About HEC

Headwaters Educational Consulting (HEC) was founded by Jennifer Quinn to support the needs of high school students and parents as they face choices about life after high school.

Prior to becoming an Educational and College Advisor, Jennifer owned and operated a successful learning center in Billings, MT for 13 years. Throughout her time at the center, Jennifer guided students through all aspects of the college process. She realized that many students were unsure about college – the admissions process, choosing a school, choosing a major, scholarships, and financial aid. In addition, students frequently waited until the last minute, and then just fell into a school.

As a full-time college counselor, Jennifer assists students and their families in career and major exploration, college search, the application process, and finances. Each student is unique, and there is no single path to selecting and applying to colleges. She believes it is important for each student to find the institution that is their best academic, social, and financial fit. 

Beginning in middle school, Jennifer accounts for all facets of a student’s learning while looking ahead to post-secondary education. During these early years, she cultivates the student’s strengths, interests, and goals to formulate an academic plan. As students progress to sophomore and junior years of high school, the focus shifts to building a college list, career discovery, essays, and applications. For learning disabled and neurodiverse students, Jennifer uses firsthand knowledge of college disability services to accommodate each student’s needs.

Outside counseling hours, Jennifer devotes significant time to visiting schools, researching educational and financial trends, studying changes in admissions policies, and keeping abreast of new developments on campuses. Because numbers (GPA, test scores, undergraduate population size, cost of attendance, etc.) tell only part of the story, recognizing the current state of institutions is highly beneficial when considering potential matches.

Before moving to Montana, Jennifer lived and worked in New York City, where she held several senior-level positions in the financial industry. She has a wealth of experience that compliments the broad range of personalized services and discovery tools used in her practice.

Jennifer Quinn has a College Access Counseling Certificate from Rice University. She is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Association for College Admissions Counseling (RMACAC), Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling (PNACAC), and an associate member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).