Charlotte M. Klaar, Ph. D., is the founder and Director of Klaar College Consulting (KCC), based in Brunswick, Maryland. Klaar College Consulting serves clients in the Frederick, Greater Washington DC and Northern Virginia areas through office locations in Rockville and Reston, VA. Through Skype, Charlotte works with students and parents nationwide.

Charlotte is a Certified Educational Planner with 19 years of experience in her field. Klaar College Consulting serves two client bases: 1) college-bound students and their parents and 2) other educational consultants, in particular, those who are new to the field.

A Life-long Learner Committed to Helping Other Students Succeed
Charlotte holds a BA in liberal studies from the University of the State of New York, a teaching certificate from William Patterson University, an MS in interdisciplinary science studies from Johns Hopkins University, and was recently awarded her PhD in general psychology from Capella University. Her graduate work was focused in the area of family psychology, and she is well-versed in the issues facing teens and their parents.

Charlotte consistently strives to keep her professional knowledge up-to-date by visiting colleges nationwide, attending conferences and keeping up on changes in her profession.

Professional Affiliations
Charlotte is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC). She previously served IECA as a Board Member and as chair of the Board Development Committee. Charlotte has also served as an instructor in IECA’s Summer Training Institute (formerly Practices and Principles Training Institute) for most of the past 14 years and has twice served as Chair of the Institute. She has also taught for both the College Counseling program at UCLA Extension and the Certificate in Independent Counseling at UC-Irvine as well as at Assumption College in their Masters in School Counseling program.

Charlotte has been trained to administer and interpret the Holland Self-Directed Search (SDS), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Strong Interest Inventory.

A Career Choice Inspired by Real Life Experience
While searching for colleges with her own daughters, Charlotte became acutely aware of the struggles and stress young people and their parents go through during the college selection and admissions process. She realized that many families needed professional, knowledgeable guidance. Her previous business background as a manager with a blue-chip Fortune 500 company, her experience as a school teacher, and her real-life experience, inspired her to enter the field of educational consulting.

In 1995, Charlotte founded College Consulting Services, based in MetroWest Massachusetts. She successfully built her business over the next 15 years, educating her community on the need for and the benefit of using an independent educational consultant in their search for the right college fit for their children. She eventually sold that business, relocated to Maryland, and launched Klaar College Consulting in 2010.