About Manette Ansay | College Consultant Colorado | Standout Story College Advising

Clear steps and calm advising converts apprehension into empowerment.

My narrative-centered advising approach has evolved out of my 25 years of experience as an English professor, author and mentor. I have advised hundreds of students through a wide range of applications: reducing their stress, encouraging their ideas, and connecting them with best-fit opportunities.

Strong applications tell a compelling story. Throughout the college planning process, we’ll keep this story in mind.

As a novelist and storyteller, I understand how challenging it can be to write in a voice that's uniquely your own - and how powerful this voice can be.

Whether you’re applying in-state to target schools or reaching for highly selective institutions, my goal remains the same: empowering you to tell your unique application story with confidence, authenticity and success.

Mission & Values

To reimagine the college planning and application experience as a meaningful journey of self-discovery, connect students from a broad range of economic and academic backgrounds with great-fit college opportunities, and to equip students and families with the tools they’ll need to make informed decisions.

Authenticity

Every student has a unique story worth telling.

Personalization

No two student paths look the same.

Clarity

Breaking down complex processes into manageable steps.

Balance

Nurturing aspirations while maintaining realistic expectations.

Empowerment

Building writing, critical thinking, and analytical skills that serve students beyond applications.

Academic and Professional Background

Having experienced a life-altering illness at the age of 19, I understand how to support students forced to change directions, as well as those still searching for a compass. I am a compassionate and creative advisor for those who find themselves in unexpected circumstances due to injury, illness, or a change in family circumstances.

I hold undergraduate degrees from the University of Maine (Anthropology) and the University of South Florida (Creative Writing) as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Cornell University. Along the way, I spent two years at the Peabody Institute/Johns Hopkins University (majoring in piano performance) and a semester at Edison Community College in Fort Myers. I deeply value bridge programs and community college choices when considering paths to student success.

I have taught at Vanderbilt University, held an Endowed Women’s Chair at Marquette University, and served as Writer in Residence at the University of the South. Ultimately, I found a long-term home at the University of Miami, where I was awarded the title of Professor Emerita in 2020. At UM, I directed our Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, serving on (and frequently directing) our undergraduate and graduate program admissions and scholarship committees. Reviewing hundreds of applications and personal statements has taught me the power of a fresh, original voice and a clear, compelling application narrative.

As an author, I love sharing my passion for storytelling. I have published six novels, including Vinegar Hill, an Oprah Book Club Selection, and Midnight Champagne, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as a memoir and a collection of short stories.

Proud Member of:

I recognize and honor the many paths we can take toward reaching personal and professional goals.

My father became a successful entrepreneur on the strength of a high school diploma. My mother was an elementary school teacher who earned her PhD at 55. My daughter is working on her own PhD in Chemical Engineering. My stepdaughter earned a scuba diving certificate and is studying for her real estate license.

I cheer their successes, as they personally define them, with excitement and joy.

My own college education journey–with its serendipitous twists and turns–remains one of the defining experiences of my life. I love connecting others with the same opportunity to live and learn beside passionate peers in a vibrant, lively, challenging and engaging campus environment.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking in the Indian Peak Wilderness and bird watching along Coal Creek in Erie, Colorado, where I live with my husband. I am actively involved in Friends of Coal Creek, a nonprofit with the goal of creating a 35 mile pollinator corridor from Golden, Colorado, where the creek originates, to Erie, where it ends. My front and back yards are posted Certified Pollinator Districts, registered with the City of Lafayette.

I am a dual citizen of Luxembourg and the United States, which has given me a unique perspective on educational systems and cultural narratives across borders. I lived in Leipzig, Germany for one year and passed a B2-level German language exam; I return to Germany every year to visit family and friends.