👋 Welcome

I’m Rich Thornett, a long-time software developer and founder now serving as an independent college advisor to public school students in Salem, MA. I also share resources and write about college admissions and financing. Welcome to my home in higher education.

What I Do

• Provide free college advising to public high school students in Salem, MA who are preparing for, exploring, and applying to college
• Collaborate with the Salem High School College & Career Center to help them improve and expand their capabilities
• Create and curate college resources to share with students, families, counselors, and high school counseling departments
• Collect and analyze higher ed institutional data
• Write about what I see, learn, do, and build along the way

College Advising

I provide free college advising to students at public schools in Salem, Massachusetts. I have capacity to guide up to five students on a comprehensive basis throughout the college process, and I do my best to assist any Salem public school student or family who has questions or wants support.

Areas where I can help include:

• Academic planning. Making sure you’re on track for colleges and degree programs of interest.
• Finding fit. Identifying colleges that fit your academic profile, social interests, and financial constraints.
• Admissions odds. Understanding your chances of admission to build a balanced college list.
• College applications. Feedback on personal statements, supplemental essays, and activities lists.
• College costs. Estimating what schools of interest will cost your family.
• Financial aid. Understanding federal aid, institutional need-based aid, merit scholarships, etc.
• Financial forms. Assisting families with financial aid applications (FAFSA and CSS Profile).
• Financial award letters. Reviewing financial award letters to calculate the net price—cost to you—of each school where you’re accepted.
• Choosing a college. Talking through tradeoffs to make your decision.

Qualifications

My education in this space began when going through the college process with my children: my son, who attended Salem Academy Charter School (Class of 2023), and my daughter at Salem High School (Class of 2026). I found the college and admissions landscape fascinating and became engrossed in research. My adventures through the collegeverse have been filled with travel, books, campus tours, podcasts, websites, Common Data Sets, forums, spreadsheets, financial planning, and more.

As my interest evolved, I pursued professional training, experiences, and credentials as well:

Member

• Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA)
• Independent Education Consultants Association (IECA)

Coursework

• Foundations of College Admissions Advising at UC Berkeley’s Professional Program in College Admissions Advising

Events

• 2026 IECA Annual Conference
• 2024 SACAC Annual Conference

In addition to training, I have strong relationships with the principal, College & Career Center, teachers, and staff at Salem High School built through years of involvement and volunteering.

As for my own college education, here’s a fun fact: I attended the oldest public college (undergrad) and the first public college (grad school) in the U.S. Turns out … they are not the same school.

For more on my background, see the About page.