College Sage offers assistance to students in our community who do not have the resources they need to successfully navigate the college preparation and application process.

College Sage can assist with:

Middle School YEARS

• Academic course selection

• Middle School and High School placement, helping the student and family find a good 'fit'

• Assistance locating individualized tutoring services

• Assistance planning and finding extracurricular and summer programs

High school years (continuation of services above plus)

• Assistance locating standardized test prep

• Complete College Counseling Services (click through to see complete services)

Over the last three years, The College Sage has provided 890 pro bono counseling hours to a combined 400+ students, for an equivalent estimated value of more than $300,000, to ensure need-based students have equitable access to college counseling. In addition, The College Sage has offered free services to all Pell-eligible students at Kids on Point and Meeting Street Schools, provided essay counseling for the Reverend Pinckney College Readiness & Scholars Program, and devoted countless hours to supporting the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund leading up to their 2021 launch.

The College sage PRO BONO efforts are led by our generous and talented counselors:

Sue Woods

sue.thecollegesage@gmail.com

Sue understands the value of education and its potential to change lives. Sue joined College Sage hoping to serve the needs of economically disadvantaged young people and their families by sharing her ability to navigate the college preparation and application process.
After an early career working internationally in system consulting, Sue co-founded a set of successful businesses in the Cayman Islands, California and the Carolinas. She served as CFO for her businesses while devoting time and talent to actively support educational needs in her community. In Charleston, Sue served on the School Improvement Council (SIC) for Academic Magnet High School and she has held various treasurer and other leadership positions for school support and fund-raising entities. She also serves as a board member for Kids on Point, a year-round program introducing young people to the world of opportunity in the classroom, in the community, and on the squash court. After guiding her family through education and life transitions from San Francisco to Grand Cayman and ultimately to Charleston, Sue is excited to share her accumulated expertise – helping more young people identify, create, and secure college opportunities. 

Cindy Smithy

cindy.thecollegesage@gmail.com

Cindy started her career in software sales to large financial management companies. While taking time off raising her two children, she was involved in leadership roles for local school projects in her Massachusetts hometown. Returning to her original passion of helping today’s youth navigate the complexities of adolescence, she graduated from Boston College with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and as a licensed school counselor. During her practicum , she worked with the English Language Learners in a Boston high school with over 50 target languages and assisted these first generation college students with their college planning and other post secondary options. After graduating, Cindy began working as an Adult Education Counselor helping students who had left high school reach their goals. Now that she has relocated to Charleston, she is excited to help students unlock their strengths and passions to find light and turn it into a dynamic spark. She feels strongly that the power of education transforms and enriches lives and with some assistance along the way, anything is possible.