Meet the Greater Boston Counselors
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Casey Near
Executive Director of Counseling
- Former Admissions Counselor, Mills College
- Summa cum laude graduate, Scripps College
- Outstanding Collegewise Counselor Award, 2014
Abby van Geldern
Managing Counselor
- Former Admissions Counselor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Former Women’s Soccer Coach, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Former Admissions Ambassador, Saint Lawrence University
Sarah Turner
College Counselor
- B.A., Sociology, Minor in Education, Bowdoin College
- Director of Admission, The Gordon School, East Providence, RI
- Director of Admission & Financial Aid; Director of Secondary School Placement & Outreach; Middle School Dean, Cambridge Friends School, Cambridge, MA
- Associate Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Waynflete School, Portland, ME
- Assistant Director of Admission & Financial Aid, North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, ME
About Collegewise Greater Boston
Since Collegewise Greater Boston opened its doors in 2013, we’ve worked with nearly 750 students, and with more than 36 four-year colleges within a 20-mile radius of our office, we’re right in the middle of the action. Each student celebrates the completion of their college applications by ringing the gong, an event that is documented with plenty of photographic evidence.
High-fives are also a must. We keep bowls of candy well-stocked for our students to enjoy, and we also hold the honorable distinction of most caffeinated Collegewise office due to our proximity to Starbucks.
$4.7 million
Total merit aid for class of 2017 seniors
82%
acceptance rate for students who applied Early Action and/or Early Decision
0%
of students submitted applications on New Year’s Eve
What are people saying about Collegewise Greater Boston?
Our counselor was an amazing cheerleader for Natalie through the brutal, pressured process that is college admissions these days. From creating a list to guiding her through every step of college applications, our counselor has been indispensable—and has done all of this work with Natalie with humor and warmth, really helping to maintain her spirits through all of the ups and downs.
Ellie Pitts, Parent of Natalie Lynch
Princeton
Our counselor made the whole process stress free. Every time our son came home from an appointment with her, he thanked us for providing him with this support. The organizational, writing and interpersonal skills that our son honed with his counselor will be useful to him for the rest of his life.
Andie Insoft, Parent of Adin Insoft
Middlebury College
Collegewise helped me find the dream school I didn’t even know existed, and then gave me the tools to create my best application possible.
Cameran Mason, Parent of Sofia Mason
Brown University
Our counselor did a great job of keeping my son on track with deadlines and with writing essays and supplements that allowed his personality to come through. She was always there when we needed her, answering our questions promptly and with a good dose of perspective and humor.
Paul Charbonneau
Occidental College
Our counselor was an outstanding counselor for our daughter, especially in the daunting area of application essays. She was always available and provided persistent but gentle nudges to complete applications on schedule. Our daughter gained admission to her top choice college as a result.
John Sheehan, Parent of Caitlin Sheehan
University of Chicago
I literally would not be attending my dream college next fall without my counselor’s help. She ensured that Bowdoin was an option for me, and that I was ready to apply ED in order to give me the best chance at acceptance. My moms and I agree that Collegewise was the best way we have ever spent money.