Ricki Benjamin is the Founder and Owner of CollegeSage, a boutique college counseling firm based in Wellesley, MA.
Ricki has worked as an independent college counselor since 2012, guiding high school students through the nuanced college admissions process. She focuses on building relationships with students and families to understand their unique story and achieve positive results.
Prior to transitioning to college counseling, Ricki spent nine years at the Harvard Kennedy School. As a senior admissions officer, she oversaw the end-to-end admissions process, read and evaluated hundreds of applications each year and advised prospective applicants.
Ricki earned a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College, while also gaining experience in residential life and career services at two Boston area universities. Before embarking on her career in higher education, Ricki worked in management consulting at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University and is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
Families have returned to Ricki time and again to ease the stress of applying to college. She enjoys guiding students and families through what can be a daunting process.
Ricki lives in Wellesley, MA with her husband, two children and lab. They enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors and have a family goal of hiking the 48 NH 4,000’ peaks.
Lauren Abad joins the CollegeSage team after having worked at a number of top ranked Massachusetts high schools supporting students with their academics, post-secondary planning and social emotional well-being.
She was previously named the Massachusetts School Counseling Intern of the year after graduating with her Masters of Arts in School Counseling from Assumption University.
Prior to working in education, Lauren worked in marketing supporting universities with their marketing and communications efforts, including student recruitment campaigns and university branding initiatives. She holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMASS Amherst where she was an active member of the campus community.
Lauren’s counseling background helps her connect with students as they navigate the time and emotions it takes to apply to colleges and prepare for the next step in their lives. She enjoys getting to know students and their families as she guides them through the college application process.
Lauren lives in Boxborough, MA with her husband, son and their golden retriever.
