The College Blueprint, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of two new counselors to our team as well as the expansion of our practice to our new location in Riverside, California.  Excited about the distinct areas of expertise these two dynamic women bring to The College Blueprint, we welcome Erica Chen and Nichole Lippman.

Erica Chen:
Erica returns to The College Blueprint as a counselor working with both high school and college transfer students. After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Journalism, Erica worked with Jan Kerchner several years ago as a counselor and tutor until she moved to New York City where she obtained her master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. 

Returning to California with her husband, a Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside, Erica is in the process of completing her college counseling certificate at UCLA.  We are pleased to have her join us to guide students in our Irvine office and to expand our practice to facilitate students at our new location in Riverside, California.  Erica is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Erica’s upbeat personality, extensive knowledge of the college admission process, intelligence and excellent writing background makes her distinctly qualified to offer our students the very best guidance to find and apply to schools that “fit,” and to express themselves in the important and influential essay portion of college applications. Erica is delighted to guide students on a path where they will learn, blossom and grow.  When not working with students, Erica enjoys taking long walks with her dogs and cooking for her family. 

Nichole Lipman
We are excited to have Nichole on our team! As a high school counselor for the past five years working with students from various backgrounds, she appreciates the unique journey that each student takes in finding their college match.   Nichole completed her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in child development at San Jose State University where she was recruited as a scholarship athlete on the women’s water polo team. Her personal experiences have been instrumental in counseling student athletes on how to navigate the NCAA clearinghouse process and optimize their college admission choices.  

Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree, Nichole began coaching water polo at the high school and club level, further developing her passion for helping high school students fulfill their goals. Completing her master’s degree in counseling, she obtained her P.P.S. credential through California State University, Northridge.  Hired that same year as a counselor at Buena High School in Ventura, Ca. Nichole went on to complete her second Master’s Degree in Administration.  Ultimately she was offered a counseling position at Northwood High School in Irvine, Ca. where she is ecstatic about the opportunity to live closer to her fiancé, Matt and continue to serve students in a fun and motivating atmosphere. She currently resides in Dana Point and enjoys infusing both passions in her life by helping Matt coach water polo while counseling high school students through the college admissions process at Northwood, and The College Blueprint.