Meet the Author: Jeannie D'Agostino

Hello! We're excited that you found your way to our admissions blog to learn more about our University and about the admissions process. It's my hope that the time you spend here will help in demystifying what can be a complex process, and that my and my colleagues' blog posts will put faces to the names behind the emails and phone calls you receive from the Office of Admissions!

In my role as Director of International Admissions, I'm fortunate to work closely with our international students and U.S. students living abroad, and I can appreciate the unique perspective that these students bring to our community. As a former international student myself, I'm passionate about serving our international students and doing what I can to help them navigate the challenges that they face, to ensure their success here at Drexel.

My experience as an international student started when I was young, having attended a significant portion of primary school in Belgium. When it came time to search for universities, the availability of study abroad and language courses were a priority for me. I graduated from Chapman University in Orange, CA, with a bachelor's degree in Peace Studies and French, and my study abroad experiences took me to Prague, Czech Republic and Rabat, Morocco. My experiences at Chapman further fueled my desire to seek out immersive cultural experiences and integrate them into my academics.

Upon graduation, I worked at an international human rights organization, where I focused specifically on a program that supported awareness campaigns on local human rights issues. This is where I began to focus on the idea that sometimes the most positive impact you can have is right in your hometown. However, my next step took me further from home when I was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship to attend a master's program at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. I once again became an international student, but as an adult this time, which made me more keenly aware of the challenges that come with the adjustment to living in a new country.

My educational experiences and working with various international human rights organizations helped to underscore the idea that you don't have to go far to make a difference. I'm passionate about seeking out opportunities to make a positive change in my space and I'm fortunate to be able to do this in my role at Drexel. My work allows me to connect with students and their families and help guide them as they make impactful decisions that will shape their future.

In my blog posts, I'll share more about my tips and recommendations for the college search process, but I'll leave you with this one piece of advice: Create space for reflection throughout the college application process. Take the time to slow down and ask the tough questions. You don't have to know the answers, but those questions are intended to get you thinking about how you will seek out experiences and shape your own life.

Thanks again for checking out our blog, and I hope you follow along on our adventures in admissions!