The People Behind the Practice
Decades of experience inside university enrollment offices. A belief that families deserve guidance earlier. A practice built to deliver it.
OUR STORY & PHILOSOPHY
Why We Built SUM TOTAL
We spent decades inside university enrollment offices - reviewing applications, awarding financial aid, counseling families through one of the most significant transitions in a young person’s life.
Year after year, we saw the same pattern. The families who started these conversations earlier arrived in a fundamentally different position. Not because they were wealthier or more connected, but because they were informed.
Our Philosophy
College planning is one of the first major transitions families navigate together. It involves aspirations, expectations, financial realities, and important conversations about the future.
By starting early and including the whole family, we help families gain the clarity and shared understanding needed to approach the college journey thoughtfully, rather than reactively.
We built SUM Total because we believe the counseling industry should serve families earlier, include parents in the process, and give every family the information and preparation to navigate what’s ahead - together.
We don’t rush childhood. We give families time, perspective, and the opportunity to make decisions from a place of knowledge rather than uncertainty.
Robynne C. Lofton, Co-Founder
Brandi L. Smith, Co-Founder
What Families Often Wish They Had Known Earlier
Every year, we watched families during the later stages of the college process who share a similar reflection:
“We wish we had started this conversation sooner.”
They wished they had understood course rigor earlier. They wished they had explored interests before the resume-building pressure started. They wished they had talked about finances before the sticker shock of senior year.
None of that was their fault. The information simply wasn't available to them when they needed it.
We built SUM TOTAL to close that gap.
The college journey unfolds over several years, and many of the most important decisions - academic choices, extracurricular exploration, and financial planning - begin long before applications are submitted
“This offers a soft launch into college - nurturing the conversation in 8th and 9th grade instead of waiting until the pressure hits.” - Early Riser Parent
More Thoughtful Academic Choices
Understanding course rigor, academic pathways, and long-term goals helps students make intentional decisions beginning in the first years of high school.
Stronger Exploration of Interests
Students have time to discover what genuinely excites them and pursue experiences that deepen those interests.
Clearer Understanding of College Fit
Families begin evaluating colleges based on academic, social, and financial fit — not just reputation or rankings.
Healthier Family Conversations
Starting early creates space for thoughtful discussions about expectations, opportunities, and the future.
Less Pressure During Application Years
When foundational decisions are made earlier, the junior and senior years become far more manageable.
“This program gives parents a real job in a process that otherwise feels aimed entirely at the student.” - School Counselor
Where Does Your Family Begin?
WHY TRUST US
Why Families Trust Our Guidance
Choosing college guidance is an important decision. Our programs are built on decades of direct experience inside the institutions your student will be applying to.
Founded by Enrollment Leaders
Our founders didn't study admissions from the outside — they led it. A former Associate Vice President of Enrollment and Director of Undergraduate Admissions, with combined decades of experience in high school college counseling, admissions and financial aid. Both have served as presidents of major regional college counseling organizations, shaping professional standards, and supporting admission practitioners across the field.
Specialized Pathway Expertise
Students pursue many different futures. Our team includes expertise in NCAA recruitment, arts and conservatory programs, and other distinctive academic tracks.
Deep Institutional Knowledge
Our counselors bring experience across public universities, private colleges, and specialized programs — graduate and undergraduate. This breadth means families understand the full landscape of higher education, not just a narrow slice of it.
A Family-Centered Approach
Most college counseling focuses on the student alone. Our model intentionally includes parents and the entire family, ensuring decisions about opportunities, expectations, and financial realities are made with clarity and shared understanding.
Our Founders
Robynne Lofton
Robynne brings nearly thirty years of enrollment leadership across universities, EdTech, and agency settings. She has directed enrollment divisions as Associate Vice President at Mills College and as Director of Undergraduate Admissions at California College of the Arts, and more recently embedded enrollment strategy into UX and content as Director of Enrollment Strategy at a national digital agency.
Robynne builds inclusive, data-informed strategies that drive recruitment, retention, and access while advancing institutional values. She has guided large teams and multimillion-dollar budgets through change — from CRM implementations and a college merger to test-optional admissions and tuition reset — always centering the family experience and equitable access for underrepresented students.
A past President of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), founder of its Institute for Diversity, Equity, and Access, and recipient of the Joseph P. Allen Human Relations Award, Robynne is also a sought-after speaker on connecting enrollment and web teams. She earned a B.A. in Sociology from Pepperdine University and an M.A. in Communications–New Media from Southern New Hampshire University.
Brandi Smith
Brandi brings more than two decades of experience across selective university admissions and independent and public school counseling. She has served as Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Emory University, and Assistant Director of College Guidance at Charlotte Country Day School, coordinating multicultural recruitment and reading thousands of applications across her admissions career.
At Marietta High School, Brandi built an independent-school-style advising model from the ground up for a large, diverse public school, helping raise the college-going rate by nearly ten percent and increasing college visits from 23 to 167 in two years. Her work centers equity, access, and multicultural recruitment, with a talent for building the programs and partnerships that expand opportunity for underrepresented and first-generation students.
In 2026 Brandi received the Larry West Award, the highest honor given by the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), which she has served as President. A recipient of the NACAC Excellence in Education Award, she remains a national voice for ethical, equitable admissions. She earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Reinhardt University.
Meet our Advisors
The People Behind SUM TOTAL
Our programs are guided by experienced college admissions professionals who have spent decades helping students and families navigate the evolving higher education landscape.
The curriculum was developed by leaders who have worked inside university enrollment offices — not just advising families, but making admissions and financial aid decisions themselves. That perspective informs everything we do.
Shakila Williams
Early Risers and College Essay Preparation
With more than twenty years guiding students and families through the college admissions journey, most recently as a College Essay Writing Specialist at Pace Academy, Shakila brings the perspective of both an admissions and a writing professional to Sum Total Consulting.
She has served a diverse group of applicants, helping each uncover their authentic voice while guiding families through every stage with insight, care, and compassion. She has also worked across selective liberal arts, public, and private colleges and universities.
With a heart-centered approach, Shakila helps students move from uncertainty to a clear sense of who they are on the page and where they belong. Her method blends relatability, reliability, patience, and a deep understanding of what it takes to shape a meaningful personal essay. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Oberlin College.
Shakila enjoys holding a good book, good coffee, travel, sharing music, cultural anthropology, and all things Savannah and LeBron James.
Chris McCoy
Early Risers, Sophomore Launch, Junior Milestones, College List, and College Essay
With nearly two decades in college admissions and counseling, Chris brings a multi-sided view of the process to every family he works with. His admissions career spans several universities, including a large research institution, and he has served as an application reader for a highly selective university and a national scholarship program. He later became a high school college counselor working with hundreds of students and families, and has taught college courses in Organizational Leadership.
That combination shapes his approach: he understands what admissions offices look for, what high schoolers actually need, and what college classrooms expect. Centering joy, process, discernment, and self-discovery, Chris helps students minimize stress while staying focused on what matters.
A past president of the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) and a recipient of its Life Member Award, Chris earned a PhD in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands, an M.A. in Adult and Higher Education and a B.U.S. in University Studies from Morehead State University, and a B.A. in Organizational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University.
Outside of work, Chris can be found courtside cheering on his daughter’s basketball team, out for a long walk with his chocolate lab, or reading nonfiction.
Warren Quirett
All Programs
With nearly two decades in college admissions and counseling, Warren brings a deep understanding of the college search. He began as a senior regional admissions counselor at Louisiana State University, later served in regional enrollment at Miami University, and now works in college counseling in independent and boarding schools.
Warren helps students and families navigate one of the most consequential decisions of high school, empowering them to express who they are authentically. His approach centers equity and representation, ensuring students feel confident and supported.
Warren is Board Chair-Elect for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) and co-leads NACAC’s Black and African Diaspora Special Interest Group. He earned his M.Ed. from Northeastern University and his B.S. from Louisiana State University.
Outside of work, Warren is a foodie who enjoys cooking, new restaurants, travel, live music, and cheering on the LSU Tigers.
Suzi Nam
All programs
Having served in senior leadership roles on all sides of the desk, Suzi brings a multifaceted perspective to Sum Total Consulting. Across more than twenty-five years in the profession, she has been Director of Admissions at Swarthmore College, Executive Director of the Lenfest Scholars Foundation, and Director of College Counseling at three independent schools in the Philadelphia area.
An active thought contributor and inclusion practitioner, Suzi has held several national leadership roles, including facilitating NACAC's first Antiracist Institute and serving on the faculty of Guiding the Way to Inclusion (GWI). A regular panelist at national conferences, she has spoken on topics ranging from the Varsity Blues controversy to training the next generation of leaders through the Middle Management Institute.
A first-generation college student, Suzi is a proud community college graduate of the County College of Morris who went on to earn a bachelor's degree from The College of New Jersey and a master's from the University of Chicago. She brings her professional and personal educational experiences to her work, along with her lived experience as a parent of two daughters.
In her free time, Suzi loves to dance, paint, enjoy live music, cultivate deep friendships, and soak up all the time she can with her dog and two cats.
Jean Hester
Early Risers, Sophomore Launch, Visual & Performing Arts, College Essay, and College List.
With more than sixteen years in higher education as a Vice President for Enrollment Management, Director of Admissions, and faculty member, Jean brings a diverse blend of experience to Sum Total Consulting. She has worked across public and private colleges, two-year through graduate programs, and institutions from liberal arts to art and design.
Jean understands the challenges prospective students and their families face, helping them move from big questions to clear, practical plans, combining empathy with thoughtful analysis to turn uncertainty into confidence and action.
Before higher education, Jean led front-end development teams on major website projects for Fortune 500 companies and NASA labs. She earned an MFA from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and a BFA in Filmic Writing from the University of Southern California.
Her interests include art and design, theatre, computer programming, creative writing, improv comedy, and neurodiversity.
Tela Herring
Early Risers, Sophomore Launch
With more than two decades of experience spanning higher education, K–12, and college access, Tela brings a record of leadership at the national, regional, and local levels to Sum Total Consulting. Her career has focused on expanding educational opportunity across public, private, charter, and higher education settings.
Her experience spans university admissions, college counseling, school leadership, and strategic enrollment management — including as Director of Undergraduate Admissions for Strategic Outreach and Recruitment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Director of College Counseling at Lausanne Collegiate School, and Dean of College and Student Success at Freedom Preparatory Academy. A founding member of Sugar Creek Charter High School, she helped shape its academic foundation and grounds her work in relationships, access, and innovative recruitment and student-success strategies.
A native Memphian and graduate of Shelby County Schools, Tela earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Applied Psychology and Criminal Justice from Christian Brothers University and an M.S. in Education in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Tennessee. She co-chairs NACAC’s African American Counselors Special Interest Group and formerly served on the board of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). Her interests include strategic enrollment management, college access and equity, leadership development, and student transitions into higher education.
“Families often tell us their biggest relief is having a knowledgeable guide who understands both the admissions process and the family dynamics behind it.”
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