Educational Consultant Spotlight: Parry College Counseling

Location: Seattle, Washington. However, I work with students from across the country (and even abroad!) via Skype and email advising.

Types of students I work with: I work with a small number of students in my practice. The typical student begins with me in the sophomore or junior year of high school and we work together throughout the entire search and application process. I also work with students seeking to transfer out of their current college to a program that better fits their academic and career goals. Because I have experience with graduate health sciences programs and as recruiter for a major tech company, I tend to work with many students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors in particular.

My background: I have nearly a decade of college admissions and recruiting experience across a range of colleges and post-graduate programs. I’ve interviewed hundreds of students for admission to Claremont McKenna College (my alma mater); reviewed thousands of applications for the University of Washington; and advised and recruited undergraduates from across the nation seeking admission to medical, dental and veterinary medicine programs at Western University of Health Sciences. Most recently, I worked as a college and intern recruiter for software developers at Amazon.

Through these experiences, I’ve visited more than 120 college campuses throughout the United States. I love learning about each university’s unique culture and envisioning what kinds of students would do well in that environment. After years of promoting just one specific college as an admissions counselor, I enjoy being able to share my perspective on a range of colleges with my students and truly help them discover the best fit for their personalities and interests.

Unique aspects of my practice: Because I am a more recent university graduate myself, I am very in touch with what’s happening on college campuses now as opposed to what the campus was like decades ago. I regularly connect my students to recent alumni or even current university students to get a true insider’s perspective on colleges they are considering. I think this is an absolutely crucial part of developing a well-researched college list!

I am also a huge fan of empowering students to utilize social media in the college search and even application process. More and more admissions offices are viewing a student’s social media account and online presence as part of the application review, so I help coach students on building their “brand” throughout their high school years. Not only can this help them demonstrate genuine interest in a college, but it also helps students and parents learn much more than a college’s brochure or website could ever tell them.

Where to find more information: I am very active on Twitter (@CollegeAppsHelp) and also maintain my own college admissions blog where I regularly post tips for students and parents. One of my favorite parts of the blog is sharing my own “Campus Visit Notes”, or reviews of campuses I’ve visited recently. My website and blog can be found at www.ParryCC.com.