Colleen Smith is an Independent Educational Consultant who brings a wealth of experience in counseling and educating young people to help families navigate the complex school and college admission process, as well as financial aid. Her biggest asset is the ability to build meaningful relationships with families and find the right “fit” for each child’s next step in their educational journey. Colleen’s professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm for educational consulting creates a unique and specialized relationship with each student and family. She believes in analyzing and presenting a variety of educational choices to narrow the focus and identify the academic, social and cultural environment best suited for each client.
Our History
Colleen began her career as a Licensed Social Worker counseling at-risk teens in a drug and alcohol prevention program. Her counseling career led her to Southborough, Massachusetts where she became Director of Counseling at the Fay School, an internationally renowned junior boarding school. At Fay, her roles included counseling, teaching human development classes to middle school students, dorm parent and advisor, and field hockey and lacrosse coach. Colleen then became the Associate Director of Admission at Beaver Country Day School in Brookline, MA where she continued her work advising families and students through the admissions and financial aid process. Later, Colleen relocated to Tampa, Florida where she became the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Saint Paul’s School, a kindergarten through 8th grade day school in Clearwater. In addition to her admissions duties, she was a member of the senior leadership team, a liaison to the Board of Directors, the Student Life Committee and the Episcopal Identity Committee.
Our Story
Colleen is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where she attended Laurel School, an independent all-girls school in Shaker Heights. Colleen graduated from Lake Forest College on the North Shore of Chicago with a degree in Child Psychology with a focus on Early Childhood Development and Religion.
Colleen enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family. She brings personal experience to the admissions process by having her own three children in independent schools, and college and understands the admission process through a parent’s eyes.