Hello, world!
A little bit about how College Connection Conejo came to be and how we will help you with your college admissions journey...
Hi! My name is Heather McKay, and I am the founder of College Connection Conejo. We are a college consulting firm offering 1:1 college counseling services, admissions essay advising, and specialized digital curriculum. Our goal is to help highly motivated students in the top 20% of their class be admitted to the colleges of their dreams! And, I’d like to give you a little information to understand why I got started doing what I do in the first place.
Like most sixteen year-old kids, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. I was a good student, so I assumed I’d go to college and just figure it out there. As an AP/ Honors student who was heavily involved in theater and choir, I decided to apply to two colleges assuming I would be admitted to both and would have fun years ahead!
Well... I made many mistakes along the way. After being rejected from my top choice college, settling on my second choice, visiting that school for the first time during orientation and hating it, opting last minute to attend community college, switching my major three times, and then finally transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara, I thought I’d finally be able to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and start making money instead of spending it. It took me a few years to understand what I wanted in life, but I was ready to start my career as a writer. Unfortunately, it was 2008, and there were few jobs opening during an economic recession.
I was frustrated that I put in so much work on my path to and through college, but I didn’t feel like it got me anywhere. They told me college graduates make $1,000,000 more over their lifetime than non-graduates, but I was struggling financially. I had a degree—this piece of expensive paper—but I was working for barely more than minimum wage and paying back expensive loans. After much reflection, I decided to obtain my Master’s degree in education to learn about higher education policies and become an advocate for high school students who need support. I wanted to help students, like me, who needed guidance in figuring out their futures. I wanted to help them avoid the mistakes I had made.
After graduating with my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Organizations, and Policy from U.C.S.B. in 2010, I was ready. I began working for an international test preparation company out of their Los Angeles office, learning all about college admissions tests and the application process. After a few years I transitioned to a new role as an independent college admissions consultant for a boutique admissions firm in the Valley, advising families through the college admissions process and helping them obtain financial aid. After a couple years working privately with families, I turned to public education. I wanted to apply my knowledge to assisting more families who may not have been able to afford consultants. I worked for a large public high school as the sole college and career counselor for 2,200 students helping my kids navigate career exploration, college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and more! I also obtained by teaching credential in Career Technical Education with concentration in Education and Child Development and began teaching kids about career pathways.
After the birth of my son, I wanted to have more flexibility than a position in a school would allow, so in 2018 I started my company: College Connection Conejo. I was eager to begin working 1:1 with students to help them plan for college!
Now, in 2026 I am creating this Substack account to reach more parents and students who may feel overwhelmed or confused about college admission and financial aid. This will be a space where I will share expert tips and an inside perspective on all things related to college planning. My hope is to ease your stress, give you valid information, demystify myths, and help you reach your goals!
I hope to create an informative post here once per week (more if I can!) on a hot topic related to admissions or financial aid. Please subscribe to follow along! If there is something specific you want to learn, you can also email me requests at Heather@CollegeConnectionConejo.com.
This blog will be free for now, and what I write here will be helpful—I promise! But, you may find that you need more personalized coaching, and that is what College Connection Conejo does! If you want to learn more about our admissions coaching, essay advising, or specialized curriculum, you can schedule a consultation with us here: https://calendly.com/collegeplans.
