Who inspires you?

Richard Branson. He’s an absolute genius, and I love that he’s created such a strong company culture and brand identity across so many industries.

Why are you an entrepreneur?

I love building things. I love taking a problem and figuring out the path to solving it.

How is your company different from your competitors?

We’re the only company that pairs students with ideal US universities and tells them how to improve their chances of getting in.

Where do you see your company in the next five years?

We’ll be the go-to resources for high school students and their parents trying to navigate the complex world of college admissions.

What’s the next milestone for your company?

Launching to the public in fall 2013!

How are you financing your business? What are your growth plans?

We were bootstrapping it for a while, but were just accepted to ERA and are about to close a Friends/Family round. We plan to raise a large seed round in early fall.

Best advice you’ve received?

Never. Never. NEVER give up! ~Winston Churchill

Tell me something about yourself that we don’t know already.

I’m absolutely obsessed with golfing. Total addiction.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Law & Order SVU and homemade pancakes with maple syrup.

A setback, stumble or face plant…What did you learn from that experience?

ALWAYS trust your gut.

What is your favorite mobile app?

Penultimate/Evernote

What do you do to help focus?

Listen to the Black Keys or any rock & roll music really loudly.

Elevator pitch:

Admitted.ly is automating and gamifying the role of a high school guidance counselor online through Klout-like Admittability Scores and psychometric tests that match students to ideal schools based on their personality metrics. It is also the only college discovery site that gives students customized recommendations on how to improve their chances of admission based on their interests, location, goals, and budget.

This post was created by Raine Dalton, WIM’s editorial and community innovation intern. Raine is passionate about finding creative ways to empower women globally through tech. In addition to WIM, Raine has written, tweeted, and posted for the Global Banking Alliance for Women, WITNESS, and 90.7 WFUV News. You can find her work at www.rainedalton.com or get in touch with her through Twitter @rainedalton, or by emailing raine@wim.co.