At Collegewise, our mission is to empower students with the tools and resources they need to access the transformative power of higher education. From webinars and white papers to personalized counseling, our goal is to ensure that all students—regardless of background or circumstance—have the guidance and support they need to navigate the college admissions process. But what happens behind the scenes to make all of this possible?
Paige Watson, a part-time counselor at Collegewise and a full-time school counselor at Brooklyn Prospect High School in New York, shares how Collegewise’s resources have positively impacted both her work and her students.
As a college counselor in a diverse public charter school, Paige’s mission is to help first-generation, low-income students access higher education. Brooklyn Prospect High School is a unique institution offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) program to all students, aiming to close the achievement gap by providing a rigorous curriculum.
Like many school counselors, their work isn’t limited to 1:1 counseling; Paige must also meet the needs of the entire student body. Collegewise has been pivotal in providing her with the tools to scale up student support.
Paige highlights several ways Collegewise’s resources have been directly applied in her work. Our comprehensive extracurricular activity building tools have helped her students improve how they describe their activities, resulting in more authentic and impactful applications. Paige recalls, “One student was able to describe, in detail, his process of thrifting and curating outfits for his friends. Another student, Caitlin, was able to describe her experience starting and operating a TikTok shop selling personalized key chains.”
Paige also credited Kevin McMullin, Collegewise Founder, for changing the way she approached letters of recommendation. By adopting Kevin’s guide to writing recommendation letters, she was able to better advocate for students.
“Never in my career did I think I would need to write so much and fit everything in one page, but after reading Kevin’s guide, I realized how important it is to be authentic and detailed in those letters and that I can really move the needle.”
Paige praised Collegewise’s complimentary webinars, which offer advice on college admissions. With many students commuting over 2 hours daily, she encouraged them to listen to the recordings during their commutes, helping shift their perspective on college admissions and high school strategy.
Most impressive was how Paige provided real examples of one of our guiding principles: local expertise with global reach. By connecting with former UC admissions officers, Texas-based counselors, or international admissions resources, Paige was able to guide her students interested in out-of-state and abroad options, specifically the University of California and University of Texas systems.
Paige is seeing the positive impact of Collegewise’s resources in real time.
“I am happy to say that we have many students already accepted into many fully need met schools like Boston University, Cornell University, Franklin and Marshall College, Mount Holyoke College, and University of Rochester.”
The Hive Mind & Collegewise’s Collaborative Approach to Counseling
"What sets Collegewise apart?" Our go-to answer? Our Hive Mind.
For 25 years, we’ve built a network of resources and a collective approach that allows our counselors to share, learn, and grow together. This “Hive Mind” includes the brightest, most dedicated minds in college admissions, combining over 500 years of experience into one ecosystem. This approach helps counselors improve their work and share everything we’ve learned to help each other and the students we serve.
The dedication and passion of our counselors aren’t just felt in the individual sessions with students; it spreads throughout the communities we serve. And as Paige’s experience shows, the impact can be life-changing.
About Us: With more than twenty-five years of experience, Collegewise counselors and tutors are at the forefront of the ever-evolving admissions landscape. Our work has always centered on you: the student. And just like we’ve always done, we look for ways for you to be your best self - whether it’s in the classroom, in your applications or in the right-fit college environment. Our range of tools include counseling, test prep, academic tutoring, and essay management, all with the support of our proprietary platform, leading to a 4x higher than average admissions rates.
