I am an Independent Education Consultant, guiding students and their families through the complicated college search and application process. I help students prepare for, explore, and apply to colleges that are the best fit for them, academically, socially, and financially. I assist students with understanding who they are, setting realistic goals, identifying and researching colleges, and making thoughtful choices about their future. My goal is to keep my students motivated and organized, making this an enjoyable and exciting time for them and their families, rather than a stressful one.

I earned my IEC Certificate through University of California Irvine and am pleased to be working with my sister at her company, Discovery College Consulting. I am a member of HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and CCC (College Consultants of Colorado).

About Me

Marcia Bannon earned her Independent Educational Consultant Certificate from UC, Irvine in 2021. She is excited to be working with students on their journey to discover colleges that are a great fit academically, socially, and financially. Marcia is a former para-educator with over ten years of classroom experience working with both general education and special education students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Her time in the classroom included helping students improve their math skills, reading fluency, and comprehension. Marcia also taught English as a Second Language to adult immigrants. She implemented individual learning strategies based on student needs, created daily lesson plans, and tracked and assessed student progress using a variety of benchmark and assessment programs.

Early in her career, Marcia spent ten years working in marketing and public relations for two law firms and several not-for-profit organizations. She developed marketing and public relations campaigns and created various initiatives to generate awareness of the organizations and their many accomplishments. Her communication skills allow her to assist students in presenting their “best selves” in their college essays, applications, and interviews.

Marcia has two adult children whom she helped with the college search and application process. Their experiences have given her personal insight into how stressful this time in a teenager’s life can be for the entire family. Her goal is to enable her students to enjoy and grow from the college process and to make the parent-student dynamic less stressful during this period of transition.

Marcia has visited dozens of colleges throughout the United States. She has also attended many professional development programs and conferences pertaining to college counseling. Her certificate program through UC Irvine included coursework on topics such as financial aid, admissions, working with students with learning disabilities, developing college lists, and counseling techniques. Marcia is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and College Consultants of Colorado (CCC).

Education
University of California, Irvine: Independent Educational Consultant Certificate

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: B.S., Broadcast Journalism

Personal
Marcia has lived all over the country, including Illinois, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Iowa, Southern California, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. She is an avid hiker and cyclist and has conquered all of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks. She and her husband have two children: a daughter who graduated from Boston College in 2020 and a son who graduated from the University of Miami in 2024. In her free time, Marcia enjoys reading, playing the piano, going to the theater, and traveling.

Specialty Areas

Career/Aptitude Assessment

Students Enrolled