Happy 20th, Collegewise!

​Today is the 20th anniversary of Collegewise’s founding. For two decades, Collegewise counselors have been thoughtfully responding to those late-night emails full of irrational fears about whether that comma was in the right place. Two decades of Collegewise counselors telling their students and families that they can relax, there is a college out there for you. Two decades of Collegewise counselors celebrating with their students when they get a yes, and consoling their students when they get a no.
 
I’ve only been a part of Collegewise for five years, but I feel like I’ve gotten to experience 100% of that joy, not just a quarter of it. Being a part of Collegewise has enabled me to do the work I love for half a decade, and has given me a model for how to do it for decades to come. Being a part of Collegewise has made me a better writer and editor, a more up-to-date resource for my families, and a more compassionate sounding board for my students. I always feel proud when I get to say, “I’m Colleen and I’m a counselor with Collegewise.”
 
Of all the things I love about working for Collegewise, I do have one regret: that I never had a Collegewise counselor of my own when I was in high school. Yes, I didn’t live in Irvine, and yes, Skype wasn’t really a thing back then. But, man, it would have been really nice to know that babysitting my little sister twice a week was an activity I could list on my Common Application. But I guess it all worked out in the end. Happy birthday, Collegewise - here’s to 20 more years!