About Me | Ellen Kolstee

Ellen Kolstee
B.A., B.S., M.Ed.
Founder of Learning Enterprises

A key aspect of what I do is to help individuals and small groups of students focus on their key interests and explore their vision for themselves in college, graduate school, and future careers. Having that vision provides the foundation for guiding students and their families through the details of the college application process.

Each student’s vision and motivation, along with my guidance in understanding the college application timeline, choosing a balanced college list, and

planning, brainstorming, and editing essays, help reduce the stress of the process as we meet each deadline and make decisions about their college choices.

My Career and Academic Experiences

have uniquely qualified me for what I do:

I am an experienced teacher and college counselor who holds:

a California multiple-subject teaching credential,
a single-subject teaching credential in Biology and Chemistry.
a UCLA Certificate in College Counseling (earned with distinction).
Professional member of IECA, WACAC, and NACAC.

I hold three college degrees:

a B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from Hunter College of the City University of New York (with credits from Mt. Sinai Medical School) (graduating magna cum laude).
a B.Sc., in Computer Science from City University of New York, (graduating magna cum laude), and
an M.Ed. in Interdisciplinary Education from Santa Clara University, (graduating summa cum laude).

My Journey:

I was a software engineer for IBM for eight years, working in Computer programming support for Corporate Operations Staff, systems support for IBM vs. Cybernex litigation, and program product development in Artificial Intelligence prior to my career as an educator.
From 1995 - 2006, I taught at the fifth, sixth, eighth grade and college levels.
I began Learning Enterprises in 2007, specializing in tutoring and test preparation and added
College counseling in 2013 after an internship at Notre Dame High School.

I enjoy making learning meaningful for each student, and helping students discover their strengths and interests. (ten years as a classroom teacher and seventeen years as an Independent Educational Consultant).

In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, reading, writing, public speaking, singing, hiking, gardening, and volunteering as a Stephen Minister.