Our students and families enjoy a personal relationship with a team of coaches that is specifically matched to their individual needs.

The College Advisor of New England, Inc. is the longest operating full-time, comprehensive college counseling program in Western Massachusetts.  We have been providing personalized college admissions and financial aid counseling services since 1994. We have offices in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and our New York office, The College Advisor of New York (an independent affiliate), in Albany.  Our network includes independent college counselors, Admissions and Financial Aid Deans, and other academic resources located throughout New England and the United States. We are able to provide our clients with a range of resources and expertise that is rarely found in one relationship. The professionals in our network include former Directors of College Planning for private high schools and Admissions and Financial Aid Counselors from a broad range of colleges and universities.

Adam Metsch, CEP

Founder, Adam Metsch, has been recognized by higher education leaders as one of the most professionally knowledgeable and effective independent college counselors in the United States.

"I would rank Adam’s skills and commitment to students in the top 2% of private counselors in the United States."
    - Don Bishop, Senior Leader of Enrollment for five universites in the past 33 years: Ohio Wesleyan, Cornell School of Hotel Administration (world's # 1 school for Hospitality Management--the worlds largest industry), Creighton University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (#1 in the world in aerospace engineering and aviation), and currently at the University of Notre Dame (# 1 in the world Catholic University)

Adam has personally coached over 1,000 students and families through the college selection and financial aid process, successfully helping them reach their goals with greater predictability and more confidence.  His students have been accepted into schools across every range of selectivity.

Adam holds the title of Certified Educational Planner, distinguishing him as having the highest level of competency, commitment and ethics in our profession. He is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New England Association for College Admission Counseling, and has been on the Board of Directors for the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a 1000+ member, international organization comprised of the top qualified educational consultants in the profession. Membership in these organizations requires strict adherence to ethical codes, and IECA requires consistent annual visits to college campuses. To date, Adam has participated in 300+ in-depth campus tours and has met with admissions and financial aid Deans across the country.  As an IECA Committee Chair, Adam helped foster responsible relationships between independent counselors and college and university admissions offices. He has completed College Board certified training on admissions and financial aid advanced studies.  He has appeared and has published articles in local media such as ABC40 News, CBS3 News, and has been quoted in publications including the NY Times, Boston Globe and Career & College magazine.  Adam has conducted presentations at regional and national conferences for NEACAC and IECA.  His team regularly speaks about college planning for parent/student organizations and employee groups.  Adam conducts continuing education workshops for Certified Public Accountants, Financial Planners and Guidance Counselors such as the CPE Forum throughout New England and New York State. 

The College Advisor of New England developed a pilot program called Springfield First which provided pro bono services to under-served students. Adam is a member and past Ambassador of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the Board for the Kiwanis of Springfield.  He lives in Springfield with his wife and two daughters.

Maggie Watson

Maggie holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Allegheny College. Her specialty is essay critique and resume development. Maggie has worked in the field of higher education administration for 19 years and 2 years in corporate human resources. She also managed the recruiting and admissions processes in the graduate admissions office of the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Dr. Dean Skarlis

Dean has 19 years experience in higher education, including 6 years as a Consultant at American College Testing (ACT) and 9 years as an administrator and instructor at Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh. A passionate student advocate, Dean has taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Allegheny College, an M.A. in Psychology from Duquesne University, and a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Dean also holds a certificate from the Harvard University Institute on College Admissions. His research has focused on quality teaching and learning, retention, and program design at four-year colleges. He is a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, as well as an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Dr. Skarlis has conducted presentations for thousands of students, parents, faculty, and administrators at more than 200 colleges, universities, and high schools across the United States. He has also been a featured speaker and trainer for hundreds of financial planners and Certified Public Accountants on the intricacies of college financial aid. He has been a featured guest on Capital News Nine’s “9 on Parenting” segment which is broadcasted across upstate New York.

Nationally, he has appeared on ABC World News. Locally, he has been a featured guest and member of the "Answers Team" on CBS 6 WRGB TV, WTEN TV, Fox 23 News, and the YNN – Channel 9 "Family Living" segment which is broadcast across upstate New York. He has been quoted in several local and national publications including an article in The Washington Post entitled, "The Dirty Little Secrets of College Admissions," The New York Post, The Times Union, The Associated Press, TheStreet.Com, and Capital Region Living Magazine, as well as The Portable Guidance Counselor, a book about the college admissions process published by The Princeton Review in 2010.

Geri French

Geri has 30+ years of experience counseling a very wide range of students and families. She has worked extensively with public, private, and parochial school students who have been admitted to colleges and universities across all levels of selectivity. Through her tenure, Geri has developed a working knowledge of the unique challenges faced by today’s teenagers who are navigating the college admissions process. She is skilled at diffusing the stress students often feel from heavy course loads, AP classes, demanding extracurricular schedules, developing their sense of self, and handling pressures to “decide” on their future. She knows firsthand how highly selective college admissions decisions can be hinged on the difference between a student who is strong academically and one who is naturally intellectual.

In addition to coaching students through the admissions process, Geri spends time visiting campuses across the country and critiquing college admissions trends. She tours approximately 20 colleges per year, gaining insights into each college’s enrollment goals and unique “personality”, which she then uses to guide students in finding and being admitted to best-fit colleges they are excited about. Geri has also worked with college athletic coaches and understands the nuances of the recruiting process and its inherent pressures. Geri is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), a licensed School Adjustment Counselor/School Social Worker, and has often taken on the role of Acting Principal within the public school setting. She has developed and conducted workshops for students and parents on a variety of topics related to academic/social/family balance and is considered a perceptive, relevant resource around college decision making. Geri has also taught courses at the graduate school level. She holds a B.S. in Human Development and Family Relationships from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Social Work degree from New York University, where she remains actively involved and is a current member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for NYU’s Silver School of Social Work in Manhattan.

Patricia Tresoline

Patty is our office administrator, and a helpful voice you will often connect with when scheduling and arranging other logistics about your student's process. She is always happy to answer your initial questions, or connect you with the appropriate counselor. Patty comes to us with 17+ years as an administrative assistant for a Fortune 100 company.