Kirsty Boyd and Ted Donlan first heard about Campus Bound through a Wellesley Facebook page. People were recommending college coaches and someone wrote that a local dad had founded Campus Bound. The Donlans liked what they heard in their initial consultation; it seemed like the right fit for their son Liam, a Wellesley High School student in the class of 2024.
The primary catalyst for hiring an admissions counselor was their sense that the college landscape differed dramatically from what they had experienced. Kirsty went to school in the UK and was unfamiliar with the American application process; Ted graduated 30+ years ago and felt like he didn’t know the current process. Both worked full time and schedules were busy. While Liam did have some help from his school’s guidance department, the family sought the personalized, one-on-one support that Campus Bound could provide. They were excited to get help navigating all the steps and complexity. Liam is good at making a plan but if Ted and I had had to help him manage his applications, it would’ve felt like nagging and that’s not a good dynamic.
Campus Bound Admissions Counselor Vanessa Ferreira began working with Liam in the fall of junior year, taking the time to understand his personality and asking detailed questions about what he might like in a college. She then offered ideas of where to start.
“Vanessa walked us through the timeline and told him what to do when. This was tremendously valuable especially in the summer before junior year. Liam knew he wanted to stay in New England. He was interested in the military and thought he’d go to a smaller school and study computer science.” Adds Kirsty, “Vanessa gave us a sense of what schools could be a good fit, guiding Liam through the process so it wasn’t all left until the last minute. She always encouraged him to be open-minded about his list. His essay specialist was also fantastic! He’s a great writer but the strategic support and feedback was excellent.”
Liam’s first acceptance was from Norwich University on a full scholarship. “It was a relief to have something early and know he had a great option.”
Liam applied to eight colleges and was admitted to all. He narrowed it down to UMass Amherst and University of Vermont. After visiting UVM, he knew it was the place for him and rescinded his applications to both Brandeis and Dartmouth.
“Liam is very happy at UVM. He’s in the ROTC army program which is giving him structure and discipline. Freshman year was all about getting comfortable with independence. There’s a wonderful group of students that support each other at UVM and they all seem genuinely happy to be there.”
Although he initially chose to major in computer science, Liam sensed the job market was changing and switched to electrical engineering. “This is definitely challenging Liam in different ways. But we’re glad he’s pursuing it.”
“Working with Campus Bound was so worthwhile to guide us through the process, encourage us to consider options we might not have considered before, and give us confidence in our decisions. A very beneficial decision on so many levels… it gave us peace of mind as parents, and gave Liam the confidence in the big decision that he was making. We’ve all been very happy with Liam’s choice.”
