Educational Consultant Beth Casey

I t’s a paradox how Beth Casey of Potential College Advising can be booked solid for years while remaining incredibly responsive to those she serves, but it’s a good one. Families heed her advice because she knows what they need before they do and she communicates it in a way that leaves them inspired to follow through.

How did you get into this field?

After many years in business and then as a stay-at-home mom to four children, I wanted to do something that aligned better with my desire to help others. My work with my own children through the college process lit a spark in me that sent me back to school to get my master’s in education, my National Certified Counselor designation and to become a Certified Educational Planner.

What do you love about the work?

I love the constantly-changing challenges that come with the different personalities, family circumstances, academic levels and goals of the students I work with. There’s always something new to grapple with and to learn. I also love that I have the ability to help underserved students to better understand their options in higher education.

Why do people hire you?

In a nutshell, because I care. I take ownership in each student and family and I feel their successes and failures as deeply as they do. I make sure that I am up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry and I am very accessible to my families, which is valuable when working in the stressful environment of college admissions. Sometimes all families need is a reassuring word from someone who has been there and knows what to expect in a shifting landscape.

How do you feel about study skills?

I am very adamant with students that they need to acquire good study skills in high school in order to ensure success in college. Too many students take their bad habits with them to college and thus risk wasting the substantial financial investment that their families are making in them. With good study skills as a foundation, college students set themselves up not only for academic success, but for personal and social success as well. I love the fact that you teach students how to be EFFICIENT in their studying, which improves their overall quality of life.

What’s your favorite piece of advice to give students?

Find what you love and do what you love. Too many students are ultra-focused on “Will this look good to a college?” My advice is that if you find a passion and follow it, THAT will look good to a college no matter what it may be.