About Lantern College Counseling
A developmental approach to college admissions and student success grounded in the Deep-Fit™ Framework.
About Jennifer Stephan
Jennifer Stephan, PhD, founded Lantern College Counseling after decades spent working with students across nearly every stage of the college journey — as a professor, mentor, academic advisor, engineering dean, and admissions committee member.
Her background includes a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, fourteen years as a computer science professor at Wellesley College, eight years as a dean at Wellesley College where she also served on the Board of Admission, and more than a decade as a dean in the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Across these roles, she worked closely with students to help them make the most of their college experiences, achieve their college goals, pursue meaningful opportunities, and grow intellectually and personally throughout college.
Jennifer supports students pursuing engineering, computer science, and other STEM pathways, as well as students who are undecided about their academic and intellectual direction. Her approach combines deep academic fluency with thoughtful mentorship, developmental guidance, and a strong commitment to protecting student voice and agency.
At both Wellesley College and Tufts University, Jennifer oversaw academic standing and review processes, working closely with students navigating academic difficulty, leaves of absence, and complex educational challenges. At Tufts, she also chaired the university’s Mental Health Task Force, which developed recommendations related to academic standing and medical leave policies. These experiences shaped her understanding of how institutions respond to student disruption, recovery, and reentry, and they continue to inform Lantern’s work in college success coaching, academic crisis support, transfer guidance, and long-term educational planning.
This broad institutional perspective led Jennifer to develop the Deep-Fit™ Framework — a philosophy centered on helping students find environments where they can grow intellectually, develop agency, build meaningful direction, and thrive.
The Deep-Fit™ Framework
Lantern’s work is grounded in the Deep-Fit™ Framework, which shapes how we think about student development, college admissions, student success, and academic recovery.
The framework is built on the belief that students thrive when they find environments that align with how they learn, engage, think, and grow. Deep-Fit considers academic fit, institutional culture, mentorship, intellectual community, program structure, support systems and resources, opportunities for exploration and growth, and a student’s developing sense of direction, agency, and belonging.
Deep-Fit shapes how Lantern approaches the full arc of a student’s journey to and through college. In admissions counseling, our Deep-Fit™ Admissions Approach prioritizes academic alignment, institutional culture, learning environment, and long-term student thriving — not just admissions outcomes.
In our college success coaching and academic recovery work, our Deep-Fit guidance helps students make the most of their college experiences while supporting them through setbacks, challenges, and periods of re-evaluation when college does not go as planned.
This perspective also informs Lantern’s approach to ethical college counseling in the age of AI. We believe students should remain active participants in their own educational journeys, developing the capacity to reflect, communicate, make decisions, and advocate for themselves.
Our work is designed not simply to help students gain admission, but to help them build the self-understanding and direction needed to thrive throughout college and beyond.
Who We Work With
Lantern’s approach is especially valuable for students and families whose educational paths benefit from thoughtful guidance, nuanced institutional understanding, and individualized support.
We commonly work with:
• STEM-oriented students, including those pursuing engineering, computer science, AI, or interdisciplinary technical fields
• Students who are undecided or still developing clarity about their academic direction
• International students and globally mobile families navigating U.S. and Canadian college admissions systems
• College students experiencing academic crisis, including academic probation, leaves of absence, transfers, or the need to re-evaluate direction after a difficult college start
Across all of these contexts, our work focuses on helping students develop self-understanding, confidence, and a clear sense of direction so they can make decisions that support both admission and long-term success.
Many of the families who seek out Lantern place a deep value on education itself. They may be educators, researchers, or parents who understand that college success depends on more than rankings or brand names. Others come to us because their student requires a particular learning environment to thrive — whether due to giftedness, neurodivergence, or a need for structure, challenge, or support that may not be well served by a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Lantern Team
Lantern’s work is supported by a collaborative team with experience spanning student development, college admissions, academic advising, and college success coaching.
Jennifer Stephan, PhD — Founder & Academic Strategy Lead
Former engineering dean, computer science professor, academic advisor, and admissions committee member who specializes in guiding students pursuing engineering, computer science, AI, and other STEM pathways through strategic admissions guidance and thoughtful educational planning.
Jennifer has been featured in national podcasts, articles, and professional conferences on college admissions, student development, and higher education. See our In the Media page.
Eliza Yuen, MS — College Admissions Counselor
College admissions counselor who works closely with students applying to U.S. and Canadian colleges, with particular experience supporting STEM students, undecided students, and international families through thoughtful college search, application strategy, and essay development.
Karen Flood, PhD — College Success & Academic Crisis Specialist
Former Harvard dean with deep experience helping students make the most of their college experiences and navigate both everyday academic challenges and more significant periods of disruption, including leaves of absence, re-entry, and academic recovery.
Learn more about our team.
What Makes Lantern Different
Most college counselors have seen one side of the college experience: admissions. A smaller number have worked closely with students throughout college itself. Very few have done both — and it is rare to find counselors who have spent decades inside universities overseeing what happens when students encounter serious academic difficulty.
Lantern's team has. This means the guidance we offer in admissions is informed by what we know happens after students enroll — including which environments genuinely support students, what thriving actually looks like on a college campus, how institutional cultures respond when challenges arise, and what kinds of educational fit hold up over time.
It also means that when students or families need support later, whether during transition, academic difficulty, or re-evaluation of direction, we are there to help within the same developmental framework and relationship rather than starting from scratch. That continuity is central to what Lantern was built to provide.
Why Families Choose Lantern
Families choose Lantern because they want more than generic advice or checklist-driven admissions strategies. They want thoughtful, institutionally informed guidance from professionals who understand not only how students gain admission to college, but also what helps them thrive once they arrive.
By working closely with a limited number of students and families, we develop a deep understanding of each student’s academic profile, learning style, goals, and context. This allows us to offer guidance that is both highly personalized and grounded in decades of institutional experience.
Our role is to help families sort through the noise of rankings, timelines, and competing advice, and to create a steady, intentional process that supports both strong college applications and long-term student growth and well-being.
The result is not just successful admissions outcomes, but students who feel prepared, self-aware, and equipped to thrive in environments that genuinely support their growth and goals.
Explore Lantern’s Services
Lantern’s services support students across the full journey to and through college, from admissions planning to college success and academic recovery.
Next Steps
Choosing the right college to support a meaningful and successful college experience is a significant decision.
Whether families are navigating admissions, college transition, academic challenges, or periods of re-evaluation, we begin by listening carefully, understanding your student’s context, and determining whether Lantern is the right fit for your family’s needs.
If you would like to explore working together, we invite you to schedule an introductory call.
Lantern College Counseling was founded by Jennifer Stephan, PhD, creator of the Deep-Fit™ Framework and former engineering dean, computer science professor, and admissions committee member with over three decades of experience supporting students across the journey to and through college.