Get Curious • Get Organized • Get In

Our college counselors guide families through college applications with curiosity, strategy, and a sense of humor. Every teenager is unique and their college admissions experience should be too.

Are you confused by the college search and admissions process, and not sure where to even begin?

College Bound Advising will guide you through it all.

College Bound Advising helps your high schooler get curious about college and gives them the tools to get organized for a manageable - and maybe even fun! - experience getting there!

Working with CBA team members across our network of services, students learn strategies that empower them to take control of their college admissions process.

Using our signature tools and customized guidance, we help your child get curious about who they are and then get organized to reach their goals.

As parents ourselves, we know what it’s like. We also offer unique ways for parents to participate in this process.

Through a variety of events, social connections, and “get real” advice, we give you our shoulder to lean on. Applying to college can be an amazing, scary, exciting transition for families, and we will guide you through it, finding the fun and celebrating the positives along the way, together.

The CBA Difference

We Get Curious (and We Have Fun!)

What sets CBA apart is our belief that this often-messy application experience can be framed by curiosity and wonder.

College Bound Advising guides students to confidently investigate their “who” before we explore their “where,” and their “why” before their “what.” As students progress along their path to college, they grow and learn more about themselves than they thought they might. Through a framework of inquisitiveness and flexibility, we encourage them to explore and develop a sense of self as they engage in our proven curriculum.

discussing notes

We are Experts in Adolescence

We are a team of educators, social workers, school counselors and parents.

We infuse our expertise about this unique stage of your child’s development in every aspect of our work.

Together, we discover the colleges that will provide the best environment for them (academically, socially, and financially), and then plan all the details needed to apply. In this way, we also help students develop skills during the application process that will set them up for success in college and beyond.

Today’s Teens are Changemakers


Through our unique volunteer nonprofit program, students work collaboratively with our dedicated program leader to design and implement an entrepreneurial-style local service project that impacts the community each school year. CBA students take active leadership roles and any local teen can apply to participate.

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Admitted to Top
Choice Schools

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Students Applied
Before their Deadline

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Applied and
Accepted Early Decision

Eydie headshot
The Founder and Owner of College Bound Advising
Hi, I’m Eydie Balsam

Not only have I been working with teenagers, either at the high school or college level, my entire career, but I’m also a mom of three (one high schooler, one college student, and one recent college grad), so I definitely understand the dynamics and complexities of the parent-teen relationship during this transformative period.

My professional expertise in social work and higher education shapes my innovative perspective on college admissions, and that informs our network of services. I know that this stage of life can feel overwhelming, and my approach will guide your family through it with confidence.

Our team is ready to help demystify the process, streamline your journey, and even have a little fun along the way! At College Bound Advising, we embrace the opportunity to support high schoolers as they get curious about who they want to be, and we focus on the positives in the process for students

Success Stories

Made the process a lot less stressful for the whole family

GREGGPARENT CLASS OF 2021 (BEDMINSTER, NJ)​
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Eydie has been extremely helpful with the college application process, from creating a list of potential schools, through the acceptance and commitment. She made the process a lot less stressful for the whole family. Both of our kids got into their top choices. We have worked with her for two of our sons, and we plan on working with her again with our youngest.

Eydie challenged them to find the right school for them

DONNAPARENT OF CLASS OF 2023 (BELMONT, MA)​
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Eydie has assisted us in the college process with both our children, and I highly recommend her to assist in yours. Eydie is dedicated and genuinely cares about my children and their desires, hopes and dreams, passions, and academic styles and personalized the process to their individual needs. Eydie asked the right questions and challenged them to find the right school for them - which alleviated a lot of stress in our house! I can’t thank Eydie enough for what she did for our family.

Uncanny ability to quickly figure out what each child needs

BETHPARENT, CLASS OF 2019 (BROOKLINE, MA)​
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Eydie brilliantly ushered both my sons through the college process, from test prep to school options and applications. My sons are very different, yet Eydie's approach was perfect for both. She has an uncanny ability to quickly figure out what each child needs and work productively with them. Most importantly, my children both loved working with Eydie and felt it made the college process manageable and (dare I say?) almost stress-free.
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