Figuring out if you need a college admissions consultant and whether they are worth it can be tough. The bottom line is that there is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to college and college admissions assistance.
Deciding which college to attend is one of the first major decisions you'll make in your life. In addition to your future career, your choice of school will determine who you develop lifelong friendships with. You never know, you may even find a partner there, too.
With so much pressure to get into the right school, the college applications process can be overwhelming. But a college admissions consultant can help you get into the school of your dreams.
In this article, we’ve compiled our thoughts on the top college admissions consultants to work with. We’ll cover what they offer and how to determine if working with one is right for you. Remember, there is no "one-size-fits-all" and what one student may be looking for or needing can vary greatly from another student.
Best for Getting Into an Ivy League School: IvyWise
Students who work with a college admissions consultant do so with the hope of getting into a top school. IvyWise is a popular admissions consulting firm specializing in Ivy League admissions.
IvyWise students apply to schools like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. According to its internal data, 90% of the students IvyWise works with get into at least one of their top three schools, making IvyWise a compelling option.
IvyWise pairs students with an admissions counselor to help them navigate the admissions process. Students are given a list of counselors to work with depending on their personal needs and academic objectives. After an initial consultation, students can work with IvyWise counselors on an hourly basis.
Working with IvyWise might be a good investment if your goal is to get into a highly selective college but their consulting services don’t come cheap. The initial consultation starts at $1,350 with counselors charging an hourly rate as high as $3,000.
Best for Getting Started Early: Top Tier Admissions
Top Tier Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm based in Boston. They are known for their Application Boot Camp which is so popular there is typically a waitlist. The founders of Top Tier Admissions use their extensive backgrounds in higher education to create a personalized approach to admissions.
Their signature course is a 4-day Application Boot Camp. Students typically enroll in it during their sophomore year even though the boot camp isn’t held until their senior year. Before students arrive for the boot camp, they’re given a detailed profile of their academic record and college admissions goals. During the boot camp, students work with Top Tier Admissions counselors to complete their college application.
Top Tier Admissions is a popular college admissions consultancy and for good reason – they report that 95% of students get into at least one of their top schools. Application Boot Camp costs $18,000. Aside from that, Top Tier Admissions also offers a la carte admissions counseling services, and tutoring for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
Best for Getting Tailored Support: Spark Admissions
Spark Admissions takes a unique approach to college admissions by applying research-based methods to help their students increase their odds of getting accepted into one of their top schools. They offer students a highly personalized and tailored strategy to help them determine the best way to apply to college. This includes things like identifying whether to take the ACT or SAT and how to write the perfect college application essay.
Students can begin working with a Spark Admissions counselor as early as the eighth grade. When a student enrolls with Spark Admissions, they’re given a customized roadmap with an application timeline. The goal of Spark Admissions is to use a tailored approach to help each student clearly communicate their individual value proposition to admissions committees.
One area Spark Admissions differentiates itself from others is their focus on specialty admissions. For students looking to pursue art or film, Spark Admissions connects students with mentors who can help them develop compelling portfolios. For music and other creative fields, consultants help students evaluate the specific requirements of the program they want to pursue.
Spark Admissions offers packages of consulting time that vary depending on where a student is in their academic career. Packages start at $8,195 and go up to as much as $37,495.
Best for Getting the Luxe Consulting Experience: Command Education
Command Education is another college admissions consulting firm that offers high-end college admissions consulting services for students aspiring to get into an elite school. They don't disclosure their prices, but their CEO has said that the top packages can be $500,000 to $750,000 depending on whether you start in middle school or high school.
But what do you get with this price tag? You get all the assistance you want and need. You get 24/7 support and assistance to make sure your child is on track. Need a tutor late at night before a major exam? Command Education will find someone to help. This includes everything from planning which extracurricular activities to engage in to preparing for standardized admissions tests.
With elite schools accepting a record-low number of students each year, Command Education has positioned itself to ensure that their clients get accepted. If your goal is to get into an elite college – and you can afford Command Education's steep fees – working with them will give you a good chance at a spot.
Best for Getting Advice from the Pros: Solomon Admissions Consulting
Solomon Admissions Consulting provides college admissions consulting services offered by their team of former admissions offers. Leveraging their inside knowledge, Solomon can offer students a compelling application package that improves their chances of getting in.
Solomon offers one-on-one advising for key parts of the application process:
- Strategic positioning to get into elite schools
- Writing a compelling personal statement
- Selecting extracurricular activities
- Soliciting mentors and advisors to write letters of recommendation
- Determining which schools to apply to
- Practicing for admissions interviews
One of Solomon's unique offerings is a guided research program. Students who work with Solomon are paired with a PhD student and work on a 15-page research paper. According to Solomon, this increases their odds of admission.
Solomon’s fees aren’t publicly available but some reports indicate the cost can start at $5,000. Expect this to be higher for more in-depth support and advising.
Best for Getting One-on-One Support: College Zoom
College Zoom is a college admissions consulting firm that works with students to increase their chances of getting into one of their top schools. They report a 96.1% success rate of students getting into one of their top schools.
College Zoom offers a three-step process to help its clients increase the odds of getting into their preferred school. They first match students to different schools depending on ability and desire. From there they create a plan to increase their odds of getting in. Once a plan is in place, College Zoom advisors work with students to craft a compelling narrative to help them highlight their value to college admissions officers.
College Zoom offers several packages starting at $3,000. They also offer hourly assistance – something that isn’t usually offered by other top college admissions consulting firms – starting at $350 per hour.
How Much Do College Admissions Consultants Cost?
Before working with a college admissions consultant, you’ll want to evaluate the fees and how they’re structured. The best college admissions consultants will charge around $300+ per hour. Depending on how much support you need and if you’re paying on a per-hour basis, consulting fees can add up quickly.
Some consultants only offer services as a package or program. These can range from several thousand dollars all the way up to Command Educations’ $750,000 program. The price will also vary significantly based on when you start wanting assistance. If you are starting in middle school, you're naturally going to pay more simply because of the additional time.
If your goal is to get into a top tier school, investing in a comprehensive consulting solution might be a good investment. If you’re just looking for one-off tutoring or advising, a college admissions consultant might not be the best fit for you.
Large Firms vs. Independent College Consultants?
This list focuses on the larger college admissions consultants in the United States. But that doesn't mean there aren't other individuals and small boutique college consultants that are amazing. For reference, the Independent Educational Consultant Association has over 2,100 members.
However, what we've found in our research is that all of these firms - both large and small - have a bandwidth issue. They can only take a certain number of clients each year simply because of the time and effort involved. A certain number of students graduate and get into college each year, opening up new slots for future clients.
The smaller, independent individuals and firms simply cannot take a large number of students. The larger firms (which our list focuses on), have more advisors and support staff (and many have systems) to allow them to assist more students.
That doesn't necessarily make one better than another, and as you're assessing what you're looking for in a college admissions consultant, you may find a local independent firm that offers great service at a fair price. Don't discount that.
Why Should You Trust Us?
The College Investor team has spend the past year reviewing and analyzing many of the top college admissions consultants. We have been assessing them based on their offerings, price points, availability, and any customer feedback we could find.
In our research we quickly realized how there is no single focus in the marketplace - each firm is typically focused on helping certain students achieve specific goals with higher education. This could mean getting into an Ivy League school, or simply a selective school, or even a specialty program in the arts.
We also found that the market is not always transparent on pricing. We give a lot more credit and value to companies that are very clear and upfront with their costs - even if they costs are expensive. We strongly believe that consumers should know exactly what they are paying for a service.
Based on this research and assessment, we put together this list based on our opinions of where students and their families should look for support in the college admissions process. Sadly, we know that there are a lot of great consultants out there and our list doesn't cover them all. But hopefully it gives families a starting point for their search of the best options.
Is a College Admissions Consultant Worth It?
Based on the self-reported data coming out of the best college admissions consulting firms, working with a consultant can help you increase your odds of getting into a top school. This can translate into more professional and personal opportunities later on in life.
That being said, the financial investment might not always be worth the cost.
The most successful students likely start planning for college admissions as early as middle school. While working with a consultant can help you develop a foolproof strategy, doing so may add extra pressure to your teenage years.
The price tag that comes with working with college admissions consultants also favors those who already have the cash to afford it. Taking on a large financial burden to get into a top school is a risk you’ll have to consider. While many college admissions consultants promise good results, those results aren’t guaranteed for everyone.
Before investing in a college admissions consultant, make sure it’s worth it for you and that it aligns with your goals. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles that come with college admissions consulting, there are a number of different – and more affordable – options to choose from to help you prepare for applying to college.
Amanda Claypool is a writer, entrepreneur, and strategy consultant. She’s lived in the Middle East, Washington, DC, and a 2014 Subaru Outback but now calls Asheville home. Amanda writes about money, crypto, emerging tech, and the future of the economy on Medium.
Editor: Colin Graves Reviewed by: Robert Farrington
