Anthony Berryhill wins Disruptor of the Year at Influencer Magazine Awards 2026

Anthony Berryhill, founder of Elite College Hacker and creator of the ACCESS Code Method, received the Disruptor of the Year honor at the Influencer Magazine Awards E2 in London on July 1, 2026. The award spotlights his college admissions coaching model, which he says has expanded access to elite schools for students across six countries.

Why it matters: - Berryhill’s win highlights growing demand for college admissions coaching that reaches students beyond the top end of the market. - His work is positioned around access, not exclusivity, in a field where consulting fees can run from $15,000 to $20,000 or more per student. - The recognition also reflects how debate-based coaching is being used beyond admissions, including student development and corporate training.

What happened: - Anthony Berryhill won the Disruptor of the Year Award at the Influencer Magazine Awards E2 in London on July 1, 2026. - Berryhill founded Elite College Hacker and created the ACCESS Code Method of college admissions coaching. - The award recognized his work in broadening access to elite educational opportunities globally. - Berryhill said disruption means opening doors, systematizing elite education access and replacing exclusivity with transparency.

The details: - Berryhill has more than 25 years of experience in college admissions and related coaching. - His method combines advanced debate skills with admissions strategy. - He says the system has produced a 95% client success rate, measured by acceptance to at least one of a student’s top ten university priorities. - The ACCESS Code Method has been used with students in six countries. - The client base has included low-income first-generation scholars and high-net-worth families in China, Hong Kong, the UK and the Gulf States. - Berryhill says the rigor of the system does not change based on a family’s ability to pay. - His coaching has also reached national championship-level high school debaters. - In 2026, Berryhill coached four national championship qualifiers, including one freshman. - One of those students placed in the top 43 among U.S. debaters in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Extemporaneous Debate at the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship in Richmond, Virginia. - Berryhill’s broader debate coaching career includes three national debate champions and 21 state champions. - His work has reached more than 7,000 students and professionals over 25 years. - He has helped redesign onboarding and training systems for Gen Z and Gen Alpha at organizations including PIMCO and GLG. - Berryhill’s approach became a global benchmark across APAC and MENA regions, and his work has been used through initiatives with the National Speech & Debate Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations. - He is scheduled to deliver a keynote at the 18th World Leaders Summit at Oxford in September. - Berryhill was confirmed as one of seven awardees selected from 240 winners for that summit. - He has worked with the Yale Association of Asian American Alumni and spent a decade developing a strategy for students from the Asian diaspora. - In the past two years, his students have won admission to Harvard Law, UChicago STEM PhD with full scholarship, Northwestern Early Decision twice, Chicago Booth MBA twice, Harvard undergraduate and all eight University of California schools, including Berkeley and UCLA.

Between the lines: - The award frames Berryhill as both an admissions strategist and a broader advocate for educational equity. - The emphasis on debate skills suggests a model built around communication training, competitive thinking and institutional navigation. - His results list is also a signal to parents and schools that elite outcomes can be marketed as systematic rather than purely network-driven. - The international client mix points to demand for U.S.-style admissions coaching across wealthy and non-wealthy families alike.

What's next: - Berryhill is set to continue public speaking and international education work, including the Oxford summit appearance in September. - His ongoing focus remains on expanding access to elite education through repeatable coaching systems. - Additional recognition may follow, given his existing awards, fellowships and institutional partnerships.

The bottom line: - Berryhill’s award underscores how admissions coaching is shifting from private, high-cost advising toward a packaged system aimed at scaling access and results.