About Julie

Welcome! I’m Julie, and I am the founder of Waverly, and full-time college consultant to students in the Milwaukee area and beyond.

Prior to Waverly, I had a wonderful 20+ year career working in colleges and universities to support students in their success and get them started on the right foot. While I loved my work, I found that many students and families arrived on the doorstep of college, battered and bruised by their college search and admissions process. They often wondered what just happened, did they miss any opportunities, and were they even in the right place for them. Many underestimated how much admissions has changed since they (the parents) went to college, and still more were surprised by how challenging it was to maintain healthy family relationships through the process. I decided that I could help families and student more, by providing guidance throughout the search. Thus, the idea for Waverly was born in 2021.

My 20+ year career in colleges and universities included:

• Reviewing admission applications at a Midwest public flagship university

• Leading selection of prestigious, full-tuition scholarship winners

• Recruiting engineering students to a selective, mid-size, urban institution

• Advising high school students in a highly-selective early college credit program

• Leading student orientation programs for a religiously-affiliated private university

• Developing a Parent Program to support parents of current college students

• Counseling students transferring between institutions

• Conducting disciplinary hearings of college students who made mistakes and needed a fresh start

• Developing pre-college summer programs for high school students exploring STEM majors

My educational background:

• Masters Degree in Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with honors, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Chapter of Wisconsin

My professional involvement:

• Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), professional member

• Ongoing visits to campuses nationwide

Parents, I am a mom of three kids. I understand the tension of wanting the best outcomes for your kids, but knowing that in order for them to grow into themselves, they need to learn to take the reigns. And, I have first-hand familiarity with the frustrating reality that teenagers listen more to adults who aren’t their parents or family members. I find immense joy in helping students to grow into themselves through the college search, and also in relieving parents and families of the power struggles that can overshadow what can and should be a joyous time in your family’s life. I know that family dynamics are incredibly varied, and it is important to me to understand and respect your family’s unique culture.

Students, I know what it’s like to not know what you want out of college, let alone your career. I also know how overwhelming it can be to consider all of the options you may have in front of you, and to know what’s truly possible. Everywhere you turn, you can find someone else telling you what they think is best for you, or sharing the secret “magic bullet” that will help you get in to a particular college. (Spoiler alert: there’s no secret and no “one way” to navigate the process). I will help you take it one step at a time, focus your time and energy on the things that matter, and work at your preferred pace. I will encourage you to tune out the noise, and I will help you to be true to yourself through the process. I love working with high school students, and I can’t wait to meet you.

To inquire about working with me, please schedule a Discovery Session. For all other questions, please email me at julie@waverly-consulting.com.