Today, we’re welcoming two new counselors to the Collegewise family—Curt Dircks in New York City, and Leigh Weissman in Redondo Beach, California.
Curt Dircks
College Counselor – New York, New York
After joining the admissions office of Mercy College in 2011, Curt quickly ascended the ranks and later joined Hofstra University as the assistant dean of admissions. There, he recruited and evaluated students from New York, California, and Tennessee while also training Hofstra’s new admissions counselors, eventually joining Collegewise in 2014. How did Curt manage so much professional success in such a short amount of time? By being, quite possibly, the world’s worst relaxer. In fact the only time that Curt can successfully sit still is when he’s meeting with families to talk about college because, as he puts it, helping high school students is the reason he was put on this earth (that, and to bleed orange for his beloved alma mater, Syracuse University). Curt is an athlete at heart who claims to “own the dance floor” at weddings. Not one to allow his encroaching middle age to douse his competitive fire, Curt is a 3-time Ocean Beach softball champion, a 2-time Corporate League basketball division champion, and perhaps most admirably, a 4-time Dircks family Thanksgiving Most Valuable Bowler. He’s also a successful lacrosse coach—in 2011 while pursuing a masters degree (in history, not lacrosse) at University of San Diego, Curt helped guide the Westview High School JV lacrosse team to their only undefeated season (a record that still stands). When he’s not tearing it up on the court, the field, or the dance floor, Curt enjoys watching the Travel Channel, finding inspiration from the Food Network, and fishing, usually with both his dad and his college roommate.
Leigh Weissman
College Counselor – Redondo Beach, California
Leigh is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, home of the beloved Boomer the Bobcat, where she studied communications and media studies and spent four years as the manager of the men’s basketball team. Upon graduation (and much to Boomer’s disappointment), Leigh joined the admissions office of fierce rival Sacred Heart University, eventually rising to the assistant director level. In her final two years at that post, Leigh set—and then broke again—the record for producing the most applications and the most enrolled students to ever come out of her recruiting territory in New Jersey. Her greatest success, however, is clearly her two superlative awards as voted on by her co-workers: “Most Likely to be in a Great Mood,” and “Most Likely to Get out of a Speeding Ticket.” Apparently, Quinnipiac students go on to become happy, successful, and ticket-free Bobcat alums. A two-time Field Hockey captain back in high school who was also the president of the Italian club, Leigh will defend her home state of New Jersey vigorously (with hockey stick in hand if necessary) when people make fun of the Garden State. Did you know that most of the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore is actually not from Jersey? Well did ya’, buddy?! She does concede, however, that the everyone-here-loves- Springsteen stereotype is absolutely true. When she’s not listening to Born to Run for the 1,348th time, Leigh enjoys traveling, feeding her insatiable need to visit colleges, and catching up on her favorite TV show, Pretty Little Liars.
Curt and Leigh are joining me in Seattle for training this week, after which they’ll be heading back to their respective offices and getting started making the college admissions process less stressful, more successful, and even a little bit fun for families. We’re very excited to have both of them. Welcome, Curt and Leigh!