Founder

Eydie Balsam

By combining her professional expertise in social work and education, Eydie founded Beantown Advising in 2005 with a compassionate and innovative approach to college admissions. She believed then—and still does—that adolescence is not a phase to endure like the terrible twos, but a powerful season of growth and opportunity. As the company expanded to support students nationwide, Eydie rebranded the practice to College Bound Advising (CBA) in 2020, reflecting both its broader reach and its commitment to personalized guidance for every family.

Director of Counseling

Lesley Colognesi

Lesley Colognesi brings more than 30 years of experience in education, academic support, and college counseling to her role as Director of College Counseling. A lifelong learner, Lesley often jokes that she loved school so much she never left. She is passionate about helping students discover their strengths, reflect on their growth, and tell their stories with confidence and authenticity.

Assistant Director of Counseling/Junior Year Grade Advisor

Maggie Bland Ross

As a former teacher and admissions counselor, Maggie has a passion for helping students and their families navigate the college admissions process. With a warm and empathetic approach, she especially enjoys serving as an advocate for high school students as they navigate what can be a complex and high-pressure process.

Performing Arts Admissions Coach

Kirsten McKinney

Ms. McKinney earned her BFA in Musical Theater with a minor in Choreography from The Boston Conservatory. She began her career at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where she spent twenty-three years teaching, directing, and mentoring young artists. For more than three decades, she has guided acting and musical theater students through every stage of the college process—from creating balanced college lists and navigating Unified auditions to building audition packages, filming prescreens, and preparing for interviews. Her students have gone on to programs at Juilliard, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, Syracuse, Point Park, NYU Tisch, CCM, Boston Conservatory, Emerson, Yale, Harvard, and many more. In the Boston area, Ms. McKinney performed as a soloist and served as Associate Artistic Director for the Sokolow Dance Foundation under Lorry May. Her theater credits include over 100 performances as Cassie in A Chorus Line, working with Donna McKechnie and other…