The Rat Race Is Over
As someone who works with teens throughout the year, I’ve seen the burnout: they are competing in sports, pushing themselves academically, trying to pad their transcripts with as many extracurriculars as they can manage, and sacrificing their sleep and mental health to get it all done.
To make matters worse, the college admissions process in the US feels anything but transparent, with kids getting waitlisted or rejected from schools for no clear reason. With limited advice on how to apply to college and what colleges are actually looking for, kids seem to be jumping through meaningless hoops, feeling directionless and hopeless.
Our kids deserve a clearer, more guided approach to college admissions. They don’t need to play every sport, or take every AP. Instead, they need to focus on authentic engagement, passion projects, things they genuinely love to do and want to learn. I help average students discover what they are good at. I help less participatory kids find activities that feel less overwhelming. I help high achievers understand what they are striving for, and how to balance work and play.
My practice is not a one size fits all model. The reason I am good at my job is because I get to know each student directly. I get to know their strengths, weaknesses, where they sit in a classroom on the first day, their favorite way to be graded, real world problems they hope to solve. In short, I listen. Then I develop a plan specifically for that student, helping them to map out activities that are meaningful so that they don’t burn out from exhaustion. I devise course maps based on potential majors. I help them discover their own potential. My college counseling work is intentional, not chaotic and directionless.
I Know What It Feels Like to Choose the Wrong School.
Back in 2007, I was in your student’s shoes. I was overworked, stressed, taking all of the APs with little direction. I was building a college list with no real framework, looking at academic programs and distance from home, but nothing deeper than that. I chose the wrong college. And I stubbornly stuck it out.
Looking back, I should have chosen a school with the right community for me, not just the right academics. That mismatch affected my mental health, my ability to learn, and my willingness to thrive, despite being someone who had the potential to love college.
That experience is the foundation of everything I do as an independent educational consultant. I lead with finding the best fit for each student. I get to know each student well, with the intention of understanding their best learning environment, their community needs, and what will actually make them happy. Then I build a college list around that, not around rankings.
Common Concerns When Thinking of College
The college application process is complicated, but there ARE answers to your questions! Click the questions below to see answers.
There’s no such thing as too late. You are exactly where you need to be, and we start from there. I accept seniors into my practice, which is unusual for an independent educational consultant. A few years ago I had a student come to me in late October of his senior year. He applied, and is now happily studying Psychology at Northeastern. It requires time, consistency, and the right guidance, but it can be done.
For my Comprehensive, Early EDvantage, and College List students, building the preliminary college list is something I do with you. I present it as a clear spreadsheet that organizes key data points for each school: early decision admit rates, average test scores, location, and more. Your job is to stay open-minded and visit when you can.
Applying to US colleges is writing intensive, and the essays carry real weight in decisions. I started my college counseling career as an essay coach, and I’ve developed a process for helping students brainstorm and write essays that are genuinely their own: authentic, specific, and memorable.
I hear this one constantly. I help students take stock of their existing activities and build on them intentionally, not to manufacture a résumé, allowing each student stand out in a way that’s true to who they are.
This is normal for teens who have little experience in the real world. Even students who seem certain usually change their minds. I’ve developed a series of thoughtful questions we work through together to explore potential majors, built around a simple philosophy: what are you good at learning, and what genuinely excites you? From there, we explore what the curriculum for each potential major looks like at a couple colleges on their list, allowing students to see what exactly they will be learning about and when.
College is expensive. When I build the preliminary college list, I include a section that outlines the cost of attendance, along with the average merit aid awarded by each institution. However, formal financial aid advising and test prep fall outside what I offer, but over the years, I’ve built a network of trusted specialists I’m happy to connect you with.
Why Work with Me?
I’ve experienced this process from both sides: as a student who navigated it imperfectly, and as an independent educational consultant who has guided countless families through it since. I’ve watched the process grow more complex and competitive with every cycle, and I bring my calm, purposeful focus to my work. My background as a teacher allows me to evaluate students in a comprehensive way that goes beyond test scores and transcripts.
What I bring isn’t just knowledge of the system. It’s genuine investment in your student, in who they are, what they want, and where they’ll truly thrive.
College Application Strategy
A clear, personalized roadmap from the start with no guesswork and no last-minute scrambles.
College List Building
A balanced, thoughtful list built around your student’s academic profile, personal priorities, and realistic goals.
College Essay Coaching
Essays that sound like your student at their best: authentic, compelling, and memorable.
College Interview Preparation
Confidence walking into every interview, with the skills to make a lasting impression.
How To Sign Up for College Counseling
1
Start with a conversation. I begin by getting to know your student: their coursework, their aspirations, and the kind of college experience they’re looking for. No pressure, no agenda. Just listening.
2
Build the strategy. If it feels like a good fit, we develop a college list and application plan that’s ambitious but grounded. Every decision is intentional.
3
Craft the application. From essays to activity lists to interview prep, I work side by side with your student to put their best self forward at every school, on every deadline.
4
Cross the finish line together. I stay with you through decisions, waitlists, and everything in between. This process has a lot of moving parts. You won’t be managing them alone.
It might be the school they've dreamed of for years. It might be one they haven't discovered yet. Either way, finding it and getting in is what I do.
Every student I work with is different. What I offer isn’t a formula, it’s a partnership. I work best with parents who are willing to loosen the reins, students who are ready to do the real work of self-reflection, and families who want personalized guidance without feeling like a number in a much larger practice.