Inquiry-based College Coaching

Hello! Thank you for your interest. I am currently booked for this year’s class of rising seniors (Class of 2025). Please text me (206-434-8274) if you would like to:

Talk about hourly academic or college coaching (I take on a limited number of students for monthly academic coaching, writing support, and internship / activities advising)

Get on the list for future cohorts (I begin working with students the January of their Junior year of high school. Cohorts fill up fast!)

Need a referral (I have wonderful colleagues and am happy to share their names)

I am a current member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admissions Counseling (PNACAC), and Associate Member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA)

Overview

Inquiry-based College Coaching is all about using strategic questions to help students better understand who they are, how they define success, and confidently take their next steps.

Drawing upon my experiences as a university professor, school principal, and inquiry-based practitioner, I use research-based methods that are rooted in a genuine respect for young adults and a belief in their potential. The end result is not only college acceptance letters from places that fit with students’ visions and goals, but practices that will sustain them for life.

I started college coaching with my own daughter and her two friends in 2018. We met every weekend at a local café and engaged in reflective writing, active research, and some happy soul-searching. In between these meetings, I offered feedback on their essays, asked a lot questions, helped them manage disappointment and successfully navigate decisions. It was this experience that made me realize that the very inquiry strategies I use in teaching were a perfect match for college coaching.

While all three of their high schools provided some kind of college counseling, I noticed a paucity of deep conversations about who they are as students and people, a lack of understanding about the many colleges (hidden gems) and non-college options (gap years, internships, research fellowships) available to them, as well as a missed opportunity to strengthen some of the most important “adulting” skills needed in college and beyond, like self-advocacy, effective networking, time management, stress management, prioritization, efficient writing, and self-love.

My own college journey

I remember as a high school junior sitting with Bruce Bailey, a respected college counselor and cherished family friend from the Lakeside School in Seattle, talking about my dreams for the future. It was such a rare event to have an adult asking me questions about my vision for the future. Even with two parents who attended college, I felt lost. I only knew the places where my friends attended college, or from the glossy brochures that came through the mail. Everyone’s choices felt very random, superficial, and uniformed.

I needed someone in my life who could start fresh with me; someone who could see me for who I was at that moment in my life. The focused attention on my future from someone who was not my mom or dad made an enormous impact on my life. I am forever grateful for this opportunity.

Now I see what a difference thoughtful college coaching makes (especially as I teach undergraduates). Students who followed a path that may have been right for their friends or expected by their family, but not the best fit for them, seem to be sleepwalking through their college experience. This is a huge waste of time and money. It doesn’t have to be this way. The process of choosing a college and applying should not be the stressful, anxiety-producing experience it’s become either. Every student should feel excited and confident about their next steps. This is the ultimate goal of my practice. Come walk with me!