LAURA GEORGE is the founder of Laura George Consulting (LGC), a high school and college consulting and tutoring firm. Prior to her work in admissions, George earned her B.A. in Psychology from Duke University and her MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University, where she also served for two years as a full-time member of the Admissions Committee. Throughout her career, she has accumulated extensive writing and marketing experience and has developed focused expertise in the college and MBA admissions processes.

What influenced your path to success?

I owe my success to equal parts entrepreneurial spirit, passion for empowering others, and serendipity. When my part-time sitter asked for more hours six years ago, I agreed, but I felt compelled to do something productive with that extra time. I had been providing customized ACT tutoring and college and MBA essay coaching as a sole proprietor for a decade. During that time, I had noticed many area tutoring firms as well as independent essay coaches and college consultants, but no one provided a sole source of trusted expertise throughout the journey to college. I founded LGC to fill that void by providing customized guidance and solutions to help each family feel confident in charting a clear path forward to their child’s best-fit colleges.

What are your greatest wins?

Observing the spark of confidence that begins to dance in a student’s eyes after they master a difficult ACT/SAT concept. Discussing a student’s true interests and helping them brainstorm an essay topic that perfectly embodies their unique spirit. Helping families and students understand that their best-fit colleges do not have to come from a specified list or align with anyone else’s vision for them.

For more information, visit laurageorgeconsulting.com.