Every May 1, there are a great number of families, students, teachers, education administrators, and yes, even college counselors, who wake up to a day filled with a mix of emotions - nostalgia, excitement, anticipation, and even maybe a bit of apprehension. While the press might tell a story of college applicant doom and gloom, we continue to cherish the confetti within the process.
This year at The College Sage, we find ourselves rather nostalgic as we enter our 10th year. The College Sage has come a long way since 2014. What started out as an avid research project for my own children, turned into a business idea when a friend asked if I would take on her soon to be college applicants. I knew I could use my research and sales skills from a first career in investment analysis to help students make the most of their high school years and then find their best fit college experiences. I quickly penciled a business model where I would find a way to help both paying and pro bono students – while I was excited about an entrepreneurial venture, this was certainly the phase of life when giving back to the community weighed heavily on my mind. I thought the first part would be difficult – finding paying customers; and the latter easy – helping students for free. In fact, it was the opposite. What happened from there was, as one of my students aptly phrased in his college essay, “a snow globe of opportunities.”
I feel privileged to have met so many fascinating students and to have dived deep beside them into often their first introspective thoughts as they considered their paths forward. I have entered many a family’s inner circle at a sentimental and sometimes tense moment. Along the way, I had the great fortune of meeting Sue Woods and Cindy Smithy – The College Sage pro bono counselors who perform the heavy lifting, strategy, and door-knocking of our pro bono counseling out of the goodness of their hearts – enabling not only the original mission for The College Sage to come to fruition, but to redirect lives in the most astounding ways. All three of us derive exceptional personal gain in walking away - everyday - with an incredibly optimistic view of our shared world thanks to the strength of our new relationships and the recognition of the true brilliance of this younger generation.
It’s with this admiration and appreciation for all those who have helped make The College Sage a growing, thriving business still focused on the central mission to help all students, that we report our Class of 2023 matriculation decisions. In addition to the 30+ paying students who we helped with undergraduate, transfer, and graduate school applications, Sue and Cindy have generously donated their time helping over 100 students at high schools across Charleston and beyond.
We wish all those we have worked with the happiest of college journeys ahead – “because it’s cool to go to your dream school.”
Class of 2023
Paying -
Boston University (Transfer)
Clemson University (4 + 1 Transfer)
College of Charleston (Honors)
Davidson College
Denver University – Scholar
Florida State University
Furman University (2)
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Medical University of South Carolina (Graduate school)
Rollins College – Alfond Scholar
Trident Technical College (Transfer)
University of Arizona
University of Edinburgh
University of Miami
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
University of South Carolina (2 + 1 Honors College)
University of Southern California
University of Virginia (5)
Wake Forest University (2)
Pro Bono – Our counselors worked with 113 juniors and seniors in more than five high schools in Charleston and across the country – the seniors they helped are matriculating to:
Charleston Southern University (2)
Claflin University (3)
Clemson University (4)
College of Charleston (5)
Furman University
Harvard University
Oglethorpe University
SCAD
SC State University
Trident Technical College (5)
USC Aiken
USC Beaufort
USC Columbia (6)
USC Upstate
Winthrop University (9)
Ready to make the most out of your high school experience and find your dream college? Contact thecollegesage.com now! We look forward to working with you.
