In the fall of 2023, Ayla Biscan was a senior at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School preparing to apply to college. The Wilmington, Mass. teen was one of three siblings; the oldest had significant special needs requiring a lot of attention, and mom Roberta recognized that the college process might be daunting for the family. Fortunately, Ayla had had a big sister for five years through Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters (JBBBS), and JBBBS’s partnership with Campus Bound led the family to learn about its admissions support services.
“Ayla was my first child going through this and I was worried about all the facets. The Common App seemed hard to navigate, how do you figure out all the steps that you had to follow, identifying schools, the visits, et cetera.
“High school seniors already have so much going on… Schoolwork and soccer and track and field took up a lot of time so how do you fit in the applications?” Additionally, Ayla’s dyslexia and ADHD meant that she could get overwhelmed with multi-step instructions or large amounts of reading. “So we were concerned about stress levels and finding a school that would cater to her learning style.”
With these goals in mind, Campus Bound matched Ayla with College Counselor Erika Murphy, and it turned out to be a fantastic pairing.
Ayla had several priorities in her college search. She sought a school close to home with small classrooms and a strong cross-country team, and having done health assistant work in high school, she wanted to major in nursing. Ayla applied to several schools in New England and was accepted to every one—”A huge confidence booster for her!”
It came down to Rivier University and Curry College, and in the end Rivier’s small campus, intimate classes, and superb nursing program checked all the boxes. During freshman year Ayla ran cross-country and was voted captain for sophomore year. She is loving her time there.
Roberta credits the whole Campus Bound team with minimizing her family’s stress and keeping the admissions process on track. “I was a single parent at the time, and I didn’t go to college so I didn’t have the insights that Erika had. The time she put in was unbelievable. Very, very awesome to know that I could count on her.”
Senior Essay Specialist Mike Panchuck supported Ayla with her writing, offering encouragement and reassurance and giving her the confidence she needed.
“I also can’t thank Gregg [Cohen] enough! He had so much knowledge about the financial aid process and did an amazing job reducing Ayla’s tuition. I’ve already recommended Campus Bound to other parents and speak highly of the company. Especially for a student with learning disabilities—you want Campus Bound counselors on your side!”
