Katie Ratz Graham

College Consultant

Katie is dedicated to helping students and families understand the college admissions process and approach it with a clear strategic plan.

As an Application Reader for the UC San Diego Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Katie has evaluated applications in the highly selective UC admissions process. In addition to receiving her graduate Certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego, Katie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. Following law school, she worked as an attorney with two prominent law firms in Los Angeles and Orange County, California where she represented her clients in business litigation matters. As a senior associate, Katie gained extensive experience researching, writing, advocating on behalf of her clients, and mentoring junior associates. Previously, as a Moot Court Director, she provided writing instruction to law school students. Katie also taught small-group classes to business school undergraduates as a Supplemental Instructor for a business management course.

While taking time to raise her three children, she was the Treasurer and a Board member of a non-profit corporation, as well as actively involved with volunteer work assisting in her children’s classrooms and serving various local philanthropies. As a parent now to high school and college-aged children, Katie is inherently comfortable working with high school students and their parents. Katie also served as a volunteer counselor with Matchlighters Scholars assisting low-income students with the essay and application process. Katie is committed to guiding students of all academic abilities to discover their unique story, assess their personal priorities in a college, and find the colleges that are the right fit for them to ensure happiness and success in college and beyond. Katie serves families in Southern California and across the U.S. via Zoom.

Katie regularly attends counselor conferences, visits universities across the country, participates in webinars, and closely follows the current changes in college admissions, to continually expand her knowledge to best help her students and families. In addition, she is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), and is part of a broad network of college admissions colleagues.

Katie maintains the highest ethical standards of professional conduct and follows the IECA’s Principles of Good Practice.