With over a decade of experience in college counseling, Lauren is passionate about empowering young people to achieve their academic and professional goals. She provides personalized guidance that helps students and families confidently navigate the college application and career planning process. Lauren began her career as an AmeriCorps member at the Boys & Girls Club in Boston, where she supported high school seniors through the college application process. Since then, she has counseled thousands of students across NYC and Boston, held college student advising roles at Tufts University and Wentworth Institute, and recently founded her own independent practice, Beyond Degrees. Lauren continues to guide students and families through every step of the college journey—from applications and financial aid to career planning and post-secondary transition. Throughout her career, Lauren has built deep expertise in highly selective admissions across a range of fields, including liberal arts, social sciences, STEM, education, healthcare professions, and high-demand career-training programs. She is particularly passionate about summer melt prevention and college transition support, recognizing that getting students into college is only half the battle. She takes special pride in helping students secure competitive scholarships and opportunity programs, including Posse scholarships, QuestBridge matches, and selective opportunity programs like NY's HEOP and EOP. Lauren completed graduate coursework in Higher Education Administration at Northeastern University and earned her Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Gender Studies from Keene State College. She maintains certifications in College Advising through Columbia's Teachers College and Federal Student Aid through the U.S. Department of Education's FSA Office. Active in the college advising community, Lauren is involved with her state affiliate organizations (NYSACAC & CACNY) as well as national organizations NACAC and IECA. She has also served as a board member of NYC's Young Education Professionals (YEP) chapter. Lauren believes in meeting students exactly where they are and creating individualized strategies that honor their unique strengths and challenges while building their confidence as self-advocates in the college planning process & beyond!