The founder of Midwest College Consulting® is Dana Rolander. Dana has been guiding students and families through the college admissions process for over twelve years and works with students nationwide. Dana is a Certified Educational Planner, a distinction credited to just 233 of the thousands of US-based college consultants. Dana attended the University of Iowa, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication with minors in sociology and English with an emphasis in creative and expository writing through the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

She went on to pursue freelance writing and a long-standing marketing career in the financial services and education industries. She received a Certificate in College Counseling with distinction from UCLA and is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling, and the Wisconsin Association for College Admission Counseling.

Dana vigorously pursues professional development through conferences and workshops, and visits between 10-25 colleges each year. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees for the Mariemont School Foundation, the Mariemont Athletic Boosters, and the Lake Geneva Yacht Club Board, and resides as an empty nester in Terrace Park, Ohio, and Fontana, Wisconsin, with her husband John and dog Hobbes.