I still remember the overwhelming joy I experienced when I received my acceptance letter from Vanderbilt University. The letter symbolized four years of hard work and preparation. I had decided the summer before my freshman year of high school that I wanted to attend a top-tier university, so most of the decisions that I made throughout High School were made with that choice in mind.

I graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. After graduation, I taught at a private school in Atlanta before getting married and beginning a family. Returning to the professional world, I became the Assistant Director of Admissions at Piedmont College. While serving in this role, I developed a first-hand account of how admission decisions are made as well as financial aid decisions. For the past seven years, I have taught SAT and ACT preparation courses.

-Mary Kathryn Tatum