Marie Bigham

Expert College Advisor, Kaplan

With more than 25 years of experience in college counseling, admissions, and educational leadership, Marie Bigham brings a deep understanding of what it takes to navigate today’s competitive college admissions landscape. She has served as Director of College Counseling at Isidore Newman School, Greenhill School, and The Bishop’s School, as well as Associate Director of Community Counseling at Riverdale Country School. She began her career in undergraduate admissions at Washington University in St. Louis. 

Marie has helped students gain admission to highly selective colleges and programs across the U.S., Canada, UK, and Korea, while guiding students through competitive pathways including Questbridge, YoungArts, and NCAA recruitment. She has consulted with and served on advisory boards for leading colleges and held leadership roles with NACAC, TACAC, ACCIS and Contigo Ed.

A former NACAC national board member and founder of a nonprofit focused on equity in college admissions. Marie has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She brings an individualized thoughtful approach to helping students build compelling applications and find their best-fit colleges.