Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, Germantown Academy’s college counseling office will be changing. GA will be welcoming two new counselors: Ms. Jodi Robinson as the new Director of College Counseling and Ms. Ryan Coffee-Keaton as Senior Associate Director of College Counseling. At the same time, Mr. Na will be leaving to become Director of College Counseling at EA.
Ms. Coffey-Keaton and Ms. Robinson are both excited about the transition to GA and bring a wealth of prior experience in different areas of the college counseling process.
“I came from the Crefeld School, but I was the Assistant Head of School and the Dean of Students,” Ms. Coffey-Keaton said. “Prior to that, I directed three different college counseling offices.”
The Crefeld School is a private, alternative and secular day school in Chestnut Hill for students in grades seven through twelve.
“Before [Hill School], the majority of my career has been spent in higher [education] admissions, most recently at the University of Pennsylvania, but also at Wesleyan, American University, Bucknell and Carnegie Mellon,” Ms. Robinson said.
Both of them have unique ways of helping students through the college process, as well as different pieces of advice and philosophies towards college counseling, shaped by their prior experiences.
“I think successful counseling looks like making authentic relationships with students and understanding what it is that they and their family value,” Ms. Coffey-Keaton said. “But it starts with developing a relationship where they can speak honestly about [what] they want and what they need.”
This personalized aspect of college counseling is something that was also echoed by Ms. Robinson. They make it clear that their vision of a successful college counseling experience varies for every student, and that a flexible yet also driving approach to getting the student active in the process is best.
“I think that my philosophy is to start at a larger, 30,000-foot view, and then begin to drill down to specific qualities,” Ms. Robinson said. “It’s really important to get out and visit some colleges to see what resonates, and then also to be thinking from the perspective of where you really want to apply.”
Although many challenges face students entering the admissions process, Ms. Robinson and Ms. Coffey-Keaton are ready to help students face shifting trends in college admissions, as well as new challenges that arise, most importantly, the increasing cost of college. Affordability has always been a factor in determining colleges, but with rising prices, it plays a more notable role.
“I think the costs have continued to rise extraordinarily,” Ms. Robinson said. “We just had a regional meeting of the Philadelphia Independent Schools, and so many more of our families are talking about affordability immediately.”
Among other trends is the return to the requirement of standardized testing for schools. Despite movements criticizing the equity of the standardized tests due to concerns about socioeconomic differences and access to test preparation, many colleges returned to using standardized tests as an important part of the application. This shift was made even easier by the end of the COVID era, making testing easier to conduct.
“I do think that students are finding some comfort with the new testing being offered digitally,” Ms. Coffey-Keaton said. “But I wish the trends were that the college admissions process was being more mindful of the state of students right now.”
Despite all of the changing trends and challenges that are emerging, the GA college counseling office is still committed to helping students navigate the wild scene of college admissions.
“I think the team is doing so many really amazing things,” Ms. Robinson said. “I hope to continue this excellent work that’s been done.”
As the school looks forward, it also bids a fond farewell to Mr. Na, Associate Director of College Counseling, who will be continuing his career at Episcopal Academy. After more than six years at GA, Mr. Na leaves behind a strong legacy of care, connection, and impact, both in the counseling office and as a key faculty sponsor of the Asian American Student Association.
“I’m really proud of my work with Ms. Tsai, and creating a space through AASA,” Mr. Na said. “We used to sit in the back of the Confucius classroom, and there used to be like two to five students and us.”
While his presence will be missed, the department is well-positioned for an exciting transition under its new leadership. With Ms. R and Ms. C stepping into their new roles, GA’s college counseling program is set to evolve with fresh perspectives and renewed energy.