Expert College Guidance

Supporting families through the college admissions process with structure, insight, and steady guidance.

Ashley Drapp

Founder, Drapp College Consulting

With over 15 years of experience in college admissions and academic advising, I serve as an independent educational consultant based in Carmel, Indiana, supporting students in Carmel, Westfield, and the greater Indianapolis area, as well as virtual clients nationwide.

My background includes working as a school counselor, conducting research for a private college advisor, and now guiding families through every step of the college application process — from career and personality assessments to strategic college list development, college essay coaching, and comprehensive application review.

As part of my structured approach, students complete both the Strong Interest Inventory® and the Myers-Briggs® Personality Assessment. These nationally recognized tools provide valuable insight into academic interests, career pathways, strengths, and learning preferences. The results allow us to build a thoughtful and balanced college list aligned with each student’s goals, personality, and long-term direction.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of Dayton. This foundation allows me to combine academic planning with personal development, helping students identify colleges that are the right fit academically, socially, and financially.

As a wife, mother, and educator, I understand that the college admissions process can feel overwhelming. My role is to provide clear, structured college admissions guidance so students and families feel confident, informed, and supported from the first conversation through final college decisions.

My goal is simple: to help every student find the right college fit and move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Students I’ve worked with have been accepted into

PROVEN RESULTS

  • Guerin Catholic Student

    Mrs. Drapp was so incredibly helpful throughout my college application process. She kept me organized and ahead of deadlines so I never felt overwhelmed by a process that is often very stressful for students. She helped me create a meaningful essay that really expressed who I am as a person and what I value, allowing me to authentically communicate that to my colleges. Once I was accepted, she continued to support me by helping me make connections and easing the stress of the decision process as I consider attending the University of Notre Dame in the Mendoza College of Business or Purdue University in the Integrated Business and Engineering program. Her help and guidance made the entire experience feel very manageable and well thought out from start to finish.

  • Carmel High School Student

    Working with you has been super helpful throughout the college process. You made everything feel a lot more organized and less stressful, helping me feel more supported and confident going into applications.

  • Guerin Catholic Parent

    Ashley didn't just help with logistics; she fundamentally shifted the experience. We were overwhelmed, and she took that weight off our plate. She brought clarity and calm when we needed it most. She normalized the uncertainty, and encouraged our daughter in a way that empowered rather than overwhelmed her. She pushed Annie to take accountability and do the work, while still making it feel like Annie herself was steering the ship. As parents, that was a huge gift-to be able to step back slightly, knowing our daughter was being guided thoughtfully and responsibly.

  • Westfield High School Parent

    Working with Ashley was one of the best decisions we made during the college application process. The career assessments she uses gave our daughter real direction when thinking about majors and colleges, and her guidance made the entire process less overwhelming. To top it off, she was admitted to her top-choice school!

HOW IT WORKS

  • A complimentary 30-minute phone call to discuss your student’s goals and ensure we are the right fit for your family.

    This conversation allows me to learn more about your student’s academic background, interests, and initial college goals. We will also discuss your family’s priorities — whether that includes merit scholarships, distance from home, academic rigor, athletics, or specific majors.

    I’ll walk you through how I work with students, answer any questions you have, and explain what you can expect from the process.

    Choosing a college consultant is a personal decision, and this call ensures we are aligned before moving forward.

  • Students complete two in-depth assessments: the Strong Interest Inventory® and the Myers-Briggs® Personality Assessment.

    This meeting is focused solely on the student. We begin with a guided conversation and complete the Myers-Briggs personality assessment together. Students will then take the Strong Interest Inventory following our session.

    These tools help us better understand:

    • Natural strengths and personality preferences

    • Academic and career interests

    • Work style and decision-making tendencies

    • Environments where your student is most likely to thrive

    The Strong Interest Inventory connects interests to potential college majors and career paths, while the Myers-Briggs helps us understand how your student thinks, processes information, and interacts with the world around them.

    Together, these results allow us to build a college list that is not just impressive — but aligned.

    This step lays the foundation for everything that follows.

  • Together, we develop a thoughtful college list that reflects fit, opportunity, and long-term goals.

    Using assessment results, academic data, career interests, and family priorities, we create a balanced list of schools that includes a mix of likely, target, and reach options.

    We carefully consider:

    • Academic rigor and major offerings

    • Campus culture and environment

    • Distance from home

    • Merit scholarship potential

    • Athletic or extracurricular opportunities

    • Long-term career pathways

    A strong list is not about applying to the most prestigious schools — it is about identifying colleges where your student will thrive academically, socially, and financially.

    This step ensures your student has multiple strong options when decisions arrive.

    Strategic planning at this stage reduces stress later and keeps doors open.

  • We begin the thoughtful process of uncovering your student’s story.

    The personal statement is often the one place in the application where a student can move beyond grades and activities and simply show who they are.

    Through guided conversations and targeted reflection exercises, we explore:

    • Meaningful experiences

    • Core values

    • Personality traits that may not show up elsewhere in the application

    • Moments of growth, challenge, or self-discovery

    Our goal is not to write what sounds impressive. It is to uncover what is authentic.

    Once we identify strong themes, we create a clear outline before drafting begins. Students typically move through multiple revisions, learning how to refine their voice while maintaining ownership of their story.

    After the personal statement is complete, we apply the same intentional strategy to supplemental essays — tailoring each response to reflect both the student and the specific college.

    By the end of this step, the essays work together with the activities list and transcript to tell one cohesive story.

  • Before your applications are submitted, we complete a comprehensive review together.

    This final check ensures that every section of the application is polished, accurate, and aligned.

    We review:

    • The full application for clarity and consistency

    • Activities descriptions for impact and precision

    • Essay formatting and final edits

    • Honors and awards entries

    • Major selection and school-specific details

    Small details matter. A thoughtful review helps ensure your student is presenting their strongest and most cohesive application possible.

    By the time we click submit, your student can feel confident knowing their work reflects their effort, growth, and goals.

Contact Me

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