About Me

 

A native of Pennsylvania and a Pennsylvania State University graduate, I have lived in seven states and nine different towns in the past 25 years.  I’m a mother of three children, including twins, who had diverse interests and college needs, from a National Merit finalist to an arts major.  Two of them are now in graduate school.

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When I began the college search with my oldest kids several years ago, I quickly realized two things: that there was a lot I didn’t know and that this was going to require a lot more time than I had anticipated.  It was not much longer before I realized that I really enjoyed researching colleges, and the entire search experience – while many of my parents did not.  As a teacher at the time, I wished I had even more time to dedicate to it.  I began to work as an unofficial college admissions consultant for many families, and it’s been gratifying to see so many kids now thriving in their chosen schools – often, in schools they would not have considered without some guidance.

A relocation across the country due to my husband’s job finally gave me the push I needed to make college consulting more than a hobby in 2017, and I opened the doors to College Initiative (Educational Initiative Consulting LLC).  Now I get to spend my days supporting high school students and their families as they consider the next steps in their education.  As a former educator, I love that I still get to use many of my “teacher skills” to help students and their parents learn about their options and organize their search and application process.  It’s my goal to help other parents to enjoy this experience with their kids as much as I enjoyed it with mine. 

As your college admissions counselor, I pledge to follow the NACAC’s Code of Ethics and commit to principled conduct.

Some of the schools I have personally visited include:

    • American University
    • Amherst College
    • Arizona State University
    • Belmont University
    • Case Western Reserve University
    • College of Charleston
    • College of the Atlantic
    • College of William and Mary
    • College of Wooster
    • Denison University
    • Dickinson College
    • Eckerd College
    • Elizabethtown College
    • Emory University
    • Flagler University
    • Florida Atlantic University
    • Franklin and Marshall College
    • George Washington University
    • Harvard University
    • Indiana University
    • Loyola University Chicago
    • Lynn University
    • Miami University (OH)
    • New College of Florida
    • Northeastern University
    • Northwestern University
    • Occidental College
    • Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus
    • Pepperdine University
    • Princeton University
    • Rollins College
    • Smith College
    • Sorbonne University
    • Stanford University
    • The Ohio State University
    • Trinity College, Dublin
    • University College of Dublin
    • University of Alabama
    • University of Central Florida
    • University of Cincinnati
    • University of Florida
      University of Illinois
    • University of Massachusetts
    • University of Miami
    • University of Tampa
    • Vanderbilt University
    • Washington University St. Louis
    • Westminster College, PA

As you can see,  I have toured a variety of schools in a variety of geographic locations, ranging from MA to FL to CA, from cities to rural areas, and from 1,200 student liberal arts colleges to universities with over 40,000 students. I have extensive knowledge of many, many more.  I couldn’t pick a favorite because I believe it completely depends on the individual personality of the student who is applying – my favorite school for one student may not be my favorite for another.  I have some favorite college campuses, but not favorite colleges.  My college list recommendations for your student will never be identical to my recommendations for someone else, as no two students are the same.

Contact me to learn more about how I can help your student with the admissions process!

I welcome clients of any race, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

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