Who We Are
Collegiate Gateway is a boutique admissions consulting practice founded in 2004 upon the belief that there is no limit to the value of a great education. We pride ourselves on providing our clients with personalized, accessible, and expert guidance to help them achieve their educational and career potential.
Our approach to admissions relies on two pillars: identifying best-fit schools for each student, and then guiding them through every decision to maximize their likelihood of admission. What sets us apart is the enormous amount of care and attention we deliver to each of our students and families. In addition, we have visited hundreds of colleges and graduate schools around the world and have met directly with admissions officers, faculty, and students to provide our clients first-hand expertise.
Through years of successful outcomes, we’ve developed a comprehensive, holistic framework encompassing every aspect of the admissions process, and we derive immense satisfaction from delivering exceptional results for our clients.
Julie Raynor Gross
Founder and President
Since founding Collegiate Gateway in 2004, Julie has helped nearly a thousand students achieve admissions success. Under her strategic leadership, Collegiate Gateway has grown significantly—expanding its advising services, geographic reach, and professional staff to meet the evolving needs of students and families. Julie is recognized nationally as an expert in the field and is featured regularly on television, in print, and at industry conferences to provide insight into the current state of the admissions landscape.
Julie received her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to earn a master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Phi Delta Kappa, with an emphasis on counseling and university administration, and a master’s in business administration degree from Harvard Business School.
Understanding and empowering students and families is a special passion for Julie, and she applies her extensive training in psychology to her work with Collegiate Gateway. She is a Master Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator® (MBTI®), the leading assessment tool for innate personality, and a Certified Practitioner of the Strong Interest Inventory®, used to identify interests in academics, activities, and careers. Julie has participated in extensive volunteer and pro-bono work in the fields of secondary and higher education and beyond.
Caroline Ferrucci
Senior Admissions Consultant and Director of Research
Caroline cares deeply about supporting students in the complex process of college and graduate school admissions. Working with college applicants on the full arc of the admissions journey, Caroline guides students in academic and extracurricular planning, summer planning, college list development, and the application process. Caroline has special expertise as a writing coach, helping students represent their best selves in applications and essays. In addition, she helps build program options for both college and graduate school applicants that encompass each individual’s unique best-fit features and develops extensive comparative information to assist in decisions.
Caroline earned a bachelor’s degree in English as well as a master’s in education from Lehigh University. Previously, Caroline worked as an educator and curriculum leader at independent schools in New York City. Caroline is an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and a Member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and a Certified Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator® (MBTI®) and the Strong Interest Inventory®. As a lifelong learner, she attends the conferences for each organization and eagerly learns from her peers and admissions representatives. Caroline brings her professionalism, knowledge of different learning styles, and expertise in the admissions process to the Collegiate Gateway team.
Maureen Meyer
Director of Client Relations
Maureen helps students and parents in various aspects of the college admissions process and utilizes her extensive experience working with families in educational settings. She assists all clients in reaching the benchmarks necessary to complete applications and manage the many moving pieces of the college and graduate admissions process. Maureen also leads Collegiate Gateway’s marketing efforts, including its blog, social media, and newsletters.
Maureen graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame and earned a dual master of science in teaching early childhood and childhood education from Fordham University. As a kindergarten teacher at Marymount School of New York, Maureen engaged students through a multi-disciplinary, challenging curriculum and effectively responded to various learning styles through hands-on activities. Maureen is passionate about life-long learning and helping others to find their path to a best-fit college and beyond.
Mariel Synan
Senior Writing Specialist
Mariel works closely with students applying to undergraduate and graduate programs to guide them through the written components of their applications, including personal statements, supplemental essays, activity descriptions, and resumes. She also conducts mock interviews as part of Collegiate Gateway’s comprehensive approach to ensure that students’ stories and accomplishments translate beyond the page.
Mariel comes from a family of educators who instilled a deep appreciation for both the pursuit of higher education and an instinct for mentorship. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies and in Film, Television, and Theater. Her background in documentary production and storytelling, which earned her an Emmy nomination, lends itself to her work with Collegiate Gateway as she guides students in weaving their ideas and personal experiences into engaging and cohesive narratives. Mariel believes that everyone has a story worth sharing, and she is thrilled to be helping students identify those stories and present them in a compelling and authentic way to admissions committees.
Kathleen Napolitano
Associate Director of Research
Kathleen supports Collegiate Gateway’s students and consultants by providing comprehensive research and analysis throughout the admissions process. She conducts in-depth research on college and graduate programs to identify options that align with each student’s unique academic interests and best-fit features, and she provides high-level analysis of admissions data and trends. Kathleen also vets, compiles, and maintains Collegiate Gateway’s databases of summer programs for high school and college students, as well as essay prompts for college and graduate programs.
Kathleen graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. After a seven-year career in finance, she earned a Master of Arts in Education from Hunter College of the City University of New York, with a focus on adolescent mathematics education. As a high school math teacher, Kathleen cultivated student-centered learning environments and worked to foster a love of mathematics and a commitment to lifelong learning in her students. Her analytical background in finance, combined with her experience as an educator, brings a uniquely rigorous and student-focused perspective to her research work at Collegiate Gateway.
Certifications |
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Certified Educational Planner |
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Master Practitioner of MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®) |
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Certified Practitioner of Strong Interest Inventory® |
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Professional Certificate, English Language Arts 7-12 |
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Professional Certificate, Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2) Professional Certificate, Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) |
Affiliations |
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Independent Educational Consultants Association |
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National Association of College Admissions Counselors |
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Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants |
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Higher Education Consultants Association |
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National Career Development Association |
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Association of Psychological Type International |