Rita Kirshstein, has been helping students with the college application process since 2003 when she established College Connections. Rita holds a PhD in sociology and has focused on higher education issues throughout her career. While at the American Institutes for Research for over 27 years, Rita concentrated on higher education finance and access issues and evaluations of numerous federal and state programs. This work took her onto hundreds of college campuses where she interviewed administrators, faculty and students and delved into the operations of the institutions. Since 2006, Rita has been on the board of College Bound, a DC-area college access program, where she also serves as a college advisor. She is an adjunct professor at George Washington University where she continues to teach higher education courses and the author of numerous reports and articles for policy makers, researchers and parents. Recently, Rita has become a part of the Noodle community of experts, informing students and parents about college access issues.