We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth West. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

I am a strong advocate for students and in my 25 years of higher education, I truly feel that the college admissions process can become more about prestige than fit. So, I am working with students and educating our community about how college fit is more important than how prestigious a college or university is. Of course, some of my students go to Yale and Princeton, but we analyze and customize college lists to emphasize fit over prestige.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started my career as an admissions officer. I traveled to recruit for the colleges I represented and ultimately rose to the ranks of Associate Director and Director of Admissions. In those roles, not only did I make college admissions decisions on applications, but I was involved in policy-making and how metrics are used to evaluate student applicants.

Later, I had children and realized I wanted a more flexible schedule. I shifted from admissions to teaching English at the local community college. In this role, not only did I teach students, but I assisted them with college essays and admissions advice for transferring to 4-year colleges. It was nice to know I never had to leave admissions as teaching allowed me to do both -teach and advise on admissions.

I started EWC as a side hustle in 2019. The business grew exponentially and I made the decision to become a full-time CEO in 2021.

My brand is different as I offer an insider’s perspective. I was the one running admissions committees or making these decisions at a university. So, I truly understand the process and the admissions cycle more than someone who may not have had that experience.

I am most proud of my students as they continue to amaze me and I am honored to be part of their admissions journey. They mean the world to me and are why I started this business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think there is no better resilience story than starting a business during the pandemic. I started EWC in fall 2019, so when the pandemic hit, I was a brand-new business owner and teaching full-time. I had to learn how to conduct my business remotely, while alleviating the stress that my students and families were feeling as the ground was shifting beneath us.

Luckily, I taught online at the community college for several years, so I was able to pivot to online instruction/advisement in my business seamlessly.

Yet, I sympathized with these students as their transition was not as easy. I worked hard to ensure they felt secure and comforted while they met with me during quarantine. It was a harrowing time, but I am proud to say that all of my students that year submitted their Early Action applications ahead of schedule and all are now flourishing at their colleges. I hear from them from time to time and am so happy to get their updates!

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

As I said, I started EWC as a side hustle. In fact, I never really intended for it to grow into a full-time gig. I thought I would glide into retirement in the future after being a full-time English Instructor with this little passion project on the side. I was wrong.

My side hustle started growing after my 1st year in business. I doubled my student list and felt like I was on the precipice of full-time but still comfortably part-time. Word of mouth, along with winning local business awards and posting to social media regularly spurred interest. I was looking at tripling the previous year’s student list, so I needed to make a decision. It was not an easy one as I loved teaching and loved my colleagues.

Yet, my business was truly at the heart of what I wanted to do. I had the opportunity to sort of “be” in the admissions world once more, admittedly on the other side, but it was what I really wanted. So, I left my teaching job and became full-time in my business in 2021. Since then, I have hired an Executive Assistant, Client Care Coordinator to help with special events, and another Educational Consultant – who has college admissions experience as well.

I am so grateful and can’t wait to see what 2023 holds for EWC!

Contact Info:

• Website: ncewc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewc.consulting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCEWC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-west-35277a4/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoIce4niK-n7keHlc_ICF2w
• Other: Podcast: I host a weekly podcast called “The Admissions Club” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, IHeartRadio, Google, or wherever you tune into podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-admissions-club/id1625911376

Image Credits
Nest Photo Studio, Charlotte, NC https://nestphotostudio.com/