Our Team

Sara is the founder of Application Nation™, a private college counseling community that provides personalized advice to college applicants and their families. Sara's first book, SOUNDBITE: The Admissions Secret that Gets You Into College and Beyond, was published by Hachette Book Group in April, 2021. She is the former associate dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, the former dean of admissions and financial aid at Franklin & Marshall College, and the former Director of College Counseling at the Baldwin School. Sara holds a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from Hamilton College. Sara’s philosophy is that every kid applying to college deserves the best advice. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, Justin, their three children, Sophie, Max, and Dotsie Bea, and poodle, Lilly.

Neasa is a former Assistant Director of Admission at Villanova University, and former Associate Director of Transfer and International Admission at the University of Pennsylvania (where she first met Sara Harberson and Sarah Massari!). She also spent over a decade in the classroom as an English teacher. Originally from Dundalk in Ireland, Neasa immigrated to the United States as a teenager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Villanova University, and a master’s degree in Irish literature from Trinity College, Dublin. She lived and worked in The Netherlands and Belgium for eight years before returning to the Philadelphia suburbs where she now lives with her husband and three children. Neasa enjoys helping students differentiate themselves through their essays and college applications.

Sarah met Sara Harberson when they worked in the Admissions Office at the University of Pennsylvania together and it was “best friends” at first sight. After Sarah’s time at Penn, she went into consulting for the human resources company HayGroup, focusing on the pharmaceutical industry and succession planning. As Sarah’s family expanded, she left consulting and shifted to volunteering at her children’s schools (and still does to this day). Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in human behavior & psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Sarah has been working with Sara Harberson since Application Nation’s inception in 2018, this time as a partner, an advisor, and, above all, a friend. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, three kids, and a beloved Boston Terrier.

Lauren is a digital marketing specialist with over 12 years of experience. She specializes in inbound marketing, graphic design, copywriting, and brand building. Lauren has worked with a variety of clients and industries as a marketing agency account manager, and as a coordinator in non-profit marketing and communications. She holds a master of fine arts degree from Brandeis University and a bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College. Lauren has been partnering with Sara Harberson since 2015, and loves spreading the word about Sara's unparalleled expertise and the life-changing community that is Application Nation. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters.

Genevieve is an educator and college counselor who has worked for almost two decades in secondary education as a teacher and advisor and later as an academic dean and college counselor. She holds a master’s degree from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College. She was also Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia University’s Teachers College. At Sara Harberson, she is a data enthusiast and researcher who loves to help students find what they need to make informed decisions about college and their futures. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

Ryan has spent more than two decades in higher education. First, as a professor at the University of Notre Dame and Bowdoin College teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. Most recently, as an admissions officer at Bowdoin College where she worked for over 10 years. While in admissions at Bowdoin, Ryan managed domestic and international territories, led international, QuestBridge, and veterans recruitment and reading processes, and presented on the best admissions practices internationally. After graduating from Bowdoin College, she went on to get her MA and PhD in Roman Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati. Ryan also served as a Fulbright Scholar in Greece where she was a member of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Ryan brings to Sara Harberson a deep love of learning and a passion for supporting families and students throughout the admissions process. She currently lives in Australia with her husband and dogs, Finn and Casey.