Month: May 2018

400th College Visited!

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Carolyn Mulligan, the principal of Insiders Network to College, just visited her 400th college on a recent Texas tour. She recorded this milestone in her 13th year as a private college counselor. “Putting boots on the campuses,” taking the tours and meeting with admissions officers / regional representatives is a critical component of her counseling process. “The essence of my business is finding the right match for each student,” says Mulligan. “This entails developing a target list that blends the needs of my students with the colleges where they have a good chance of being accepted. My clients normally apply to 8 or 10 schools, which include the full spectrum from highly likely to reaches.”

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Visiting 400 colleges is quite an accomplishment. You would need to spend over 9 months to hit this number if you saw 10 colleges a week. This accomplishment does not include Carolyn’s several return visits to many campuses over her 13-year career. Campuses and programs of study evolve and change over time. The visits, combined with attending local and regional conferences plus meeting the regional representatives as they visit local high schools during the school year has helped Carolyn find the right match for the hundreds of students she’s worked with over the years.

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Carolyn works with her exclusive list of clients and manages all aspects of the college search. She brings a nurturing touch to the process as she endeavors to do her best for each student. “The procedure is complicated and has many dimensions that need to be addressed. My corporate logo is a labyrinth. It’s not a maze. It’s complicated but if you follow the path there’s success at the end. I’m there every step of the way to get my students to the college they may never have thought of but may be just the right place.”

Ode to the Class of 2018

Congratulations to Mrs. “M’s” Class of 2018!

This year’s colleges and universities are lucky to have so many talented students in their incoming class. Among others, there is the new Steve Jobs, an amazing epidemiologist, a female biomedical engineer/diver, the future Elon Musk, a potential candidate for Shark Tank, a talented pitcher, a sports communicator, a philosopher, a dentist, a computer scientist, an owner of a fly-fishing guide company and a caring neuroscientist. Their futures will be nurtured and inspired at the following schools, as part of the Class of 2022!

The following schools are lucky to have you as part of their communities next year – the distinguished Class of 2022!

Bentley University
Boston College
Drexel University
Fordham University Gabelli School of Business
Kings College
Lawrence Technological University
Marist College
Miami University of Ohio
Occidental College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rowan University
Seton Hall University
Syracuse University, S. I Newhouse School of Public Communications
University of Delaware
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Scranton
University of Vermont

It was such an incredible pleasure to be part of your college journey and get to know all of you. Please keep me posted on your future endeavors!

With a warm smile,
Mrs. “M”

List of schools from previous graduating classes:

Class of 2017
Colgate University
Immaculata University
Lafayette College
Muhlenberg College
Rhode Island School of Design
Seton Hall University
Southwestern University
The George Washington University
Tulane University
Trinity College – Dublin
University of Hartford
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School
University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business
University of Virginia
Villanova University
Wentworth Institute of Technology (Colleges of the Fenway)

Class of 2016
Catholic University of America
Boston College
Boston University – London
Bucknell University
Drew University
Gettysburg College
George Mason University
Lynn University
Marist College
Miami of Ohio
Rochester Institute of Technology
Santa Clara College
Savannah College of Art and Design
Tulane University
University of Arizona
University of the Arts
University of Michigan – Nursing
University of Mississippi
University of Richmond
University of Southern California – School of Cinematic Arts
Class of 2015
Bryant College
Catholic University of America
Champlain College
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
Dickinson College
Elon University
Fairfield University
Georgetown University
High Point University
Loyola University of Maryland
Marist College
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Occidental College
Skidmore College
Saint Lawrence University
Sarah Lawrence College (Gap Year)
St. Olaf College
The George Washington University
Tulane University
University of Connecticut
University of Miami
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Wake Forest University
Class of 2014
Emerson College
Eugene Lang College/The New School for Liberal Arts
Fairfield University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Franklin & Marshall College
High Point University
Marist College
New York University – College of Arts and Science
New York University – Freshman Year/London
Rowan University
Saint Joseph’s University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Pittsburgh/Nursing Program
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Washington College
Class of 2013
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Brandeis University
Drexel University
Duke University
Elon University
Georgetown University
Lehigh University
Marist College
Monmouth University
New York University
Quinnipiac University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Lawrence University
Salve Regina College
Skidmore College
Trinity College
University of Delaware
University of Richmond
West Virginia University
Wofford College
Class of 2012
Catholic University of America
Colgate University
Connecticut College
Elon University
Emory University
Fairfield University
Fordham University
Gettysburg College
Hartford University
Johns Hopkins University
Marist College
Montclair State University
New York University
Rider University
Roger Williams University
Rowan University
Sarah Lawrence College
SUNY Delhi
Syracuse University, School of Arts and Sciences
Syracuse University, Whitman School of Business
Class of 2011
Berklee College of Music
Bowdoin College
College of Charleston
Emory University
Gettysburg College
Guilford College
High Point University
Johnson & Wales University
Lehigh University
Loyola University
Marist College
Mitchell College
Pennsylvania State University – Hazelton Campus
Roanoke College
Sacred Heart University
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Tulane University
University of Southern California
Wake Forest University
Class of 2010
American University
Arcadia University
Bucknell University
The Culinary Institute of America
Duke University
Franklin & Marshall College
Goucher College
Green Mountain College
Lynchburg College
New York University, the Tisch School of Film Studies
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University
Seton Hall University
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Pittsburgh
University of Tennessee
Villanova University
Class of 2009
Centenary College
Connecticut College
Elon University
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Ithaca College
Oberlin College
Quinnipiac University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Joseph’s University
Sarah Lawrence College
The College of New Jersey
University of New Haven
University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Villanova University

Texas Round-Up

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Trinity University
From the time I stepped on campus and looked over the city of San Antonio, I realized that I had discovered a “hidden gem” at Trinity University. In the words of one of the student panelists from Burlington, Vermont, she thought it was the “Middlebury” of the Southeast. The campus is wooded and lush, but has a bucolic feel even though it’s in the middle of San Antonio, the nation’s 7th largest city. San Antonio is diverse and fun with ethnic food; the meandering Riverwalk, reminiscent of Venice, is downtown and we were there during Fiesta, their Mardi Gras. The student panel reminded us that they study very hard and are excellent students, having done a lot of internships, and many seniors already had jobs or good leads that were connected to them by active alums.

The combination of diversity, access to professors, a variety of strong majors, and active community service, gave me a really good feel for the university. This is a school I plan to suggest to many more of my students, now that I have experienced it first-hand.

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The University of Houston
In 1969, Conrad Hilton, Eric Hilton and Founding Dean James Taylor announced the funding of what would become the Hilton College at the University of Houston. The Hilton Hotel on campus is one of 350 Hilton hotels, but is unique in that it is a primary teaching facility for the College. Many of their employees are students receiving experience in guest service, hotel operations, food & beverage service, housekeeping and banquets. There are only a few universities in the United States that have hotels on their campus including the Statler at Cornell University.

The University of Houston is also known for their Honors College encompassing such programs as the Bauer Business College, Engineering and many Health Programs.

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Rice University
As soon as you walk through the stately archway and enter the spectacular quad at Rice, you can feel the satisfaction of the student body. Much of this is attributed to their Residential College system where all students are assigned freshman year to a college or small community where they live, dine and interact with faculty mentors. Each residential college is a self-supporting unit with its own government, budget, intramural team and advisors. Students identify with their residential college well beyond graduation. It is for life.

Students at Rice achieve their goals with great compassion but in support of each other and without competition at the expense of others. It is a comprehensive research university, even though the school is a little under 4,000 students. Some of this has to do with its location in Houston close to terrific medical and scientific facilities, including NASA and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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Texas A & M University
We were on the expansive campus of Texas A & M University just days after Barbara Bush was buried on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Library. Her funeral cortege drove on a road lined with the corps of cadets who are part of the undergraduate student body, and we saw and heard these cadets on campus during our tour. We loved the Century Tree near the Academic Building. Tradition says that if a couple walks together underneath the Century Tree, they will eventually marry — and if a marriage proposal takes place under the tree, the marriage will last forever. The celebration of tradition at Texas A & M is sacred.

A tremendous football school, the Texas “Aggies” honor the tradition of the “12th Man,” and harkening back to this story, all attendees stand during every game in honor of this special legacy.

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University of Texas – Austin
The flagship of the University of Texas system, the campus at Austin, is just gorgeous. With fountains and reflecting pools, it is no wonder that many of our out-of-state students go to UT-Austin for specific programs and return wishing to apply. However, with a very small out-of-state population, often hovering around 7%, it is a very competitive pool.

Many of their programs like Engineering, Film and Business are impacted like the California State Schools and as such, are very hard to get into. Like many of the other Texas state institutions, which have an automatic admissions system for the top 10% of their classes, this fills a good portion of their class making it harder for out-of-state students to gain admission. However, if you show unusual promise or fill a particular institutional need for one of the Texas State schools, you have a better chance. The out-of-state students are warmly received on campus and there are so many wonderful clubs and activities in which to be involved. And of course, Texas is full of traditions and school spirit that is unrivaled at many other schools!
“Hook ‘Em Horns”

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St. Edward’s University
One of the seven colleges taught by the order of the Congregation of the Holy Cross like Notre Dame, this school is close to my heart because of its mascot. Like Summit High School, they are the “Hilltoppers” and their mascot is the Goat. The school is perched high over the city of Austin with a magnificent view from their main administration building. Their Meadows Coffee House is representative of the feel of the campus, sort of a Brooklyn, NY, “hipster” feeling and diversity is the order of the day. Even though the student body is almost 4,000, students do not fall through the cracks but receive terrific academic advising. St. Ed’s was the #1 Producer of Fulbright Scholars two years ago among Masters Institutions. Students do an incredible amount of community service in the Austin area, and 74% complete internships in their fields.

Their Business program is very strong and they work in a maker space in downtown Austin called the “Capital Factory” to pursue their entrepreneurial pursuits as well as engaging in a Masters Entrepreneurial Program called ESTEEM with Notre Dame University.

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Schreiner University
Schreiner University is a school of about 1,000 undergraduates located in the Texas hill country, about an hour from San Antonio. It has some very unique strengths.

If you are serious about re-application to a military service academy and searching for a college-level program look no further than the Greystone Preparation Academy. Here you can earn up to 38 college credits in a curriculum designed to meet your individual academic needs.

Another very special offering at Schreiner is their Learning Support Services program which is run by Dr. Gallik. This is a comprehensive fee for service program. You can find particulars of the program, which has a separate application at this link. Dr. Gallik will also be glad to answer any specific questions you may have.