Anita was a great guide that aided me in my journey into being accepted at the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University. She provided guidance on how I should write college essays, what to look for in majors, and helped me, as well, in the process of my scholarship essay. She was very attentive and always ready to lend me time for guidance. I really appreciated her being my counselor.
ISABELLE
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
Anita has something that is very difficult to find these days. From all the counselors I have had for my kids, she was the only one I feel was genuinely interested and invested in my kids’ search for success. She was available, generous, hardworking and a pleasure to work and connect with. She is someone that has remained a ressource for all my kids now in college.
FLORENCE, PARENT OF NICHOLAS
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
I always found that Collegewise was able to accommodate me from the very beginning. When trying to pick a counselor, they allowed me to have a brief meeting with a potential counselor to see if they were the right fit for me. With my mom, I met with Anita Gajula and knew she and I would work well together. She was very organized and well-spoken which made such a daunting process a lot smoother. Anita broke everything down step by step, therefore making everything seem so much less overwhelming than it could have been. With her guidance, I was able to successfully apply to 7 schools, all of which I knew I would be happy about attending. She helped me find safety, target, and reach schools that all fit into my needs/wants. With her help and the help of the team of editors that revised my many essays, I was able to get accepted into my top choice, Stevens Institute of Technology. I loved the way that Anita and Collegewise operated, and definitely would recommend it (and more specifically her) to friends applying to colleges in the future.
JORDAN
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
What started as a really stressful journey turned into great success and confidence with Anita's advising! I'm really happy with where I am now and I definitely recommend her aid for anyone that's feeling lost in the application process and is shooting big!
BABETTE
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Anita worked diligently with my daughter on her college application to all the schools from selection, essay guidance, and choosing of her major. We had a wonderful experience with her in the entire process. She provided us with great information as well as constructive advice on various topics and areas that we were lacking. We really enjoyed working with her and thank her so much for her help.
FERDINAND, PARENT OF VANIA
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Ben is my first child to apply to college. Anita was our assigned counselor and we couldn’t be happier with her. She was easy to talk to, answered our questions and provided her knowledge and opinions. Ben has been accepted to all but one of the schools he applied to and was directly admitted into several business schools.
SETH, PARENT OF BENJAMIN
INDIANA UNIVERSITY - BLOOMINGTON
Anita Gajula, College Counselor
Anita Gajula has spent her entire career in service of students—as a student affairs professional at Macalester, as an academic advisor at U Chicago, as a College Admissions Advisor both in her own practice and in other firms, and now as a Collegewise counselor. She’s helped hundreds of students through the college admissions process, whether it be through test prep, college application management, or essay support.
Anita earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Williams College and went on to earn her master’s in student affairs and academic support at the University of Michigan. She now resides in Chicago with her family. Anita has a knack for building relationships quickly and making seemingly unrelated connections between people and ideas, which comes in quite handy when she’s helping students identify and apply to their best-fit schools.
In addition to supporting “big kids,” Anita is a leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Pre-pandemic, Anita was working towards her black belt in taekwondo (inspired after her kids earned theirs), and she’s kept herself busy during the pandemic with her new pup, Pongo.
Education & Experience
B.A., Psychology, Williams College
M.A., Higher Education, University of Michigan
College Admissions Adviser, Cappex/EAB, Chicago, IL
Coordinator, Service Learning, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL
Founder, College Prep Mentoring, Downers Grove, IL
Academic Adviser, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Assistant Director, Campus Programs, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
Assistant Director, Multicultural Center, Williams College, Williamstown, MA
Professional Organization Memberships
NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling
Important Notice
Our counseling openings for Seniors (class of 2022) and college transfers are now fully booked. If you are a senior or older but have not already enrolled with us, we would still like to share with you some important resources to help you in your journey. Click here for helpful resources including guides, videos, blogs, and podcasts.