Getting to know me:
Learn more about the history, education and qualifications behind the person who will be helping you, your son or your daughter attend the college of thier dreams!
Educational Background:
W. Laird Durley
Independent Educational Consultant
Retired College Professor
B.A. English from Ripon College (WI)
B.A. double major Philosophy and Math/History of Science from St. John’s College (NM)
Certificate, Institut Catholique de Paris (FR)
M.A. Liberal Education from St. John’s College (NM)
Paralegal Certificate, (highest honors) College of San Mateo (CA)
Two years doctoral studies in Rhetoric at UC Berkley (CA)
California Community College Teaching Credentials in: 1) Philosophy&Religion 2) Language Arts&Literature
Independent Educational Consultant Certificate, UC Irvine
IECA Summer Training Institute
College Consulting
– I have been working these last 108 months with:
– A recently retired public school college counselor of 30 years and
– A recently retired independent college counselor of 20 years and
– Most recently, the highly regarded HECA, IECA, NACAC and WACAC
– I have conducted over 255 college visits over the past nine years,
– 125 of them by invitation and individually over that time.
– Counseled over 90 individual clients
– Completed the UCI Counseling Cert
Professional Career
– 7 years prep-school teaching at the Dunn, Crystal Springs and Uplands, and Woodside Priory Schools in every subject but physics and chemistry
– 3 1/2 years of private tutoring in math, French, English
– 23 years in Community Colleges teaching English and Philosophy, the last 20 as head of Philosophy at Reedley College (CA)