Meet Ali!

Ali Springer, College Counselor

Ali has been supporting students for nearly 20 years, beginning as an admissions coordinator for Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. She went on to serve as an associate director of admission at Colorado College, her alma mater, for eight years, where she read thousands of applications, interviewed hundreds of students, and oversaw strategy on the leadership team. And she spent a year as the director of college access for STRIVE Prep Schools in Denver before joining Collegewise in 2022.

Ali’s Collegewise students have been accepted to more than 100 colleges and universities, including all the UC (University of California) schools, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northeastern, University of Miami, Tulane, Macalester, Colorado College, Kenyon, Pitzer, Scripps, University of Richmond, Baylor, and American University. She is a frequent Collegewise webinar presenter and serves as a member of our recruiting and interviewing team to evaluate potential college counselors. And in 2024, she was selected with a group of former Colorado College colleagues to present a professional development session, Shifting Terrain: Empowering Students in Selective College Admission, at the annual conference of the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admission Counseling.

Ali’s 2022 cover letter accompanying her Collegewise application told us, "Ask anyone who knows me well—the college admission process is one of the few things in this world that excites me to the point you can see it on my face." Now a veteran Collegewise counselor, Ali adds: 

I was lucky enough to have a couple of grown-ups in my life when I was a teen who had such an unassuming and artful approach to asking me questions. Just asking questions. Not telling me what to do, but slowly encouraging moments of self-reflection over a long period of time. My goal is to be that for my students. 

Testimonials from Ali’s Collegewise families frequently cite how “calm, “supportive,” and “motivational” she is, in addition to commenting on how well she got to know her students and the support she offered when brainstorming potential college essay topics. 

Ali relishes the opportunities her home in the Rocky Mountains provides and can frequently be found running, snowboarding, and hiking—in fact, she’s climbed 20 peaks over 14,000 feet. And when she’s expended her daily energy reserves traversing various outdoor terrains, Ali enjoys watching movies, cuddling with her chocolate lab (or her nieces and nephews), and reading the latest news on college admissions. 

Education & Experience

Colorado College, B.A.

University of Denver, M.A.

Director of College Access, STRIVE Prep Schools 

Associate Director of Admission, Colorado College 

Admissions Coordinator, Francis W. Parker School

Professional Organization Memberships

NACAC: National Association of College Admission Counseling

RMACAC: Rocky Mountain Association of College Admission Counseling