This past year I have met and established some wonderful friendships and collaborations on Twitter. I had the privilege of meeting Jenn Cohen of Sheldon Word Nerd this past summer. I thought it might be fun to list the college experts who I would love to meet IRL (in real life) in 2012. If you aren’t following them already, I’ve included the links so you can!

Akil Bello-This guy cracks me up and is the genuine article. His SAT advice is spot on and he’s quite a wordsmith. I would love to sit down with him and discuss the merits of Manilow’s music (and how he feels about internet shysters trying to rob parents of their hard-earned money).

Kelly Queijo-Kelly is my hero because she walked the 30 mile Komen walk for me and my mom. Not to mention she hosts #campuschat AND has the best go-to site for college visit information. She and I have been Twitter friends since her site launched.

Nancy Berk-Nancy is every parent’s friend and quite the comedian. Her book, “College Bound and Gagged” left me rolling on the floor laughing. I would love to be a guest on “Whine at 9”!

Eric Clark-Eric, my man. A great dad and an educator with a vision to help tutor EVERY student across the country with his Quincy Tutoring network. He’s been one of my biggest supporters and I him.

Wendy David-Gaines-The ultimate POCSMom and a colleague. She approaches the college journey with humor and ideas to reduce the stress while helping parents with support and encouragement throughout the journey.

Monica Matthews-Monica is a parent too but an absolute EXPERT on college scholarships. I wish I would have had her book when my kids went to college. She rocks helping parents and students find and apply for scholarships.

Elizabeth King-Elizabeth writes the most pithy articles about test prep and the value of education. She’s an all star in my book!

Paul Hemphill-My Boston buddy and good friend. Paul and I believe that parents are the customers and colleges should rise up and take notice! Plus, he’s the best at marketing students for college. He gets an A+++ for being a parent advocate.

Jane Kulow-Jane is on the college journey with her kids and visiting colleges as we speak. Her blog ROCKS for parents who are going through the process because you get a real-time parent’s perspective.

Jeff Sheely-Jeff’s common sense approach to financing a college education made me a fan from the first time I met him on Twitter. His College Money blog gives parents and students the BEST advice about debt, student loans and financing a college education.

Gil Rogers-Gil is the first admissions officer I met on Twitter and he helped me answer many a parent’s question. Now he works for Zinch (my fav college related company) and his stellar social media savvy makes him an all-around guru.

Fuji Fulgueras-Apart from teasing me about my Manilow fandom, Fuji is a college admissions counselor and a respected expert. He can answer any questions about college admissions and is always helpful to parents when asked.