Get to know who would be helping you/your son or daughter:
W. Laird Durley
Independent Educational Consultant
Retired College Professor
Educational Background:
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
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 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)
College Consulting:
I have been working these last 156 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 326college visits over the past nine years,
125 of them by invitation and individually over that time.
counseled over 90 individual clients
compleated the UCI Counseling Cert
On the Road for you: the 326 College and University visits I have made over the last 9 years…and a few more
Over the past three years I have personally visited each of the colleges or universities on the following list. At each of these schools I have minimally:
1) taken a tour of the campus
2) attended an Information session ( exceptions marked*)
3) interviewed an associate dean (and usually the dean) of admission
for 1 to 4 hours using, minimally, my 32 question standardized form
( exceptions marked**) and supplimented with 10 or more college-specific ones
4) interviewed 5-10 students, usually over a meal or two.
Additionally, at 119 of the colleges that follow I have attended at least one, often two and sometimes more classes.
At various colleges on this list over thes last years I have additionally:
spent the night on campus
attended recitals, concerts, plays, art exhibits and athletic events
talked to coaches, faculty, academic deans, dir.of financial aid, and presidents,
interveiwed college provided student panels,
walked college run nature preserves/study sites with their directors,
participated in Honors Colloquia and exhibitions
….and even, on three occasions,
been invited to ride with the college’s equestrian team!
Trip #1 -10/10/10 – 10/16/10 Maryland & Pennsylvania
Goucher College ( third visit)
McDaniel College
Ursinus College
Juniata College
Bryn Mawr College (my mother-in-law & sister-in-law’s alma mater)
St. John’s College (Annapolis) (multiple visits: my wife’s alma mater)
Trip #2 -11/7/10 – 11/13/10 Pennsylvania, Ohio & NewYork
Allegheny College
College of Wooster
Hiram College
Oberlin College (second visit)
Kenyon college
Denison University (second visit)
Ohio Wesleyan University
Trip #3 -1/19/11 – 1/29/11 Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi & Tennessee
Agnes Scott College
Birmingham Southern College
Millsaps College
Emory College/Oxford College of Emory University
Rhodes University
University of the South (Sewanee) (+visit with colleague)
Trip #4 -2/24/11 – 2/28/11 Florida
Eckerd College ( multiple visits: my second son’s alma mater)
New College of Florida
Trip #5 -3/20/11 – 3/25/11 Claremont, California ( I grew up here: father worked here)
Claremont McKenna College
Harvy Mudd College
Pomona College (my father’s alma mater)
Scripps College ( my mother’s almamater)
Pitzer College
Trip #6 -4/10/11 – 4/16/11 North Carolina & Virginia
Davidson College
Washington and Lee University
Guilford College
Lynchburg College
Emory&Henry College
Trip #7 -4/23/11 – 4/30/11 Oregon & Washington
Willamette University (third visit)
Lewis & Clark College (fourth visit)
Whitman College (third visit)
Reed College (second visit)
The Evergreen State College
Trip #8 -7/25/11-7/30/11 New Mexico
St John’s College (Santa Fe) (my second alma mater)
Trip #9 -10/01/11 California
Thomas Aquinas College
Trip #10 -9/19/11-9/23/11 Massachusetts & Vermont
Amherst College ( second visit)
Smith College ( +visit with colleague )
Mount Holyoke College
Hampshire College
Clark University (3rd visit)
Marlboro College ( +visit with colleague)
Trip #11 -10/31/11-11/4/11 Minnesota & Wisconsin
Carleton College (second visit)
St Olaf’s College (second visit)
Macalester College
Ripon College (my first alma mater)
Lawrence University (second visit)
Trip #12 -11/23/11 California
St Mary’s College (CA) (multiple visits)
Trip #13 -12/6/11-12/7/11 California
University of Santa Clara
Mills College ( my sister’s alma mater) (+ visit with colleague)
Trip #14 -1/21/12-1/28/12 Illinois & Michigan
Shimer College
Wheaton College
Hope College
Hillsdale College
Kalamazoo College
Trip #15 -2/20/12-2/24/12 Indiana. Kentucky & Ohio
Berea College
Centre College
Earlham College
Wabash College
Antioch College
Trip #16 -4/09/12-4/13/12 Iowa, Wisconsin & Illinois
Coe College (second visit)
Cornell College (IA) (second visit)
Beloit College (second visit)
Knox College (second visit)
Grinnell College (second visit)( +visit with client in 2017)
Trip #17 -7/23/12-7/27/12 Pennsylvania
Swarthmore (& the IECA Summer Training Institute)
Bryn Mawr College (tour only) (second visit)
Haverford Colleges (drive by)
(Info sessions with Deans from Drexel University* and Ursinus College*)
Trip #18 -9/23/12-9/27/12 Maine
College of the Atlantic
Unity College
Colby College
Bowdoin College
Bates College**
(“does not deal with IECs” …but I was allowed attend 3 classes)
Trip #19 -11/04/12-11/10/12 Georgia
Agnes Scott College#
Spelman College#
Emory University (Emory College & Oxford College)* (second visit to both)
Ogalthorpe Univiersity*
# [here and all subsequently marked colleges= on a counselor group tour. (i.e. usually 3-4 hours at each college info session with Dean of Admin.,meal, meeting with a student panel, tour of campus, Q&A.)]
Trip #20 02/11/13-02/13/13 California
University of Redlands (+Johnston Center) (my older son’s alma mater)
Chapman University
Whittier College
University of La Vern (drive by+tour+meeting with dean only)
Trip #21 03/13/13-03/23/13 North Carolina and Massechusetts
High Point University (sponsored 2day fly-in but no classes)
Elon University
Brandeis University
Boston College
Wheaton College (MA) (third visit)
Trip #22 04/08/13-04/13/13 Chicago area
University of Chicago **
Northwestern University
Shimer College*(second visit)
Illinois Inst. of Tech.#
Illinois Wesleyan University#
Univ. of Illinois(U-C)#
VanderCook College of Music#
Columbia College Chicago.#
(** Drive by and visit with a client.)
Trip #23 07/31/13-08/02/13 San Francisco Area
Dominican University
Stanford University (usual +visit with a client)
Trip #24 9/15/13- 09/22/13 Conn. and Mass and New York
Yale University (usual + visit with a client)
Vassar College
Bard College
Bard at Simon’s Rock
Wesleyan University
Trip #25 10/20/13-10/26/13 N.Y., Vermont, New Hampshire
Dartmouth College (second visit)
Middlebury College (usual + visit with a client) (third visit)
Union College (second visit)
Landmark College
Bennington College
Skidmore College ( second visit)
Trip #26 11/12/13-11/18/13 San Diego, Los Angeles
USC# (+ visit with client)
UCLA#(+visit with client)
CalTech#
Occidental College# (third visit)
Loyola Marymount University*( +visit with client)
Marymount California University*
Trip #27 5/4/14-5/10/14 Indianapolis envirions
Purdue University#
Indiana University#
IUPUI#
Butler University#
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology#
Trip #28 9/21/14-10/04/14 Pennsylvannia
Haverford College
Villanova University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Muhlenberg College
Bucknell University
Dickinson College
Gettysburg College
Franklin&Marshall College
University of Pennsylvania
Trip #29 11/7/14-11/8/14 Florida
Beacon College#
Rollins College ( drive by) (third visit)
Eckerd College (multiple visits, drive by)
Trip #30 5/04/15-5/14/15 Maryland, Indiana, Iowa, Wyoming
University of Maryland# (older son’s MA here)
Stevenson University#
Goucher College# (third visit)
US Naval Academy#
St. John’s College# (multiple visits)
University of Baltimore#
Johns Hopkins University#
University of Notre Dame (drive by, tour only)
Grinnell College ( drive by, tour only) ( third visit)
University of Wyoming, Laramie (driveby, tour only)
Trip #31 6/14/15-6/19/15 Ohio
University of Dayton#
University of Cincinnati#
Xavier University#
Dennison University# (third visit)
Ohio Wesleyan University# (second visit)
Ohio State University#
Wittenberg University#
Trip #32 9/20/15-9/28/15 (not all days) Massachusettes, Maryland
Harvard College # ( tour, info session, +short visit with client)
Tufts University# (tour, regional dean of admissions indiv 1 hour meeting)
St. Johns College# (multi day)
Trip #33 11/2/15-11/5/15 Arizona
Univ. of Northern Arizona#
Embry-Riddle Aeronutical#
Prescott# (+ visit with client in 2017)
Thunderbird#
Arizona State#
University of Arizona ( +SALT on my own)
Trip #34 5/02/16-5/075/16 Massachusetts
Worchester Polytechnic Institute#
Clark University# (4th visit)
College of the Holy Cross#
Colleges of the Fenway#
( Emmanuel College, Simmons College, Wentworth Institute of Technology,
Wheelock College, Mass Art and MCPHS University )
Harvard Univesity# (second visit)
Emerson College
Northeastern University
Trip #35 6/01/16-6/03/16 California
Loyola Marymount University (second visit)
Trip #36 6/14/16 California
University of California, Irvine
Trip #37 6/20/16-6/23/16 Pennsylvania
Franklin and Marshall# (second visit)
Philadelphia University#
St. Joseph’s University
Temple University
Trip #38 10/31/16-11/02/16 Louisianna
University of Louisiana (Lafayette)#
LSU#
Tulane University# (+visit with a client in 2017)
Dillard University#
University of New Orleans#
Loyola University, New Orleans#
Trip #39 5/8/2017-5/12/2017 Colorado
U.S. Olympic Training Center#
U.S. Air Force Academy#
Colorado College#
University of Denver#
Trip #40 6/18/2017-6/23/2017 California
Cal Tech# (second visit)
Whittier College# (second visit)
Claremont-McKenna College# (All Claremont’s many times)
Harvey Mudd College#
Pomona College#
Scripps College#
Pitzer College#
Claremont Graduate University
Keck Graduate Institute (Minerva + Medical Post Bac)
Trip #41 9/11/17-9/16/17 Massachusetts and Connecticut
Northeastern University# ( second time)
Boston University#
Trinity University* (Conn)
University of Hartford#
University of Saint Joseph#
Central Connecticut State University#
Trip # 42 Oct 21, 2017 California
University of LaVern ( Graduate school visit for client)
Trip # 43 11/12/17-11/18/17 The DMV (DC,Maryland,Virginia)
The College of William and Mary#
University of Virginia#
Virginia Commonwealth#
University of Richmond#
Georgetown
George Washington
American University (+ visit with a client)
Trip # 44 3/19/18-3/28/18 Western Canada/ Western Washington
University of British Columbia
Quest University
Simon Frazer University
University of Victoria (no classes but 4 prof 3 student interviews)
Western Washington University( Fairhaven also)(no classes)
Trip #45 4/23/18-4/24/18 Texas
Austin College#( second visit)
Southern Methodist University#
Texas Christian University#
Baylor University#
Southwestern University#
St Edward’s University ( a usual private visit)
Trip #46 6/14/18-6/15/18 Texas
Southwesten University#
Trinity University*
UT Austin#
St Edward’s University#
Trip # 47 10/17/18- 10/28/18 New York
New York University ( all but classes)
Columbia University ( all but classes)
Barnard College ( all but classes )
Frordham University( both campuses) (all but classes)
Pace University ( both campuses) ( classes)
The New School-Eugene Lang ( all but classes)
Big Apple College Fair
CUNY- City College (all but classes)
CUNY- Hunter ( classes)
SUNY- Maritime (classes)
Stevens Institute of Technology(classes)
Sarah Lawrence College (all but classes)
Trip #48 11/07/18 California
California Institute of the Arts ( all but classes)
Trip # 49 05/06/19-05/11/19 Chicago Area
Lake Forest College#
Northwestern University#( second visit)
Loyola University Chicago#
DePaul University#
University of Chicago#( second visit)
Trip #50 06/16/19–06/21/19 Rhode Island, Conn, Mass
Trinity (Conn)#
Wesleyan#
Quinnipiac#
Coast Guard Academy#
Connecticut College#
Brown#
Providence#
RISD
Trip #51 06/21/19-06/23/19 Charleston SC
The Citadel
College of Charleston
Trip #52 10/22/21-10/23/21 California
Cal Maritime
University of the Pacific
Trip #52 02/15/22 California
Menlo College
Trip #53 03/28/22-04/01/22
Southern California
Cal Lutheran
Azusa Pacific
Cal Baptist
Marymount California
Mount St. Mary’s
Trip #54 05/16/22-05/20/22 Philidelphia Area
Muhlenberge College
Rider University
Princeston University
Temple University
Trip #55 06/13/22-06/17/22 Denver
United States Airforce Academy
Colorado College
University of Colorado (Colorado Springs)
Colorado School of Mines
University of Colorado (Boulder)
Colorado State University Ft. Collins
Trip #56 09/26/22- 10/10/22 Pennsyvania and New York
University of Pittsburgh
Ithaca College
Cornell University
Syracuse University
University of Rochester
Case Western Reserve University
Carnegie Mellon University
Dickinson College
Franklin &Marshall college
Hamilton College
Colgate University
Trip#57 05/17/23- 05/23/23 Seattle
Seattle Unversity
University of Washington,Seattle
Seattle Pacific University
University of Puget Sound
St Martins University
The Evergreen State College
Trip #58 6/12/23- 6/19/23 The DMV and Pennsylvania
Geoge washington University
Catholic University of America
American University
George Mason University
Shenandoah University
James Madison University
University of Virginia
Randolph Macon College
Univesity of Mary Washington
Trip # 59 09/17/25- 09/23/23 Florida
Eckerd College
University of Central Florida
Full Sail University
Rollins College
Stetson College
Embry-Riddle Aerpnauitiocal University
Trip #60 05/03/24- 05/09/24 Connecticut
Eastern Connecticut State University
University of Connecticut
Wesleyan University
Trinity College
University of Hartford
Trip #61 6/09/25-6/14/25 Georgia
University of Georgia
Agnes Scott College
Emory University
Oxford College of Emory University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Berrry College
Trip #62 05/04/25-05/10/25 Michagan and Ohio
Bowling Green State University
Oberlin College
The College of Wooster
Hiram College
Case Western Reserve UIniversity
College of Creativ Studies
Trip #63 06/09/25- 06/15/25 Texas
University of Texas, Austin
St Edward’s College
Texas A&M
Praire View A&M
Rice University
University of Houstin
Additionally, over the years I have toured, attended information sessions and interviewed at 14 additional colleges:
Whitworth University
UCSC
UCB
UCSD
UCM
Hendrix College
Virginia Military Institute
Williams College
University of San Diego
California Christian College
Fresno Pacific University
Pepperdine
Swarthmore
CSU Fresno
United World College- New Mexico
This next year I plan to be visiting at least these additional
Deep Springs College
Washington University of St Louis
St Mary’s College of Maryland
DePauw
Wake Forest
USF