Hi! My name is Carol Lee.
Not Carol, not Ms. Lee. Carol Lee. My mom was fond of the two-name trend. This can be difficult for some folks to handle, but it makes me easy to remember. You can always call me Carol Lee and I will always answer.
I’m an Evanston native, Irish-Catholic, football fan – Notre Dame in particular. Go Irish! I am an award-winning college admissions counselor with 30 years experience working from both ends of the spectrum – advocating for students as their college counselor, as well as working as a college admissions officer. In my time, I have advised over 4,000 students. I have read more than 15,000 applications. I have traveled to 43 states while visiting more than 700 college campuses. When it comes to the admissions process, I know what I’m talking about. More importantly: I am happy to talk about it with you.
Early in my career I served as the Chicago representative for the Office of Admission at St. Norbert College before changing to the other side of the desk and serving as Director of College Counseling at Notre Dame High School of Boys for 17 years. Most recently, I served as Director of College Counseling for the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund. Daniel Murphy places students from disadvantaged backgrounds in college preparatory high schools in Chicago and boarding schools across the country. A long-standing member of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), I have an extensive network for professional colleagues in both college admission and college counseling. Also a member of Illinois Association of College Admission Counselors, I was honored in 2014 with the President’s Service Recognition Award.
My specialty? The match. There is no use in a student working their tail off for four years in high school to get into a competitive college that does not harmonize with their interests, affinities, and skill set. With thousands of major American universities to choose from, it is easy to make a bad decision. To make a successful match, an experienced college counselor needs in-depth knowledge of both the student and the school – in this regard, my qualifications are second to none.
The very best part of my job comes after the work is done, years after a student has left high school, when I run into them at the grocery store and they tell me about their current success as the result of positive, life-changing, college career. Moments like this are what I live for!
I wanted to extend my deepest thanks to you. Your patience, positivity, and knowledge about so many places helped me work up the courage to visit Amherst. It has been a fantastic fit for me and I just wanted to let you know how rewarding your work has been, even if the reward was not directly experienced yourself. Thanks again for all of your hard work!
David Huante | Amherst College | Class of 2016