Marilee Jones

Marilee Jones (born June 12, 1951) is a former dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the co-author of the popular guide to the college admission process Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2006). The book received critical acclaim and Jones was featured on CBS, National Public Radio, USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe. Jones resigned from her position in 2007 when it became known she had fabricated her academic degrees from Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on a job application in 1979 and she had added a fabricated degree to her resume from Albany Medical College sometime "after she was hired." The Times characterized Jones's earlier prestige as "the guru of the movement to tame the college-admissions frenzy." The Boston Globe called her "the most celebrated and outspoken admissions dean in America." After her resignation, she became the number 2 newsmaker of the day on COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann for "begging college applicants not to pad their resumes" while having done so herself.

Jones was first hired by MIT as an entry-level admissions officer in 1979; she was later promoted to associate director of admissions. She then served as interim dean of admissions from May 1997 until January 1998, when she was appointed to the position full-time.