Tom Barry
Collegewise Counselor
Tom served for four years as an assistant director of admissions at his alma mater, Colorado College, home of the beloved Block Plan where students plunge into one course at a time for three-and-a-half weeks before moving on to a new subject. After earning a master’s degree in international education administration from Stanford, Tom worked as a global programs manager for the African Leadership Academy before migrating to the Pacific Northwest to join Collegewise in June 2014. A budding master chef who can flip food in a pan with only the rare catastrophic floor drop, Tom won first place in the “Took a Risk and Totally Nailed It” category of a recent pie baking competition for his original creation, The Burrito Pie. When he’s not counseling or cooking, Tom enjoys traveling, spending time in the great outdoors, and writing the occasional product review for USA Triathlon Magazine
Ali Springer
Collegewise Counselor
A career-long educator, Ali has spent the last fifteen years helping students on their educational journeys. She served as an Associate Director of Admission at Colorado College, her alma mater, for eight years, where she read thousands of applications, interviewed hundreds of students, and trained the admissions staff on how to identify strong applicants. She worked as an academic advisor while earning her master’s in Higher Education and Student Development, so she also brings the lens of college course selection and academic planning. Ali loves getting to know students throughout the admission process by asking thoughtful questions to encourage self-reflection. During the college research process, she’s incredibly adept at guiding students in procuring data and utilizing critical research skills to connect their passions and interests to the universities and their communities. Ali is a big believer in the power of community, and one way that she has recently connected with the place she calls home in the Rocky Mountains was by buying a good pair of hiking boots to explore more of the state. In the last two years Ali has climbed 18 peaks over 14,000 feet!
