APPLYING TO COLLEGE

Our current environment is unpredictable. But change, new vistas, and new adventures have always occurred. This is what the college experience should be about:  personal discovery.

That is what the college search-and-application process is supposed to be about:  discovering who you are at this point and taking yourself to a place where you can be challenged, inspired, and fulfilled.  If you can approach the process with that perspective -- and not "I have to get into X in order to have a good life" -- then you will feel less stressed and more balanced.  

I have worked both as an admissions officer at a major university and as a college counselor on the secondary level. My extensive experience means that I have worked on what is referred to as "both sides of the desk" -- I have seen what works, and I use my knowledge to assist you and your student.

My approach to counseling is friendly, sensible, and practical.  Like any educational consultant, I cannot promised admission anywhere specific -- no counselor or consultant can absolutely give you a 100% guarantee of this -- but this is what I can do: 
  • help you to create a realistic college list that you can be excited about 
  • guide you in presenting yourself as an effective applicant
  • tell you really what to look for on campus visits
  • prepare you for successful admissions interviews 
  • show you step-by-step suggestions to make the application process much less stressful than you might be led to believe
As an English teacher and published author, I can show you how to write a compelling essay/personal statement that will convey your genuine self. This is a crucial part of your college application. And I can guide you in making your essay-writing not only effective but pleasurable. 

A RECOGNIZED NAME IN THE PROFESSION:

A member of national and regional counseling organizations including NACAC: the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, SACAC, the Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling, and HECA: the Higher Education Consultants Association. Dr. Gabin has led sessions at college admissions conferences. Her columns have appeared in the Link for Counselors newsletter and she posts frequently on admissions issues on Twitter and Facebook.

She wrote the "Ask the College Counselor" column at www.insideschools.org for 10 years and was interviewed for a feature on college admissions on WNYC, New York's National Public Radio station. She has been featured in the West Side Spirit newspaper (NYC), and has offered public seminars at the Chapel Hill (NC) and Orange County (NC) Public Libraries.