Dr. Monica Gallego Rude, College Counselor & Founder of Apply Broadly

I hold a doctorate in education and am a contributing author to the sixth edition of Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling, the textbook used across the profession to train the next generation of college counselors. I've been quoted in publications like The Atlantic and US News & World Report. I'm a member of both NACAC (the National Association for College Admission Counseling) and IACAC (its international counterpart).

What I think actually matters more than credentials, though, is lived experience across education systems. I was born in the US, graduated from a Canadian international curriculum high school, did my undergraduate degree in the US, read applications in a US admissions office, worked in Asia and the Americas at IB World Schools, earned my graduate degree at UCL in London, and married into a Spanish-national family with Cuban roots. My own background maps closely onto the families I work with, and that shapes how I counsel.

    • NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling)

    • IACAC (International Association for College Admission Counseling)

    • CPD including training and conferences hosted by organizations like UCAS and the IBO.

  • I’ve held a number of roles in admissions including:

    • Director of University Counseling, The British International School of Boston

    • Director of College Counseling, City on a Hill Public Charter School

    • Director, Collegewise Palo Alto

    • Assistant Director of Admission, Lasell University

    • College Counselor, I-Shou International School

    My own education spans the US and UK:

    • B.A., History & Educational Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

    • Ed.D., Department of Education, Practice & Society, UCL Institute of Educationption

  • If a family hires me for help with a country a student’s school doesn't typically send students to, I am happy to work directly with school counselors as a collaborator, not a workaround. School counselors are doing huge amounts of work, often for hundreds of students at once. When a family arrives at a counselor's door asking about something like UCAS or a Dutch university college, the counselor may benefit from a knowledgeable partner who has worked internationally. If counselors want help, that's where I come in.

    In practice, this looks like:

    • Sharing what each system expects from references, transcripts, and predicted grades (I have redacted examples from schools that I’m happy to share).

    • Walking the counselor through application portals they haven't used before (because not every country works with Scoir or Naviance).

    • “Translating” US transcripts and credentials into the formats other systems require or pointing towards best practice documents from professional organizations.

    • Being available for questions throughout the cycle, with no extra fee for the school or school counselor.

    Having been a school counselor, my goal now is the same as it always has been: support students towards great outcomes. If that also allows me to meet other awesome counselors along the way, even better!