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Why highly selective admissions have become even more competitive and what that means for today’s applicants
How to make smarter decisions about course rigor, standardized testing, and academic preparation
What top colleges prioritize in activities, essays, recommendations, character, and meaningful impact
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With 22 years in college admissions, Jared Rivers has read more than 20,000 applications at institutions including Cornell University, where he served as Assistant Director of Admission and Multicultural Recruitment Coordinator, as well as Brandeis University, Bates College, and the University of Maine system. A former college basketball player, Jared also served as the lead athletic admission liaison at all four institutions, giving him deep insight into both athletic recruitment and how applicants are evaluated in the admissions process. Today, he helps students thoughtfully identify best-fit colleges and present themselves as compelling candidates with the potential to thrive. Known for his friendly, relatable style, Jared quickly builds trust with students and reassures parents with his deep admissions expertise.
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Kaila’s seven years of college admissions experience include time spent on both sides of the desk—as both an admissions officer and a school counselor. After earning a master’s in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, Kaila returned to her alma mater, Vanderbilt University, where she spent the next five years as an Assistant Director of Admissions, evaluating applications. She then accepted a post at Marist School in Atlanta as the Associate Director of College Counseling, assuming responsibility for college admissions support for an annual caseload of over 100 students whose college interests ranged from the most selective schools in the country, to Division 1 athletics, from competitive engineering programs to theatrical arts. Finally, she rounded out her experience with a successful two-year stint in the business world as a Customer Success Manager for a company that provides a college admissions guidance management system for high schools (the only counselor at Collegewise to have held such a post).
