About Libby Karolczak

Libby Karolczak is the Founder and Trail Guide at Paths2College Educational Consulting. She is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association, an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a member of the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC) and a member of Stanford Professional Women. She has worked with local students and families for nearly 14 years as a coach, non-profit administrator and academic volunteer after retiring from running a successful international content licensing company for 25 years. She is actively involved with students in her community, including many volunteer roles in local schools and serving as Player Agent and/or Exec Board member for Mountain View - Los Altos Girls Softball for 11 years.  

Education

Libby graduated from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations, followed by study and work abroad in Germany and then a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. In August 2018 she completed the Summer Training Institute of the Independent Educational Consulting Association at Claremont Mckenna College and in July 2021 she completed the Columbia University's Teachers College's College Advising Program. 

Methods & Motivation
Libby enjoys seeing young people succeed and is experienced at coaching them to do so while following their interests and being open to new opportunities. She is very organized and will make sure that everyone is aware of important deadlines and that choices are made based on ample and accurate information. She regularly sends students information about internships, extracurriculars or other outside learning opportunities that may be of interest. Paths2College students have a great acceptance rate because Libby puts a high priority on helping the students’ personalities and accomplishments shine via their essays, interests, and rec letters. She works hard for her clients and motivates them to do the same. 

Personal
Libby is based in Los Altos and has two daughters. Her oldest daughter Sophie is currently a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Genetics Department at the University of Toronto in Canada. She studies how myotubular myopathy, a rare muscle disease, affects the liver and how gene therapies can be made safer for the liver. Sophie graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a Certificate in Informatics and Modeling in May 2020. She was a member of the Wesleyan Univesity varsity volleyball team and studied abroad doing biological fieldwork in Patagonia in the spring of 2019. Libby's younger daughter Eva graduated from Swarthmore College in May '22 with a BA in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. She recently completed a postbaccalaureate research position at the National Institutes of Health studying the neural circuits underlying feeding behavior. Eva currently works as a scribe tech for CityMD in Manhattan while applying to medical school. She played on the Swarthmore Garnet softball team, was a member of the Garnet Singers, and was selected as a Phi Beta Kappa Inductee. 

Libby loves to hike, observe and photograph nature, and is assisted at Paths2college by her office dog Molly.