You're students. Why should we trust you with something this important?
Because we just went through it ourselves, and got in without any of the advantages that usually explain how someone ends up at a school like Princeton.
If your question is about how a particular admissions office weighs its institutional priorities in a given year, an experienced independent consultant will probably serve you better. If your question is how to write a personal statement that sounds like a real seventeen-year-old and holds up under a careful read, that's where we can help most.
You're new. How do we know the work is any good?
Book the free call and judge for yourself.
And if the first session goes badly, tell us within 48 hours and we'll refund it.
Why don't you publish acceptance rates the way other companies do?
Because we think they mislead people. They suggest that working with a particular consultant gives you a set chance of getting in, and that's never true.
For one, admissions at selective colleges always involves some luck. Wonderful, qualified students get turned away every year, often for reasons outside their control or for no clear reason at all. It works the other way too. Sometimes a student gets in because the school happened to need a viola player that year. Nobody really knows why they got in or didn't.
Also, a lot of consulting companies post high acceptance rates because they only take students who were already likely to get in, the ones with near-perfect grades, scores, and activities.
And even when a company takes anyone, the students who look for consulting tend to start with better odds. Students who can afford admissions consulting tend to be wealthier, which helps with nearly every part of a college application, and are more likely to belong to hooked groups such as legacies or children of faculty and staff. So when a company posts that, say, 50% of their students were accepted to Harvard in the most recent cycle, it gives the impression that they can raise your chances to 50%. In reality those students were likely already strong candidates, and you never know whether that same 50% would have gotten in without the service.
Will you write my essay?
No. We guide and push, but every word our students submit is their own. We have a whole page explaining exactly where the line sits.
How does mentor matching actually work?
You fill out a short form about your interests and goals. Then someone on our team, not an algorithm, reads it and picks the mentor who fits you best. If it isn't right, tell us after the first session and we'll switch you at no cost.
What happens if my mentor graduates?
We'll tell you before you sign if your mentor is going to be around for less time than your engagement would run, and we won't sell you a multi-year track with someone who's leaving. If a handoff does become necessary partway through, we handle it, including a full handoff conversation between mentors, so you're not starting over with a stranger.
Which of the three services do I actually need?
Roughly: if you have specific essays in front of you, that's essay coaching; if you have one defined question, that's drop-in advising; and if you're a few weeks or more out and want ongoing strategy, that's mentorship. If you're still unsure, book the free call and we'll figure it out together.
It's October and my deadline is in three weeks. Can you still help?
Usually, yes. The rush option is 48 hours at a 20% surcharge, and we do keep some room late in the season, though not a lot. Book sooner rather than later. We cap how many clients we take so we can keep our turnaround times, and we'd rather say no up front than miss a deadline.
Do you work with international students?
Yes. Sessions run over video and we work across time zones. Everything is in English.
Do you help with anything besides college applications?
Undergraduate admissions to U.S. colleges is our focus. Some of us can advise on testing strategy and academic planning as part of mentorship. We don't do graduate admissions, financial aid consulting, or test tutoring.
What if we're not happy with the work?
For mentorship, the first paid session is refundable if you tell us within 48 hours. For essay work, we'll keep revising within the scope you bought until it's right, though we don't refund after final delivery, since at that point the work is yours.
How do we pay?
By card, through Square, with an invoice and a receipt. Essay work is half up front and half on delivery, and mentorship is billed either by semester or monthly.
Can parents sit in on sessions?
For the first one, sure, if that makes everyone more comfortable. After that we'd usually suggest not, only because students say more when a parent isn't in the room, and what they say is the raw material for a good essay. Either way you'll get written notes afterward.
Still deciding?
The free 20-minute call isn't a pitch. Tell us where things stand and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help, even if the answer is that you don't need us yet.