The Uncommon Team
Maggie O’Brien | She/They
Founder & College Counselor
Maggie O’Brien is an award-winning queer writer, artist, and educator who grew up outside of Boston and now lives in the Berkshires.
For over five years, Maggie has coached dozens of students through the college application process on their path to some of the country’s best schools—and has worked for the Admissions Office of a selective liberal arts school, a college access non-profit, and College Essay Guy. Maggie supports her students through genuine connection and a keen understanding of diversity and belonging. She founded Uncommon to reimagine the college application process and encourage young people to think deeply, tell their stories, and follow unconventional paths.
Maggie has her B.A. from Colorado College in Creative Writing for Social Change and attended the Traveling School semester program in high school. Her writing has been recognized by nationally acclaimed publications, and her creative work has brought her to public radio production, museum design, story slamming, ceramics, and more. You’ll usually find her hiking in New England forests, doing yoga, watching live music, and making her own teas.
Wayan Buschman | She/Her
College Counselor
Wayan Buschman (pronounced “why-ON”) is an artist, writer, tutor, and educator, with a background working in the Semester School Network. She was born and raised in New York City, which is also where she lives currently.
Wayan’s background in one-on-one mentorship started during her undergraduate years at Colorado College. While Wayan studied for her BA in English literature, she worked as a writing consultant at the Ruth Barton Writing Center, where she helped to brainstorm and workshop papers with students across all disciplines.
After graduation, she worked at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, CO as the English Apprentice. She then made the leap to Napa, California, where she served as the Humanities Teacher at the Oxbow School for Art and Academics. Outside of formal classes at Oxbow, Wayan arranged exploratory college prep electives, college essay writing workshops, and art portfolio critiques. Wayan still teaches and tutors in the virtual sphere and, when she’s not working, you can find her playing off-key banjo tunes, drawing comics, and reading short stories.