Shannon Brady

Academic and college counseling have always been a part of Shannon’s life. She has a strong passion for helping students find the best colleges for their personal preferences, abilities, and potential. With her strong college admissions knowledge and ability to connect with families, she is adept at easing anxiety throughout the admissions process.

Originally from the East Coast, Shannon grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey. After being recruited to play Division 1 & Division 3 lacrosse at several colleges along the Eastern seaboard, Shannon selected Loyola University in Maryland. It was there where she completed her undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Afterward, she moved to New York City and began her Master’s of Education in School Counseling and a professional career at Fordham University. While working for the University’s Office of Career Planning, her role as a Career Counselor enabled her to conduct resume-writing seminars, coordinate the internship program, and counsel students as they prepared for the workplace.

Her unique experiences led her to a highly sought-after position as the College and Career Counselor at a top-rated regional high school in central New Jersey. With a student body of over 3,000 Shannon created a College and Career Center that provided students and parents with the specific resources necessary in post-secondary planning and the college admissions process. As the College and Career Counselor, she developed and facilitated multiple college search workshops and college athlete seminars. Shannon became an important figure in the school’s community, serving as the Counseling Departments’ liaison, providing the grade-level counselors, students, and parents with advice, resources, and support.

In addition to experience in the school setting, Shannon worked for a small college consulting company in Orange County & San Diego County. She worked closely with families counseling them on the appropriate steps to success in the admission process and higher education. Additionally, she was the regional admission representative for a small, private, liberal arts university on the East Coast. Shannon was an instructor for the UCLA Extension – College Counseling Certificate Program and taught the course, Using the Internet for College & Career Counseling.

Shannon’s dedication to professional development has led her to visit hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the country, where she has built strong relationships with admission counselors. These relationships have provided Shannon with the opportunity to observe the admissions committees of several competitive liberal arts colleges. Shannon is an active member of the Higher Education Consultant Association, attending annual conferences and events to keep up with the ever-changing admissions landscape.

With the use of technology, Shannon is evolving her counseling practice to assist families virtually around the country. In 2021, TheCollegeMIND was created to solve the problem of making college admissions more accessible to a wider population who may not be able to fully afford the advantages of working with a private counselor.

Shannon lives in Carlsbad, California with her husband, Brian, and son, Liam & daughters, Shae and Brynn.