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.