Making the college admissions journey more enjoyable and less stressful for families!
A partner of Collegewise
About Me
I have been working in the college admissions world since 2000. I use my experience as a college admissions officer and college counselor to help advise high school students and their families on their journey to life after high school. While the majority of my students end up at four-year colleges and universities, I also have helped families explore options such as gap years and community college.
Things to know about me: I am known for my laugh. You'll often hear me talk about baking, my love of Ireland and travel, and my dog, Dublin (he'll pop on Zoom every once in a while!). I bring a calm, no nonsense approach to my practice - there are many myths out there around college admissions, and I am able to ease my families with sound advice tailored to them. I start my meetings checking in with the student - giving them space to celebrate big and little moments...or venting if they need it. With a small caseload, I am able to really get to know my students, allowing me to provide helpful guidance on course selection, activities, summer planning, and what colleges could be a great fit for them. Since 2017, I have worked with over 200 students that have gained admission to over 130 colleges and universities.
Check out my Services page - if you don't see something you need, please reach out to see if I can create a package that would give you the support you need. Fill out my Contact form, and I'll be in touch soon!
Holy moly the college process is SO different than when my husband and I did it! Our experiences and knowledge were based on a pre-internet world with a relatively simple application process.
Our goal in finding a college counselor was always focused on finding experts who could streamline this very complicated system as much as possible for our daughter. For us, it was not about "the best" school, but the "the best fit."
Our daughter knew she wanted to go to college but didn't have any sense of what she wanted to study beyond "nothing to do with math or science." The college process is overwhelming to begin with and much more so for a student without a clear sense of study or destination.
We considered a couple programs and landed with Collegewise -- we couldn't have been happier. Their approach and process had logic and deep expertise behind it all. I loved the way our counselor Laura talked with, listened to, and learned about our daughter directly from her.
Laura moved the ball forward and narrowed the path. The updates we received assured us that all was on track. This allowed me to just be mom and not have to nag about deadlines or the long list of "shoulds" that exist during these high school years. It allowed me to thoroughly enjoy my role as director of field trips during our college visits knowing we were only visiting places that made sense.
By the start of senior year, there was a manageable and strategically curated list of colleges for my daughter to submit applications to. On the list was a college we had never heard of. It was a recommendation Laura had given our daughter and it ended up being the place she decided to attend. She had many good acceptances but Laura's recommendation has been the perfect fit for her. After one semester, she is thriving and I can't imagine her at any other place.
The funds we used for Collegewise were dollars well spent. Our daughter's high school didn't have any post-graduation assistance so it would have landed all on our laps to manage it. I'm thankful we could remain mom/dad and not have to be coach/teacher/counselor. Our daughter is thankful too!
I can't imagine having gone through that process without Laura and Collegewise. They get 6 stars out of 5.
PS: The emails and webinars for parents, along with the Collegewise podcasts, were fabulous bonus items along the way. It often gave me perspective and helped me feel up-to-speed on the current college application process realities.
Kim, parent, WI
I am so incredibly grateful for Laura and Collegwise. She has undoubtedly made the college admissions process significantly more manageable and less stressful for me. She has helped to keep me ahead of the game, which specifically made the fall of my senior a breeze in comparison to my friends and peers. I always felt like I was ahead of the game, and this was all thanks to her. We began getting to work earlier, which would allow me to focus more on my academics and social life during my senior fall and less on college. Laura and the editing team at Collegewise helped me get every single one of my college applications in early while also feeling confident about pressing the submit button. I believe that a large part of the reason that I was accepted to my first choice university was because of how hands-on Laura was in helping me work through my application. The editing team also put all of my essays through multiple rounds of revisions, helping me get my essays to a place that I would not have been able to do on my own. I will forever be grateful to Laura for motivating and cheering me on while also being a key factor to the success that I have found in this process!
Benton, student, TX
Laura Dicas was INCREDIBLE. Laura not only guided me through college tours, essays, and applications, she made me good about my work and my decisions. Instead of simply advising, she listened. Laura took the time to understand who I am and what I want. This allowed me to write without judgment and ask questions without fear. More than anything, Laura made me feel confident in my work and realistic in my expectations. I would not have survived yet alone enjoy (shockingly) this process if it wasn’t for Laura. She truly went above and beyond. I consider myself lucky to be her student.
Emily, student, NC
