logo-header (1)

Webinar

College Research Crash Course: Building a Balanced College List

Join us and learn how to create a personalized college list that truly reflects your student’s goals, values, and aspirations.

  Tuesday, October 6

 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET 

   Zoom

Did you know there are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S.?

With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start, what to research, and which campuses to visit. Your teen’s best-fit school might not be the most obvious choice or even one you’ve heard of yet. That’s exactly where we can help.

Join Ellie Foreman, former Admissions Counselor at Colorado State University, and Taylor Merkel, a Stanford graduate and experienced education expert, for a can’t-miss webinar. Together, they’ll show you a smarter way to build a college list that’s ambitious, strategic, and truly aligned with your teen’s goals.

During this event, you will learn how to:

Icon (1)

Identify what matters most when researching colleges (whether your teen knows their major or is still exploring)

Icon (1)

Spot schools that are a true fit for your student’s interests, values, budget, and long-term goals

Icon (1)

Understand what admissions officers prioritize and how that should guide your teen’s application strategy 

Icon (1)

Build a balanced list of reach, target, and likely schools using a clear, step-by-step approach

🎁 Bonus: Register today, and you’ll get a free copy of our trusted College Visits Guide when you attend!

Register now

Fill out the form below and secure your spot in our event.

Meet The Speakers

Taylor Merkel
Taylor Merkel
Stanford Graduate

Taylor is a Stanford-trained scientist with degrees in biology and biomedical engineering, and over five years of research experience in areas like brain aging and blood vessel mechanics. But her true passion lies in helping students unlock their potential. For more than a decade, she’s guided high schoolers and pre-med students to higher scores, stronger confidence, and greater self-belief—often transforming not just academic outcomes but entire outlooks.

Now a standout college counselor at Collegewise, Taylor blends analytical precision with deep empathy, especially when working with anxious or self-doubting students. She’s known for asking the right questions, identifying clear paths forward, and inspiring students to aim higher than they thought possible.

Ellie Foreman
Ellie Foreman
Former Admissions Counselor at Colorado State University

Since entering the world of higher education shortly after earning her master’s degree, Ellie's students have been accepted to more than 300 colleges, including highly selective institutions like MIT, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon, flagship public universities such as University of Michigan, University of Virginia, UCLA, and UNC Chapel Hill, and exceptional regional schools like Tulane, Villanova, University of Denver, and Cal Poly. In true Collegewise form, Ellie is equally proud of the acceptances earned by students who discovered schools they had never heard of before and fell in collegiate love. What sets Ellie apart is not just the breadth of these outcomes, but also her unwavering belief that there is a perfect place for every student to grow and thrive.

About Collegewise

 

For over 26 years, families have turned to Collegewise for clarity and trusted expertise, especially during times of change. As higher education evolves, we stay on top of every update so you don’t have to.

 

27+

Years of College
Admissions Experience.

98%

Of Students Admitted to a Top-choice School.

36,000+

Student Success Stories.

9/10

Families Recommend Collegewise.

student-polaroid-video-converted-from-png