About Us

Our address is 200 West 57th Street, and we are situated on the southwest corner of West 57th Steet and 7th Avenue. We are located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, across the street from Carnegie Hall. There are many parking garages near our offices and we are accessible via 11 different subway lines (A, C, E, B, D, F, N, Q, R, 1, and 2).  

Absolutely. Our counselors work with students all over the US and throughout the world. Our students hail from locales such as California, Illinois, Florida, Iowa, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, Greece, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Qatar, India, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and many, many more.

We are able to work with students in person or remotely via Internet video, phone or email, depending on your preference.

All of our students, regardless of location, benefit from our unique methodology and team approach. We have found that our students who work with us remotely have proven to be equally as successful as students who meet with their counselor in person. Our counselors do travel, and are able to meet with students wherever they are.

We welcome the opportunity to work with all students and their families and we work on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our goal is to use our knowledge and experience to make the college admissions process a smooth and rewarding one for your family. Our students represent many different academic, extracurricular, and cultural backgrounds. Each student has unique goals and we focus on finding the schools that will be the best academic and social fits for each individual student - in 2011-2012, our students applied to 141 different colleges!

We have a number of different counselors with varying schedules so that we can be as accommodating as possible. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern. However, we can arrange evening and weekend appointments as well. We pride ourselves on our availability and accessibility.

Yes, Dr. Cohen does work with students, however, she takes on only a limited number of students each year. Please contact us to inquire about her availability for your student. Regardless of whether Dr. Kat works personally with your student, your child will benefit from her expertise. As an IvyWise student, your teen will receive personalized one-on-one guidance from his or her counselor, and also benefit from the collective knowledge of our entire team, including that of Dr. Cohen.  

Each student is welcome to select the counselor that he or she wants to work with, but we can certainly help! We focus on finding the counselor that best matches your student's personality, interests, learning style, and schedule, and your family's budget. Get to know our counselors by reading their bios, or call (212-262-3500) or email (inquiries@ivywise.com) the IvyWise office - our team would be happy to help you identify the counselor who would be a good fit for your son or daughter.  

Because of our team approach, our statistics are in aggregate and we don't track by counselor. Each IvyWise student gets the benefit of our entire team's expertise, while working one-on-one with his or her counselor. Regardless of the counselor that your student works with when he or she applies to college, your student's college list, resume, and application essays will be reviewed by the entire IvyWise team of counselors, including our CEO, Dr. Katherine Cohen.  

An independent counselor can supplement your school counselor's efforts by providing additional personalized guidance throughout the college admissions process. This can include working with you to develop a balanced college list, helping you create your activity list, preparing you for interviews and college visits, explaining the admissions process to you, and helping you with brainstorming and editing components of the application.

At IvyWise, we guide students and their families through every step of the school admissions process so that they can identify the schools that will be the best academic and social fits for them, and then we work with each student to help him or her portray the best and most comprehensive representation of who they are to the admissions committees of their chosen schools. An independent counselor will not contact an admissions office on behalf of the student, nor can an independent counselor get a student admitted. Be wary of anyone who promises to get you into an Ivy League college - no one can guarantee admissions and this violates the ethics of the profession. 

No. We know that each student is different and has unique goals and aspirations. Our focus is to help each student find the schools that will be the best matches for him or her, where he or she will be happiest and thrive. Last year, our students were accepted to 86 different schools. To see the variety of schools that our students apply to and attend, please see our Student Successes.

You may call us at 212-262-3500 to schedule an Initial Consultation. We request that you schedule an Initial Consultation at least one week in advance of your desired appointment date. Prior to the consultation, your counselor will do an in-depth review of your student's dossier, including transcripts, test scores, student and parent questionnaires, and more. We want to make sure families have enough time to gather the necessary materials and that your counselor has ample time to review your student's information. This will ensure the most productive consultation possible.

For those seeking assistance with college applications, our UK counselors guide students through the admissions process to UK schools. However, our IvyWise college counselors specialize in US/Canadian institutions and work with students on the application process for those schools.

Our IvyWISEKIDS counselors have knowledge of independent schools around the world, and can provide guidance on the admissions process for K-12 programs internationally.

Admission guidance depends on factors and information unique to your student and his/her academic and personal history and goals. Therefore, we need to do a thorough review of your student's history in order to provide advice and accurate and comprehensive answers to questions. Hence, we do not provide advice or guidance without an Initial Consultation. You are welcome to ask your counselor specific questions during the Initial Consultation.

It varies for each student and depends greatly on several factors, including your student's academic and personal history and his or her college admissions goals. The first step is setting up an Initial Consultation. During this meeting, your IvyWise counselor will meet with you and your student to help him or her create a strategic action plan based on his or her academic and extra-curricular record, as well as interests and goals. For some students, the personalized plan that results from the Initial Consultation is enough, but most families choose to complement the Initial Consultation with ongoing counseling. Following the Initial Consultation, your counselor will suggest the best program for your student based on his or her grade, goals, and the amount of guidance he or she will need. We are happy to customize a program to fit your needs and your budget.

IvyWise can customize a program to provide as much or as little help as your student needs or wants. Our programs include college counseling, application preparation guidance, and academic support. Students can work with a counselor to solidify the college list, create their resume, prepare for interviews and college visits, and/or brainstorm and receive feedback on their application essays. Students can also work with our tutors for academic subject support and standardized test preparation. Sessions are flexible and can be used based on the student's schedule and goals. Additionally, we also offer several short-term options and specialty services for families who would prefer to focus on a specific component of the application process.

You are welcome to schedule an Initial Consultation for your student at any time, but IvyWise programs for college-bound students do not begin until 9th grade. Our Early Guidance programs for 9th and 10th grade students will allow your student to receive guidance prior to the start of the application process, which generally begins in the spring of junior year. Once your student enters the second semester of 11th grade, it is time to embark on the application process, and while we recommend that students begin working with us at that time, we are happy to work with students at any point throughout the process.

Our students are our number one priority and we strive to find the best fit for your family. We offer flexible payment options and the opportunity to upgrade or downgrade your student's program, to help your family make the most of the IvyWise experience.

Families can also benefit from Dr. Kat's expertise through her best-selling books on college admissions, The Truth About Getting In and Rock Hard Apps.

IvyWise also offers pro bono services to selected students who will benefit from the guidance and admissions expertise provided by our counselors. We provide pro bono counseling opportunities for students in 11th and 12th grades. For more information, please visit our Specialty Services page.

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate this request. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us and our families and we do not release identifying information about our families unless expressly granted. Of course, you can expect the same level of confidentiality as an IvyWise family. We understand that you may want to hear from former families first-hand and we have provided student and parent testimonials on our website for this purpose. We are proud to say that 65% of IvyWise students are referrals from current or former families. Occasionally, former families permit us to share their contact information for reference purposes only. We may be able to arrange a reference call, though we cannot guarantee availability.