Calming the frenzy and helping to build confidence.
Lauren cannot imagine a more fulfilling profession than this one that grants her the privilege of walking beside teenagers as they make their first real, impactful adult decision. Her experiences have enabled her to work with students across a wide spectrum of interests and abilities, with a variety of goals and aspirations. Through it all, Lauren’s top priorities are keeping the student at the center of the process and helping parents preserve their relationships with their children. She loves helping students feel more in control of an often daunting process and helping parents feel armed with applicable tools and relevant information.
Lauren began her career in 2001 working at Boston College, where she served on both graduate and undergraduate admission teams. When her personal life took her west, Lauren made the transition to working “on the other side of the desk” as a college counselor at Bellarmine College Preparatory, a Jesuit high school for boys in Silicon Valley. Shortly thereafter, Lauren was invited to serve as College Counseling Director at Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco, where she remained for six years. At Stuart Hall, Lauren developed and taught a comprehensive college counseling course, designed parent education programs, and crafted written communications all with the goal of empowering her students and their families to engage with the college process in an informed way. Lauren also served on Stuart Hall’s academic council, contributing to curriculum design and administrative policy decisions.
In 2013, Lauren joined the college counseling team at The Harker School in San Jose. Then, when family called her home, Lauren returned to Boston College where she rejoined the Office of Undergraduate Admission as Associate Director. Her return was invigorating and clarifying; after that cycle of high selective admission work, Lauren knew she wanted to work alongside her students and their families in the longer-term relationships that school-based counseling allows. Shortly thereafter, Lauren accepted the position of Associate Director of College Counseling at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. At BB&N, Lauren counseled hundreds of families through what has become a layered and complex process.
Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College, where she was deeply involved in programming for The Office of First Year Experience. She served as an Orientation Leader, providing stewardship for incoming first year students and as a retreat leader for 48Hours, a program designed to help sophomores take inventory of their college experience. Lauren lives with her three children outside of Boston.
Throughout her career, Lauren has been a proud member of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, the New England Association of College Admission Counselors, and the National Association of College Admission Counselors. From 2016-2021, Lauren was also an active member of the Boston Independent School College Counselors Association. Her writing on parenting through the college process has been published by a national professional organization. She has also served as a panelist at local and regional conferences and spoke as an admissions expert at high schools on both coasts.