We nurture self-discovery
through college admissions.

Meet our Founder⏤Dr. Pamela Ellis

BA, Stanford University; MBA, Tuck School at Dartmouth College; PhD, Stanford University School of Education

I founded Compass College Advisory based on the research of my doctoral program at Stanford, combined with my mom’s intuition. There isn’t anything else I would be doing . . . it’s truly my calling.

We partner with parents to help their teens find a college that feels like home without overpaying.

Our expertise and insight are backed up by over 15 years of experience working with thousands of students, visiting over 500 colleges around the world, and earning my Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University.

In recent years, I have noticed parents and teens have an ever-increasing amount of stress and anxiety over the college admissions process. And honestly, some of that stress is understandable.

College is getting more competitive and expensive every year.

But even as college gets more competitive and expensive year after year, we continue to guide countless students to their dream college and graduate with no debt at all.

Meet The Team

Maggie Krauss, Programs

maggie krauss

Program Specialist

In the late 80s through the 90s Maggie had a “winning streak” with call-in radio contests.
BA, MA Wright State University

Jeremy Kruger, Sales

Jeremy Krueger

Customer Care Specialist

Jeremy once performed as a bird caller on David Letterman!

BA, Whitman College

Symone Speech, College Counselor:NCAA Athletic Recruiting Specialist

symone speech

College Counselor/Athletic Recruiting Specialist

Symone played professional volleyball in Europe.

BA, Georgetown University

Miles Menafee, Essay Coach

miles menafee

Essay Coach

Miles hosts a podcast called Real Ballers Read.

BA, Stanford University

Our Values
Align with Who We Are and How We Serve Families Every Day

Community

We believe in the power of trusting relationships with each other and the communities we live in.

Consistency

With consistency, we help our students achieve whatever they put their minds to.

Confidence

Through consistency and community, our students finish our program with the confidence they need to thrive in college and beyond.


Frequently Asked Questions


Our families value our services for many reasons and here are a few:

  • We offer personal attention to every student
  • We’re a “third-party” in this complex admissions process, which takes the pressure off the parent-teen relationship
  • We care about students thriving in college and graduating
  • We’ve visited 500+ colleges and can make knowledgeable recommendations for college lists
  • We have a great track record of helping students get scholarship money that they would not have received otherwise
  • We don’t have any “favored” colleges that every student must apply to

Our firm offers an individualized college preparation experience for each and every child we consult with. From planning and preparing in high school, to selecting practical and rewarding universities to apply to, all throughout the admissions process, we will be your guide, your source of knowledge, and your child’s biggest champion.

For schools, we provide a suite of college readiness services for grades 7-12. Please see our “school sheet” for more details.

An ideal time to engage with our firm for college admissions services is 9th/10th grade. We accept juniors based on class availability. If your family is relocating or changing schools, please contact us right away.

We accept new clients throughout the year. The first step to signing up is a conversation with the teen and parents together. It’s important that the student feels comfortable working with us, given the personalized nature of our services. The teen and parent(s) will then sign a consulting agreement, prior to any one-on-one student meetings.

Meetings with students are generally held every 2-4 weeks, depending on goals for college and deadlines. Our center is open year-round with flexible hours, so we do meet in the summers, as well as during holiday breaks.

We have in-person centers in Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio but we work with students from all over the world!