It’s not just about getting in. It’s about enjoying the process.
Many teenagers compete to find the best edge in college admissions.
Let us help you pause and discover that your best edge is already within you.
Who We Are
McGuire College Advising is a boutique college admission advising consultancy that helps families of passionate and highly engaged students maintain perspective and calm in an often-confusing and hyper-competitive college admissions world.
And as a former Assistant Director of admission at an Ivy League school and respected independent school Director of College Counseling with over twenty years of experience, Susan McGuire does so with results.
You see, Susan knows selective and highly selective college admissions inside and out, from what committees really care about in essays and supplements to the myriad of small and large ways that students can show interest in the colleges of their choice. She has helped hundreds of students with the college process in the U.S. and abroad, and has reviewed thousands of applications from some of the best and brightest around the world. She does this by taking a collaborative, highly personalized, student-centered approach to college consulting so that students feel fully bought-in, invested, and empowered throughout the process. She coaches, counsels, and advises students in their decision-making with her characteristic calmness and deep care.
The result? Her students have gained admission to virtually every top college and university in the country.
You don’t need to sacrifice your peace to get results.
Our Approach
We know that students fare better in the college process when they are fully engaged and bought in, and when their decisions at every stage of the process are grounded in self-awareness and authentic self-expression.
Therefore, we don’t tell students what to do. We don’t create “brands” for students. We don’t think in terms of “tips and tricks” to getting in. Rather, we offer students supportive, nuanced, expert advice, and then coach them in making their own informed choices along the way.
At McGuire College Advising, we know selective and highly selective college admissions and are committed to offering high-quality, personalized guidance for each and every family.
Most importantly, we want every student to emerge from the college process having grown as a person, excited about the next stage of their lives.
About Susan McGuire
A veteran college counselor, educator, and academic who loves learning for its own sake, Susan McGuire holds a BA in American Civilization from Brown University, a masters degree in counseling psychology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Education, and a second masters degree in theological studies from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Susan is also a certified coach through the Co-Active Training Institute in San Rafael, California and she is currently pursuing a PhD. Together, her coach training and theological education have informed and deepened every aspect of her college counseling practice.
Susan believes that everyone has something important to offer that the world needs. She established this consultancy because for over twenty years, she has delighted in helping passionate and highly engaged teenagers identify and amplify their unique offerings and strengths, tap into their genuine longings, move towards their greatest potential, and carve out their unique place in the world.
This she does while remaining up-to-date on the ever-changing realities of selective and highly selective admissions and sharing with students a wealth of often-overlooked but vitally important advice that helps them navigate the process successfully.
McGuire College Advising will help your family make sense of the college admission process and bring the awe, wonder, and excitement of pursuing higher education back into your household. Susan will help your child discover who they are and coach them on how best to stand out.
Let us help your teenager move through the college process with a sense of grounding, inspiration, purpose - even joy!
Services
We offer both hour-long strategy sessions and full, comprehensive packages to meet your family’s needs.
Maybe you’d like a single, one-hour session for your 10th grader because you’re taking them to see a few colleges during spring break. You could use an early, curated list to get started.
Perhaps you just want a one-hour meeting to get some advice on planning out your student’s high school math, science, or modern language curriculum sequence in order to meet their goals by senior year.
Or maybe you’re looking for highly personalized, comprehensive college admissions counseling support that will guide your student through the entire process, culminating in completed applications.
Either way, we can help.
Strategy Sessions (60 mins)
For 9th-12th grades
We know that families at all levels of high school 9th-12th grade, have questions about the college process - especially in states like California where early curriculum planning for the UC’s can be very important - and just need an hour to talk things over with an expert.
Session types:
High school curriculum review & advising
Personalized early college list curation
Essay feedback (CA Personal Statement or Supplements, UC PIQ, or scholarship essay. General guidance and feedback only)
Application reset strategy session (post-Early Results disappointment)
Summer program advising and/or essay review
General college counseling questions/advice
At McGuire College Advising, we believe that high school should be enjoyed. We don’t believe that going to high school should be all about getting into a top college.
Instead, we believe that high school should be a time for a student's natural gifts, strengths, and interests to emerge organically without the pressure of choosing activities to try and impress college admission officers down the road.
Therefore, our comprehensive college planning packages are reserved for juniors and seniors only and focus on the students’ self-discovery process rather than on creating a brand.
Our comprehensive packages include:
Discovery suite of assessments, exercises, and parent/student questionnaires to enable this joyful process (values, tell me about you, etc)
High school records review
College list development and refinement
Application strategy (Early Action/Early Decision and/or Regular Decision)
Essay ideation, development, and revision for up to 10 colleges/universities (hourly rate applied for more than 10 colleges)
Common App supplement development and review (where applicable)
Standardized test advising (SAT, ACT, AP exams, where applicable)
College or scholarship interview prep (where applicable)
Unique login access to our comprehensive college planning platform to help students conduct research on colleges, keep track of deadlines, and stay organized
Automatic text message reminders re: task completion
Unlimited access to Susan via email
Final college decision support
For Juniors, our packages also include:
Summer activity ideation
Summer program application prep (up to 5 programs)
Extracurricular and out-of-school activity coaching and guidance
See what others have said…
“I could not have done all this without your help. I really am proud of what I've done, and I cannot thank you enough. I've discovered so much about myself through this process…
Thank you also for your patience and guidance in letting me figure things out for myself. I appreciated you giving me nudges and suggestions in order for me to bring out what I wanted to say. I'll miss our meetings, and us always taking two minutes in the beginning to just catch up on life. I really couldn't have asked for a better counselor”
—Accepted to University of Pennsylvania
“Thanks so much for being a wonderful counselor this year. I’ve loved chatting with you in our meetings and having back and forths about my essays. You’ve been a truly instrumental part of me getting into college, and I’m grateful for that."
— Accepted to Stanford University
“Thank you for your amazing work with our son. We were not sure that Wesleyan was in reach and we might not have considered it if not for your suggestion. And then you successfully helped him get in!”
—Parent
“I wanted to thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me this year, Thank you not just for being an incredible college counselor, but for dealing with my craziness…Thank you again for everything. I couldn’t have gotten through this year without you! “
—Accepted to joint program at Tel Aviv University/Columbia University
“Thank you for all you have done. Your expertise, calming presence, and direction to reflect on goals and what really matters [truly] resonated .”
—Parent
“You have helped me so much with the college process; I do not know how I would have gotten through it all without you. Despite not having any real metrics, I can safely say you are the best college counselor I could have had. Once again, thank you for everything.”
—Accepted to Case Western Reserve University
“A HUGE thank you for guiding me and my family through the college process, beginning junior year. I was completely clueless about where to start with the whole process and you helped me get acclimated to it all. I can’t say enough how grateful I am for all your hard work in helping me. And now, thanks to you, I am going to a school I am genuinely thrilled to attend!”
—Accepted to Colorado College
“We can’t thank you enough for the outstanding college counseling you did with our son and our family! We appreciated your wise advice every step of the way…specifically, the guidance you gave on classes to take his senior year, and your college suggestions and guidance - focusing on the right type of college and recommending great schools. You were the key to [our son’s] college discovery journey, and all of us are forever grateful! Thank you so much!”
—Parent
Full, Comprehensive Packages
Learn more about comprehensive packages
The full, comprehensive package is available to rising 11th- and 12th-grade students seeking a long-term college counselor. Request a 30-minute consultation to discuss your student’s high school record as well as the details and terms of our packages, and to confirm that our company’s approach and philosophy are a fit for you. Consultations are free of charge.
Ready to schedule? Request your 30-minute consultation below.
Contact Us
Strategy Sessions
Learn more about strategy sessions
Strategy Sessions are 60 minutes long and focused on one topic. They can be scheduled at any time throughout the year. This option is designed for families who just want some time with an expert. If you are looking for regular, ongoing support with the admissions process, our Full, Comprehensive Package may be a better fit for you.
Ready to schedule? Book your 60-minute strategy session by clicking the button below. All strategy sessions are $250/hr, payable at the time of booking.