Charis Ralko served as an associate director of admissions at Washington University in St. Louis.

During her time at WashU, she reviewed over 8,000 applications and oversaw admissions decisions within regional subcommittees. Charis also served as a supervisor for the auxiliary application reading team, providing a second review of the applications completed by the team.

A thought leader in elite college admissions, Charis regularly offers insight into the forces shaping the process. Most recently, The New York Times turned to her for perspective on how the sexual assault scandal at Cornell could affect prospective students and families. She also recently penned an op-ed on MIT dethroning Princeton for the U.S. News & World Report rankings crown.

Charis graduated summa cum laude from WashU with a bachelor’s degree in political science.