My mom gifted me the Fiske Guide to Colleges my junior year of high school. That book, fluttering with pale yellow sticky notes that marked my current favorite colleges, sat on the front seat of my car for a year, reminding me of the adventure ahead. By late that year, I knew my non-negotiables: a nordic ski team, an amazing study abroad program, within an hour of an airport, and at least 3,000 miles from my home state of Alaska. By November of my senior year my college list was set. The next fall a beautiful merit scholarship helped fund my education at St. Olaf College, and I moved to Minnesota without ever having visited the campus. There I made lifelong friends. I changed majors, and I spent part of my college life studying and traveling in Europe. I topped off those years with a teaching experience in Northern India. My rich college experience is one that fit me academically, socially, and financially.

That same passion I had as a 17-year-old has followed me to adulthood, but now I dream of my own children and students finding a college that is academically and socially stimulating. As an English teacher I’ve watched my public school students, my online students, and my own children start as nervous ninth graders and grow into confident seniors who are ready to step away from home and level their own path. The colleges my students choose are places where they grow, journey, and become students of the world. 

Through each of these experiences, I have written, and I have helped others with their writing. My dive into college consulting began with helping students with the personal statement over 20 years ago, and it is still my favorite part. While I work with students, they become better communicators and stronger writers. They learn to self-reflect and dive deeper into subjects. The most challenging part of the college application–the personal statement–becomes the most satisfying. 

I hope you and your family will join me. Students learn about themselves, their gifts, and their talents. They set goals and make lists. They search out schools, google new towns, and surprise their parents with their knowledge. I guide students and their families so the last few months of high school are filled with celebrating successes and dreaming of the future.