Credentials & Mission

Kristen received her Independent Educational Consultant Certificate from UC Irvine and is a member of NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling), a Professional IECA Member (Independent Educational Consultants Association), PACCC (Portland Area College Counselors Consortium) and Bend Private Counseling Group. Prior to College Counseling, Kristen worked as an account manager for a Portland advertising agency, helping businesses create marketing plans to achieve their business goals. Applying to college is a similar process of breaking down a large project into manageable and thoughtful parts, ultimately “selling” a student to colleges as a great fit!

Working with College Bound & Ready means you will have Kristen’s expert guidance (10+ years, 350+ students admitted to their top choice colleges, an average of $15,000-$20,000 in scholarships/year), plus support from an essay specialist, resources from a professional counseling group, and the option to include test prep support and access to mentored research projects.

Kristen works with high school students who are motivated to explore their college options, minimize the stress of the process, and maximize their admission outcomes, including students with specific academic interests and those who have no idea what they want to study. She has also completed the Student-Athlete Advisor training and regularly assists prospective student-athletes in marketing themselves to college coaches. She expertly guides students through the college exploration, selection, and application process, including essay brainstorming and editing.

Kristen visits 15-20 colleges a year, co-served for two years as the Portland-area Community Rep for HECA, and continues to connect with college representatives, keeping up-to-date on college offerings and programs. Choosing to go and where to go to college is likely one of the biggest decisions and investments parents and their students will make. Kristen recognizes that not only do colleges need to be a good academic, social, and emotional fit, but families also need to consider the cost of the entire college experience. Once good-fit colleges are found, Kristen helps students market themselves to those colleges, increasing the odds of admission, scholarships and persistence (very few College Bound & Ready students transfer). 

Kristen loves working with young adults, guiding them to discover priorities and deepen their interests and helping them (and their parents!) enjoy the college exploration process. Let’s get started!