Expertise

Charting College aims to make applying to college an exciting, positive and educational process. We guide students to find their best fit with the philosophy of helping young adults achieve their goals and discover what makes them happy.

Laura Rowley, Founder
Wilton, CT

Deborah Cooney, Advisor
Honolulu, HI

Laura Rowley, Founder

Laura is mom to three boys, ages 15, 19 and 21, and an independent educational consultant residing in Wilton, CT. She is keenly aware of the sometimes overwhelming nature of the college application process and believes good organization and access to information are key to staying on track. Detail-oriented and dedicated to her students, she helps them stay organized and plan for their futures.

She has worked with students across the country in Connecticut, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, Virginia and Hawaii, and in Hong Kong. She helps students discover themselves and map out their plans for high school, summers and through graduation. Students enjoy discussing their potential and future dreams with Laura, and discussions have included studying physics, literature, environmental studies, finance, theater management and engineering, exploring culinary school, and pursuing college athletics.

Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, Laura earned a BA in History from Louisiana State University and spent her junior year of college in the United Kingdom. She has traveled to Asia, Europe and Latin America. She also earned a Master of Business Administration and had a career in finance and banking. After leaving finance, Laura poured herself into volunteer work in local public schools where she dedicated time as president and vice president for the PTAs, to the school libraries, and helped lead a Zero Waste effort in the school community. She works at Wilton High School in the school counseling department to assist with the 504 plan process, and has completed UCLA’s college counseling certificate program.

Laura’s philosophy is to educate families about resources and opportunities available, and to help narrow down possibilities so that students and families can make informed decisions. She also believes in guiding families to understand the cost of college, including the types of financial aid available, to ensure a shared set of expectations.

Deborah Cooney, Advisor

Deborah serves as an advisor to Charting College, drawing on her extensive international experience in college consulting. She is a mother of three children - ages 14, 19 and 22 - and has lived, traveled and worked around the world as an expatriate and member of the U.S. Foreign Service diplomatic community for 25 years. As a seasoned high school and educational counselor based in the United States, she advises students and their parents. Previous clients live in New York City, Washington DC metro area, Honolulu, Dallas, Austin, Palo Alto, Baton Rouge, Miami, Tokyo, Nairobi, Windhoek, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Santiago and Buenos Aires.

As a current U.S. high school counselor and a former counselor at the German Swiss International School in Hong Kong, Deborah understands the UK system of IGCSEs, A-Levels, the German Abitur and the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and how universities evaluate students following different national and international curriculums.

Deborah’s students have attended highly selective universities in the Ivy League, University of California schools, Stanford, Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Washington University in St. Louis, MIT, UChicago, Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics and many more Russell Group universities. The "right fit" school depends on your passions, interests and personality. Some students prefer to attend small liberal arts colleges in New England, some want to swim, fence, or play baseball at a Division I, II, or III school, and some just want to find a school offering the best visual arts, dance or film program.

Deborah works with artists, athletes, environmentalists, scientists, and students with learning differences. She was also an international admissions reader for a prestigious university, reading thousands of college applications.

Contact Us

To learn more about our services and how we can help, contact us.