About Us

Our Mission & Vision

We are super passionate about helping students find the best-fit school for them. Finding the right fit means landing in a community that honors the wholeness of every student. It means belonging, not fitting in. Our Founder has spent her entire career helping students and young professionals find their passions and follow their dreams. She also has a practical perspective on what it takes to become a superstar hire for a future employer. Part of ThriveAdmission’s role is to teach lessons geared toward the building of character, moral citizenship, and inclusivity. A meaningful part of the college application process involves helping students examine and describe themselves. The college process can teach essential skills, such as self awareness, independence, responsibility, self confidence, tolerance for uncertainty, and navigation of complexity.

Our Story

ThriveAdmission was created to assist families with the often stressful process of applying to college and graduate school. We’re here to bring back the joy to the process of self discovery and allow students have fun learning what constitutes their best-fit school.  We help students shed the self-destructive elements of perfectionism that often haunt high-achieving students. ThriveAdmission works to focus students on their distinguishing excellence and create an application package that reflects their true essence. Even when we’re not living through a pandemic, we strive to be better, more empathetic listeners to students and families who are doing their best. ThriveAdmission believes that you deserve our highest efforts to be empathetic, creative, grace-filled and full of understanding. Our message to you is simply, “Do your best.” ThriveAdmission promises to do the same.

Meet our Founder

Katie will work with you from day one until graduation and beyond so you can feel comfortable knowing you won’t be handed off to anyone else throughout your application process.

Katie Thatcher
Founder & CEO

Katie has been working with students for more than 20 years. She is known for her boundless energy, extreme organizational skills, and passionate commitment to each student who crosses her path. After graduating from law school, Katie practiced corporate law for five years. Then she began working in legal recruiting and law school career services, with time spent at both Harvard Law School and Northeastern University School of Law (her alma mater). She is also an Alumni Admissions Representative for Carleton College (her other alma mater). Katie has spent her entire career working with students on their writing skills & styles as part of the professional development programs within firms and schools. She herself is a voracious reader and has enjoyed writing since she was a teenager. Katie loves building relationships with families and helping students find their path, including their best-fit schools and career choices. She loves working with teenagers and appreciates all of their innocence, vitality, enthusiasm, and energy! Katie is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), and a member of the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC).

 The IECA posted a statement on Ethics & Personal Fit to help students — https://www.iecaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IECA-Statement-on-College-Admissions.pdf

Here are five factors families should consider when looking to hire an IEC:

1. Does the IEC belong to a professional association such as IECA with established and rigorous standards for membership?
2. Do not trust any offers of guaranteed admission to a school or a certain minimum dollar value in scholarships.
3. Ensure that the IEC adheres to the ethical guidelines for private counseling established by IECA.
4. Find an IEC that visits college, school, and program campuses and meets with admissions representatives regularly in order to keep up with new trends, academic changes and evolving campus cultures.
5. Do they attend professional conferences or training workshops on a regular basis to keep up with regional and national trends and changes in the law?

Below are some resources you may find helpful when choosing an IEC:

• 12 Questions To Ask Before Hiring an IEC
• 12 Warning Signs an IEC May Not Be Worth It
• IECA’s Principles of Good Practice
• Why Choose a Member of IECA
• HECA Standards and Ethics Statement
• HECA’s Guide to Choosing an Educational Consultant

Finally, here is a blog on how IECA members level the playing field in college admission.

Interested in learning more. . .

Please reach out to us for a free 30-minute consultation!