Joie Jager-Hyman is a writer, researcher, and internationally acclaimed expert on the college admissions process. Her first book, Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize, was called "an engaging book that every parent of a high school student will want to read" by the Wall Street Journal and was recognized as one of the "Ten Best Books of 2008" by the Daily News Online. As an expert on college admissions, Joie has appeared on the CBS Early Show, New England Cable News, NPR and dozens of other radio programs.

She has also contributed to numerous publications, including Forbes, New York and The New York Post, and written research articles for academic journals and prominent policy reports. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Joie served as Assistant Director of Admissions for her alma mater, where she read and evaluated thousands of applications. She then went on to pursue a doctorate in education policy at Harvard University, concentrating her research on the transition from high school to college.