Nick Kary
Former UMN Admissions Officer
After earning B.A. and M.Ed. degrees from the University of Minnesota, Nick moved right into his alma mater’s admissions office, where he evaluated more than 1,000 annual applications. Over the ensuing eleven years, Nick’s impact on both his office and his colleagues was recognized with roles of increasing responsibility, encompassing the hiring, training, and management of admissions team members. We remind new employees at Collegewise: When we arrive at work each day, we never leave it at zero—we either make it a little better or a little worse. Make it a little better. That’s exactly what resonated for us about Nick and his own work. The UMN admissions office is a fundamentally different place today than it was when Nick started nearly a decade ago, which is the kind of impact we look for in a colleague—not to mention the same impact colleges look for in an applicant. This approach also reflects how Nick encourages his students to think about participating in their own activities and communities.
Olivia Isseks
Texas & Bay Area Expert Counselor with 7+ Years of Experience
Olivia is an experienced counselor who has supported hundreds of students through the college application process at high-performing public schools in California and Texas. A UC Santa Cruz graduate with a Master’s in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California, she has guided diverse student populations and helped students earn admission to top universities such as Princeton, Duke, MIT, Stanford, Brown, and UT Austin. Olivia is known for turning the admissions process into a positive, confidence-building experience and specializes in helping students find their best-fit colleges, including first-generation students, those with learning differences, and recruited student-athletes.
