His current role allows him to focus on working closely with a diverse population, including a significant proportion of otherwise under-resourced students.
PASADENA, CA, September 25, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Bruce J. Poch has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Poch is a distinguished college admissions and educational policy professional, currently serving as the director of college guidance at The School of Los Angeles. Utilizing more than 40 years of experience in education focusing on student access, college admission, and counseling, he established and developed pre-college programming and college preparation for students, many of whom are the first generation in their families to attend college. His expertise in college admission, financial aid, and educational policy has been widely recognized.
Mr. Poch's career began at Connecticut College, where he served as the assistant director of admissions from 1978 to 1979. He then moved to Wesleyan University, holding the position of assistant and, later, associate dean of admissions from 1979 to 1987. The year this position ended, he joined Pomona College as the dean of admissions, a role he held until 1995 when he was promoted to vice president and dean of admissions. He remained at Pomona College through 2010, significantly contributing to the institution's efforts to diversify and strengthen its student population and national standing.
In 2011, Mr. Poch founded Bruce Poch Consulting, where he has worked with foundations, schools, colleges, and scholarship programs and continues to serve as principal. Concurrently, he took on roles at Chadwick School, first as director of college counseling and special counsel to the head of school from 2012 to 2013, then as dean of admission and executive director of college counseling from 2013 to 2023. His current role at The School of Los Angeles, held since 2023, allows him to focus on working closely with a diverse population, including a significant proportion of otherwise under-resourced students.
Mr. Poch's academic background includes a Master of Education in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in government and English from Oberlin College. He attributes his success to the commitment of each of these institutions to diversifying and enriching their student populations and providing him with the necessary resources to move forward. He also credits the support he received from his institutions, colleagues, and teams.
Throughout his career, Mr. Poch has been highly regarded for his direct approach and willingness to provide insights to reporters in the national education press. He has contributed guest columns and editorial pieces to the New York Times, NPR, and college guides for Newsweek. He has been cited broadly in national news outlets and books about higher education, access, and college admission matters. He has also consistently been involved with the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and served on committees for The College Board.
In addition to his professional roles, Mr. Poch is actively involved in several civic-minded organizations. He served as a senior advisor for Global Leadership Incubator since 2012 and contributed as a member of the board of academic advisors for QuestBridge since 2008. He was also the board chair for the Center for Student Opportunity/I'm First and part of the scholarship selections committee for Point Foundation.
Further evidencing his expertise, Mr. Poch has contributed to various publications throughout his career. These publications include "The Choice Blog" in 2011, "Keep it Honest, Keep it Real" in 2008, "The Search for Authenticity" in 2007 and "Don't Be Bland" in 2006. He contributed the chapter, "Sanity Check" to College Unranked, published by Harvard University Press.
Looking ahead, Mr. Poch is committed to establishing a sustainable program that he can eventually pass on to a new leader. As he approaches a new phase in his life, he will continue to work with schools, colleges, and foundations in support of their programs through consulting while remaining involved in national conversations about education policy, access and opportunity programs for students, and college admissions.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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