Our Stories
Caryn Marcus, Founder | CEO | Lead College & Prehealth Advisor
Caryn was the kid who could not wait to go to college. She remembers purchasing a college survival guide, and she could not put it down. In fact, she read it twice! In her family, the “when you go to college” conversation began at an early age. Her mother, a first-generation college student, attended the University of Idaho, and her father attended Vanderbilt University. They both loved their experiences, and she and her sister grew up listening to their stories. On family vacations, they often visited the nearest college or university and this was where her fascination with all things college began.
Her personal college search was focused on schools where she could receive an excellent education and those with NCAA gymnastics programs. She was a club gymnast and wanted to compete at the university level. These goals led her to research about 64 colleges across the country. She took five recruiting trips and visited more on her own.
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) offered her a scholarship to compete and study. During her recruiting trip, everything at UIC felt right. She often tells her own students that sometimes, after all the research is complete, the final choice is a gut decision. Her parents were supportive of any decision she made, even if it meant moving a long distance from her home outside of Annapolis, Maryland. Attending UIC was one of the best decisions she made and credits her time on the gymnastics team for preparing her for a 21 year career working in higher education.
She spent 13 of those 21 years at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in a variety of roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Instructor for the highly competitive BA/BS - MD program (formerly the GPPA Medicine Program, now the GPPA Medical Scholars Program). In this role, she directed the admissions process and advised and counseled current GPPA Medicine students as they completed their undergraduate careers and matriculated to medical school. The GPPA Medical Scholars Program is non-binding, allowing students to apply to other medical schools. She assisted GPPA Medicine students with their medical school applications, helping to place students in the top medical schools in the country. In addition to her administrative and advisory roles, she designed curriculum for and taught the GPPA Medicine course: The Evolution of Medicine.
In addition to her work with GPPA, she was an application reader for the College of Medicine, supported and developed curriculum for the Medical Colloquia course, and completed her tenure in the Office of Students Affairs as an advisor to first through fourth year medical students.
In 2016, she launched Caryn Marcus College and Pre-Medical Advising. She decided to enter this field because she wanted to help more students and families understand the often confusing college and professional school admissions processes. She sees herself as an educator and coach and cares deeply about her students and their families. She strives to know her students and their families well and believes that her work with them does not stop at an acceptance. She has built her entire practice on goals dedicated to bringing out the best in her students and helping them find their unique attributes and personal narratives.
Her practice consists of working with students from a wide variety of backgrounds and skill sets. She has placed high school students in a vast array of majors, including psychology, business, engineering, linguistics, sociology, computer science, economics, neuroscience, advertising, and more. The common denominator they have all shared is finding a school that meets their individual needs and objectives. Her professional students come to her with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and she enjoys helping them discover more about the profession they are entering.
Professional affiliations include associate membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association; memberships in the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC); and a previous membership in the AAMC BA/BS - MD group.
Marisa Sanders, Writing Coach | Prehealth Advisor
Education: MA, Communication Disorders (Northern Illinois University); MFA, Acting (The New School); BA, English (Clemson University)
Marisa is passionate about helping students reach their academic and professional potential. She supports them in telling their unique stories—through essays and interviews—while navigating the often-challenging prehealth path. With a background in English, she brings expertise in writing, editing, and crafting compelling narratives that highlight each student’s strengths.
Her professional experience spans higher education, healthcare, and the arts. She has held key roles in student advising, including serving as the Assistant Director for Goucher College’s Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program and the Undergraduate Prehealth Advising Office, as well as being a Clinical Supervisor at Towson University’s Speech and Language Clinic.
Marisa’s work as a licensed speech-language pathologist, supporting individuals of all ages with communication disorders, informs her approach to working with richly diverse student populations, from first-generation college students to students with learning differences. This experience also provided extensive exposure to outpatient and inpatient medical settings, where she collaborated as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
She also brings a creative perspective from her early career as a theatre actor, where her training honed presentation skills, adaptability, and flexibility—skills she now integrates into coaching students on personal statements, interviews, and professional communication.
Outside of her professional work, Marisa can be found nagging her daughter about college essays, swimming countless laps to stay race-ready, and hunting the local library for the newest fiction releases.
Sophie Pritchett, High School Operations Coordinator and Administrative Assistant
Education: BS, Music Industry and Business Administration (Drexel University)
Sophie brings a strong passion for helping others and a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to supporting students, families, and the advising team. In her role, Sophie helps ensure smooth day-to-day operations while contributing to an organized, responsive, and student-centered experience.
Sophie is a recent graduate of Drexel University’s Music Industry Program with a minor in Business Administration. She has a diverse professional background with experiences in artist management, tour management, music publishing, social media marketing, content creation, and leasing.
Outside of work, she enjoys writing and performing music, exploring Los Angeles, and—true to her operations mindset—creating spreadsheets that keep everything running efficiently.
Laurie Gross, Essay Coach
Education: MA, Secondary Education with a specialization in English (DePaul University); BA, English/Writing (University of Minnesota), Summer Training Institute with the IECA (July '25)
Laurie brings over two decades of experience in education. She began her career teaching high school English in Montgomery County, Maryland, before moving to Chicago, where she continued teaching in the Chicago Public Schools across all high school grade levels and a wide range of student abilities. It was here, as an Advanced Placement Literature teacher, that she first began helping students with their college applications. In this capacity, she assisted the students with everything from essays to school selection.
Throughout her career, Laurie stayed current in the field of education. One way she accomplished this was as a teacher in a weekend program for talented and gifted high school students at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Once again, Laurie found herself assisting students with their college applications. During this time, she also became a reader for the SAT (Pearson) when the essay portion was implemented.
For the last decade, Laurie has been a private tutor in Los Angeles and continues to help with college application essays, leading to many successful acceptances. She believes it is more important for students to find a college or university where they can thrive than one that is simply prestigious. She aims to help each student find a school that feels like home.
According to the students and families Laurie has worked with, “... she brings with her knowledge about colleges and universities, her ability to guide students in their writing, an understanding and patient nature, and a quirky sense of humor.”
Sandy Sufian, Essay Coach
Education: MPH, Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Oregon Health & Sciences University); PhD, Middle East Studies (New York University); MA, Middle East Studies (New York University); BA, Religion (Emory University)
Sandy Sufian, PhD, MPH, brings a wealth of knowledge to Caryn Marcus College and Pre-Health Advising. She has 25 years of experience teaching and advising college, graduate, and professional students as a professor at a local university. She has ten years of experience assisting students with their college application essays, graduate school entrance essays, and essays for medical, law, and business schools. She has received additional training in essay coaching through UCLA Extension courses and the College Essay Guy Program.
Sandy understands all types of learners and tailors her approach to accommodate each person's unique needs. A published author, she understands how to write for a specific academic audience, conceptualize, outline, write, and edit essays, and engage learners in strengthening their writing. Sandy is an excellent communicator, a creative thinker, and a professional with integrity. She is a mom, dog-owner, friend, and colleague.