About Beth

Beth Newman is a Smart College Selection Consultant.

Beth joined the Smart College Selection team after 19 years as a College Counselor and Student-Athlete Advisor at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. She provides deep experience in higher education through roles at the University of Virginia, George Washington University, Georgia State Perimeter College, and Indiana University Indianapolis — working across student affairs, athletic recruiting, and academic advising.

What drew Beth to this work is the belief that both students and colleges have distinct identities worth uncovering. She finds meaning in helping students understand who they are beyond their grades and test scores and guiding them in conveying that to colleges. Just as importantly, she loves helping students look beyond surface factors like size, location, and selectivity to discover everything a college has to offer.

When the right match is made — a student who will thrive, and a college that gains a true contributor to its community — that's what Beth finds most fulfilling.

Beth earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Virginia, where she was also a recruited student-athlete. Her family brings additional depth to her expertise: her husband competed and coached at the collegiate level, and her daughter played a Division I sport. This firsthand experience with the student-athlete recruitment process is something Beth loves sharing with students and families navigating that path.

Beth is a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), Higher Education Association (HECA), and the Indiana Association of College Admission Counseling (IACAC). and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). She lives in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband, and previously called Indianapolis, Indiana home.

[Bonnie lives in the Meridian-Kessler area of Indianapolis and spends her downtime enjoying her dog, reading, listening to music, training for marathons, and traveling with her husband, often to visit and enjoy their three young adult sons. Yes, she has been through the college selection process with her three boys which definitely brings perspective, empathy, and humor to her work with teenagers and their parents.]

[“Bonnie is fantastic. She brings Smart College Selection’s highly structured approach that really brought out the best with our son. She knew how to push while also being supportive. The finished product in terms of essays and short answers were fantastic, and we believe helped our son stand out against other applicants. Bonnie knows the college application process very well and brought insights and value on where our son should apply and how he should apply to have the highest chance of being accepted.”]