Mary Allen has been working with high school students for 7 years as they embark on the college search, list-building and application process. She leads advising at Crosby Scholars, a community based organization in North Carolina, serving thousands of students and their families representing the full socio-economic and academic spectrum.

Mary Allen earned her certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the University of California at Irvine and is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). She also was selected to be in the 2022 cohort of the SACAC Leads professional development cohort.

Mary Allen especially enjoys the college list development and helping students in their essay creation and editing phases. She is a volunteer advisor with College Essay Guy’s Matchlighter Program as well.

Originally from Mississippi, Mary Allen earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and a Master’s degree from Duke University in Durham, NC. Mary Allen lives in Salisbury, NC with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys running, exploring, reading non-fiction, cheering for college athletics and all things Italian food.