Receive personalized college guidance to help your family confidently navigate college admissions with clarity and support through expert admissions counseling.
Receive personalized college guidance to help your family confidently navigate college admissions with clarity and support through expert admissions counseling.
Welcome to Core College Admissions, your trusted partner in college admissions counseling. We specialize in personalized college guidance, strategic application planning, and essay coaching to help students gain acceptance into highly selective colleges. Discover how our admissions counseling expertise can elevate your child's future today.








With over 14 years of experience in admissions counseling, Lisa McGonagle helps students gain admission to some of the most selective colleges in the country—including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of Pennsylvania—where acceptance rates are often below 5%. In the competitive landscape of college admissions, she understands that the essay can be the deciding factor. Lisa guides students away from formulaic 'activity lists' and toward authentic storytelling, helping them articulate not just what they’ve done, but also what they will contribute. Through her college guidance, she ensures students express their experiences with clarity, depth, and confidence.

Outcome + positioning
Find Your Fit. Tell Your Story. Get There with Confidence.
Personalized college guidance and admissions counseling grounded in 14+ years of experience and a proven track record at highly selective schools, ensuring you navigate the college admissions process with confidence.

MATCH: I’m looking ten years down the road. Through my admissions counseling, I guide students toward colleges and majors that align with both strong career prospects and what genuinely engages them—ensuring they’re not just accepted, but set up for a future that works. Example: A disengaged student skipping classes was set on computer en
MATCH: I’m looking ten years down the road. Through my admissions counseling, I guide students toward colleges and majors that align with both strong career prospects and what genuinely engages them—ensuring they’re not just accepted, but set up for a future that works. Example: A disengaged student skipping classes was set on computer engineering. With my college guidance, we uncovered a stronger fit—applied mathematics—and redirected his path. He was admitted to the University of Washington and the University of California, Los Angeles for applied math—turning disengagement into focus and momentum.

Once the right path is clear, we focus on execution in our admissions counseling. I help students present a cohesive, compelling application—where every piece reinforces who they are and what they bring to the college admissions process. The essay becomes the differentiator in their college guidance journey.
Our clients share how personalized admissions counseling and dedicated college guidance made their college dreams a reality. With a proven track record of success and a supportive approach, we help navigate the college admissions process.
''Worth every penny. Lisa provided invaluable admissions counseling that clarified the often overwhelming college admissions process. Thanks to her expert college guidance, my daughter not only gained acceptance into amazing schools but also found a place where she truly feels she belongs.''
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |