Big Blue!
Vivien Valenzuela Mallick
Associate Dean of Admission
Vivien Valenzuela Mallick joined the admission team in 1999 after graduating from Tufts University with a B.A. in English. In addition to interviewing prospective students and traveling locally in Massachusetts and to her home state of New Jersey to find the best students for Phillips Academy, Mallick helps to write and edit admission publications, coordinates on-campus events for the admission office, and oversees the day student applicant pool. "My favorite part of the job is selection," she says. "I especially enjoy reading the applicants' essays and figuring out how each student would not only benefit from the Phillips Academy experience, but also contribute to the school community in different and exciting ways."
In addition to her duties in the admission office, Mallick is a house counselor and academic advisor in Nathan Hale House, the largest ninth-grade girls' dormitory. She is also an assistant coach on the girls' JV2 lacrosse team and a dedicated fan of the girls' varsity volleyball team. Mallick and her husband, David, have a young daughter named Carly. The Mallick family enjoys cooking traditional Filipino food, attending Guster concerts, and cheering on the Boston Red Sox.
José W. Powell '91
Assistant Dean of Admission & Director of Student of Color Recruitment
José Powell returned to Phillips Academy as an assistant dean of admission in 2006, having been a post-graduate student at Andover in 1990-1991. After graduating from PA, Powell went on to earn a B.S. in African-American Studies from Northeastern University, where he was also a member of the Division I men's basketball team. Most recently, he worked as an assistant director of admission and coordinator of multicultural recruitment at Newbury College in Brookline, Mass.
Powell is excited to be part of the Andover community in a different capacity, one in which he will have the opportunity to meet students from all over the country and say to them, "Let me tell you about a really cool school!" In addition to his responsibilities in the admission office, he is a complementary house counselor in Draper Cottage, a ninth grade boys' dorm. "I look forward to helping our Draper boys make the adjustment as boarders," he says. "I hope that as the year progresses they will support each other socially and academically, and that they come to realize their individual strengths but also contribute as a unit." Powell is also a mentor to a group of young men on campus – predominantly students of color – who meet regularly to discuss both books like The Pact and life at Andover. He also serves as an assistant coach to the outdoor track and field team.
Stephen A. Silversides
Associate Dean of Admission & Director of the Davis Scholars Program
Steve Silversides joined the admission team in 2006 after three years working in the Office of Admission at Colgate University, where he served as an assistant dean of admission and co-coordinator of international admission. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, Silversides graduated from Colgate University in 2003 with a B.A. in international relations. While an undergraduate at Colgate, he played for the Division I men's varsity ice hockey team and frequently volunteered for the Office of Admission as a student panelist and prospective student host.
Silversides is excited to make the switch to secondary school admission. "I am thrilled by the opportunity to be a part of a dedicated and talented admission team who is committed to bringing an extremely gifted group of students from around the globe to the Andover community," he says. "Through daily interactions with this talented group, I am eager to help students realize their potential as they develop into the leaders of tomorrow." As an assistant dean of admission, Silversides will travel all over the United States and Canada recruiting students to come to Phillips Academy. Silversides oversees the 9th grade boarding boys' applicant pool. In addition to his responsibilities in the admission office, he is head coach of the JV2 boys' lacrosse team and a complementary house counselor in America House, a ninth grade boys' dorm.
Marisa Zepeda
Assistant Dean of Admission
Marisa Zepeda joined the Andover admission team in the fall of 2008, after two years as an assistant director of admission at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is excited to make the switch to secondary school. “Education is extraordinarily important to me because of my personal experience coming from an underserved community and then having the opportunity to attend a selective college,” Zepeda says. She is excited to work with both current and prospective students, as she helps to run the tour guide program and will be traveling and interviewing a lot for the office. In addition to her responsibilities in the admission office, Zepeda is a complementary house counselor in Whitney House, a small girls’ dormitory. She graduated from MIT with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science.
La Srta. Zepeda contestará con gusto sus preguntas sobre el proceso de solicitar admisión a Andover. La puede llamar al (978) 749-4425 .