Academics

College Advising

The College Advising Office provides an individualized process for each and every student. Our experienced team of college advisors educates, guides, and supports students as they go through the process of self-assessment, research, application, and college choice. We look beyond the numbers of GPA and test scores to help students and their families find the college with the best overall fit and where students will find success.

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Our Approach

The College Advising Office is open to students and parents of all grade levels. Students will begin meeting in groups in the ninth and tenth grade to understand the resources available to them at KUA and learn how to get an advantage in the process during the summer months. Students are then assigned an individual college advisor at the beginning of their junior year and will begin meeting in November and continue throughout their senior year.
Additional Resources

We offer free SAT and ACT test prep for all students and can connect students and families with outside tutors who offer in-person and virtual test preparation sessions.

Resource Links

Our Team

We have more than 70 years of combined experience working in college advising and college admission offices. We work alongside students as teachers, coaches, advisors, and dorm parents, providing valuable insight into our students’ lives.

List of 5 members.

Gunnar Olson

Director of College Advising

603-469-2175

Bio
A boarding school graduate, Mr. Olson came to KUA in 2019. He spent the l9 years prior to KUA as a college advisor at independent schools in Ohio, Texas, and Alabama. After working at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio, he became the Director of College Advising at Indian Springs School in Alabama. In 2016, Mr. Olson moved to Ohio to become the Director of College Counseling at Western Reserve Academy. Before working in boarding schools, Mr. Olson worked on the “college side” of admission in New York and Michigan.

As a student, Mr. Olson was fortunate to work with a wonderful college advisor, who inspired his approach to his work with students. His philosophy for the college search and application process is a student-centered approach, striving to find the right fit for each student. Mr. Olson has presented at various regional and national conferences about all aspects of this process and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools.

Mr. Olson enjoys living on campus because it allows him to interact with students outside the traditional academic environment. He feels this interaction makes him a better college counselor. He is visible at numerous athletic and cultural events on campus. He enjoys golf, food, old movies, and all sports. Having grown up in New England, he is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He will be living on campus with his wife Anna, a Cubs fan.
Derek Gueldenzoph

Senior Associate Director of College Advising

603-469-2171

Bio
Derek Gueldenzoph came to Kimball Union in 2012 after spending almost 20 years serving in college admissions and financial aid at four different small liberal arts colleges: the Dean of Admissions for St. Olaf College in Minnesota, the Dean of Admissions for The College of Wooster in Ohio, the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Enrollment for Austin College in Texas, and an Admission Counselor for his alma mater, Beloit College. Derek graduated from Beloit with a BA in Psychology and Government and has his MA from Bowling Green State University in College Student Personnel. He played soccer all four years at Beloit and was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Honor in 2011.

Derek is joined at KUA by his wife Margot Gueldenzoph. They live on campus with their two boys, Cole and Reid.
John Kluge 66

English Teacher, College Advisor

603-469-2191

Bio
A 1966 graduate of Kimball Union, John has taught English at KUA since 1989 and was English Department Chair till 2016. Holder of the Lionel Mosher and Peter Holland Chair in English for 25 years, he has taught AP Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, English IV Honors, English IV, and English III. John has served on many committees in his tenure at KUA and chaired the committees that developed the Writing Across the Curriculum and the Senior Capstone Programs. He also served as chair of the past two NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) self-study committees and played an integral role in preparing the Academy for its NEASC re-accreditations.?

Though a House Parent for many years, John now lives on a hilltop in Enfield, where he is a Town Selectman, a member of the Enfield Planning Board, and often volunteers for the Enfield Shaker Museum. He enjoys, reading, writing, walking through his woods, kayaking, cutting firewood, and playing with his tractor, but his greatest passion is for teaching literature at Kimball Union, where his classes are noted for their energy, their student-centered approach, and their emphasis on writing with clarity and depth of thought.
Chloe Prudden

Assistant Director of College Advising

603 469-2173

Bio
Chloe joined the College Advising Office at Kimball Union Academy in January of 2021. She is a New Hampshire native and Proctor Academy alumna, where her mother worked for 20 years. She went on to study International Relations and Economics at the University of New Hampshire and is earning her Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard University. She has lived in Spain; Chicago, IL; Nicaragua; Boston, MA; and Connecticut before returning to her favorite state. After working as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Colby-Sawyer College for two years, she realized her true passion for college advising. She loves working with students to help them find the best fit for their post-KUA life. She also enjoys running, soccer, yoga, reading, traveling, and eating doughnuts.
Heather Vogel

College Advising Office Manager; SAT/ACT Test Coordinator

603-469-2170

7 Campus Center Drive
Meriden NH, 03770
phone: (603) 469-2000
info@kua.org