College Counseling

Gail Berson joined the Lycée with over 35 years of experience in college admission and counseling.

A magna cum laude graduate of Bowdoin College, Ms. Berson earned her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications at Emerson College. She has served as Vice President for Enrollment/Dean of Admission at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges and as Director of Admission at Mills College (now Northeastern University Oakland), and has consulted for colleges and independent schools.

A frequent speaker on admission trends, she is a former College Board trustee and currently serves on Advisory Boards for IE University (Madrid) and King’s College London and as a trustee on the board of the Nantucket Partnership for Children.

Shawn is a widely respected educator and admissions leader, bringing over 25 years of experience at Cornell University and the University of Virginia (UVA).

As Cornell’s first Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Deputy Chief Admissions and Enrollment Officer, he shaped all aspects of undergraduate admissions, with a particular focus on international recruitment, marketing, and strategic planning. He served as Cornell’s lead recruiter for Africa and China and began his career as Assistant Dean of Admission at UVA, where he earned his BA in Music and MA in Music Composition and Ethnomusicology. A dedicated teacher, Shawn has taught courses in music, ethnography, writing, and leadership. Recognized nationally for his expertise in college admissions counseling and international education, he is a frequent speaker on university admissions and financial aid. Shawn is passionate about student development and guiding students through the college search and helping them craft applications that are both authentic and compelling.

Anne comes from the Poitou-Charentes region in France and earned her Maîtrise in Foreign Languages and International Business at the Université de Poitiers.

She arrived in New York in 2004, joined the Lycée team in 2006, and transitioned into the College Counseling Office in 2007, where she currently works primarily with students applying to universities in France, the United States, and other countries in the EU, Canada, as well as dual-degree programs around the world.

A native New Yorker, Winston has spent the last 25 years working in education, initially as an English teacher, then in admissions, and moved over to college counseling in 2011 and has loved it ever since!

Winston has worked at several boarding schools in New England, as well as a day school in Indianapolis before arriving at the Lycee in 2019.  A graduate of Connecticut College, Winston majored in International Relations and subsequently worked at his alma mater as an Assistant Director of Admission. Winston has a M. Ed. from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently lives in Verona, New Jersey, with his wife, his seven year old son, and their dog, Gracie.

A graduate of Middlebury College (B.A. – French) and New York University (M.A. – French Studies), Mr. Simpson started at the Lycée College Counseling Office in September 2022.

Previously, he worked in the Marketing department of L’Alliance New York and as an English Teaching assistant in Chartres, France, with the TAPIF program.

As Early High School Counselor/Coordinator, Mr. Simpson advises 3e and Seconde students, implementing a College Counseling curriculum with them in Advisory. Additionally, he advises a small group of Première and Terminale students and provides administrative support for the office and its events.

Ms. Bolzan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in Communications from Northwestern University, and a certificate with distinction in College Counseling from UCLA Extension.

After a long career in speechwriting and executive communications at IBM’s European headquarters in Paris, she transitioned to college counseling and has been an adjunct counselor at the Lycée since 2019. Bilingual in French and English, she works with students in both languages.