Admissions Counseling
Gain admission to your top-choice schools with IvyWise admissions counseling services. Our counselors are all former Deans and Directors of admission, and our programs are personalized to fit each student’s needs and goals.
What Is Admissions Counseling?
Admissions counseling is a personalized, guided process where experts advise students through the application and admissions process at various types of schools. We provide admissions counseling and advising services for:
- Colleges and universities in the U.S., U.K., and Canada
- Primary, secondary, independent, and boarding schools
- Graduate and professional schools
- Academic advising for college students
Anyone can help you fill out an application, but the most effective and successful guidance comes from experts who worked directly in admissions and were in the rooms where it all happened. IvyWise counselors have at least three years of direct admissions experience reading applications, sitting in committee, and making the tough admissions decisions. We are the only consultancy with this depth and breadth of direct admissions experience.
How Can IvyWise Admissions Counselors Help You?
At IvyWise, we draw on our previous experience as Deans and Directors of admission to help families understand the nuances of the process, what admissions committees are looking for, and how students can best position themselves to gain admission to their top-choice schools in the U.S., U.K., and Canada.
We don’t just help you fill out your applications. We work with students through every phase of their educational journey – providing personalized guidance that will help them build compelling profiles that will complement and reinforce the information in their applications. IvyWise specializes in college admissions counseling, and we also offer services for primary and secondary school admissions, as well as transfer admissions, academic advising, and MBA, law, med, and other graduate school admissions services.
Who Can Benefit From IvyWise Admissions Counseling Services?
At IvyWise, we support K-8 students, high school students, college students who need academic advising and/or are pursuing a graduate degree, as well as students who want to transfer to another university. In addition to admissions counseling, we also offer integrated research and tutoring and test prep services to help students maximize their IvyWise programs and outcomes.
Admissions Counseling and Additional Support For Every Phase of Your Educational Journey
IvyWise programs are tailored to fit each student, no matter what stage of the admission process they are in — or where they live. Families can engage our services at any point of their student’s educational journey — from as early as kindergarten to as advanced as graduate school — to help guide students through the entire process or the specific areas where they need the most support.
Team-Based Admissions Counseling with IvyWise Roundtable
The IvyWise Roundtable is a mock admissions committee where all IvyWise counselors review every aspect of student applications, providing constructive feedback backed by over 400 years of collective admissions experience that enables students to implement critical changes before submitting. The Roundtable process at IvyWise is unique — you can’t find this service anywhere else. All students enrolled in comprehensive programs have unlimited access to the IvyWise Roundtable.
Comprehensive Admissions Counseling Programs
Applying to college is like running a marathon. It takes time, effort, and preparation to be successful. That’s why admissions counseling starts in the years and months before applying, as students lay a strong foundation for their interests and goals inside and outside of the classroom with intentional and personalized guidance.
Colleges look at all four years of high school grades, courses, and activities when evaluating applicants. Every decision in 9th-12th grade counts, so in an IvyWise program, your expert college admissions counselor will work with your student from as early as 8th grade to build their profile and provide comprehensive application support from start to finish. Even if families come to us later in the admissions journey, students will benefit from comprehensive admissions and application support throughout the entire process.
Building a Profile
| Refine coursework plans, testing schedules, and extracurricular activities from 9th grade on | |
| Identify and recommend extracurricular and summer activities for 9th-12th grade, as well as internship opportunities | |
| Facilitate or improve teacher relationships starting in 9th grade, and ultimately select teachers for letters of recommendation in 11th and 12th grade | |
| Plan for and prioritize school visits, including preparing for interviews |
Application Help
| Research appropriate schools and develop a balanced list based on your student’s needs and desires | |
| Keep your student on task to complete all components of the application process | |
| Brainstorm, draft, edit, and revise personal statements and any supplements in order to perfect them and pull together cohesive, compelling applications | |
| Evaluate offers of admission as well as develop a strategy for waitlist and deferral decisions, if applicable |
Our Short-Term Programs
Looking for expert feedback in a fast-tracked, targeted program? IvyWise offers short-term programs that give students access to expert admissions advice to help prepare their applications, or even offer personalized guidance from our expert counselors after their applications are done.
Application Boot Camp
The IvyWise Application Boot Camp is ideal for students who are coming to us later in the process and want to tap into IvyWise’s counseling services in a focused, fast-tracked, and affordable program to finish one application and supplement.
Application Review
You’ve already completed your application, but are you sure it’s ready for submission? Get your application read by a former admissions officer before it really counts! An IvyWise counselor will provide a comprehensive evaluation of all application aspects and make suggestions for improvement.
Portfolio Review
Are you submitting a portfolio with your college applications? The IvyWise Portfolio Review gives students a thorough, expert review of all elements of their completed portfolio and, if required, an artist’s statement by a former admissions officer and artist who reviewed applications and portfolios for both undergraduate and graduate-level art programs.
Deferral and Waitlist Consultations
You’ve already completed the admissions process and the results are in – but they’re not what you expected. IvyWise counselors provide expert insight into what comes next by reviewing all of the student’s application materials and providing a strategic plan to help maximize the chances of admission.
Learn more about other features of our college counseling programs.
IvyWise Admissions Counseling Success
We know what colleges are looking for and what it takes to stand out — and we have the results to prove it. IvyWise students are 4x more likely to gain admission to top colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Our unique methodology combines expert one-on-one guidance from former admissions officers with a collaborative counseling approach through the IvyWise Roundtable to yield the best outcomes for all IvyWise students. We have helped thousands of students find the right school for their needs and goals, with 91% of IvyWise students accepted into one or more of their three top-choice schools.
IvyWise students are 4x more likely to gain admission to top colleges in the U.S. and abroad.
We are the best of the best, but don’t take just our word for it!
5 Year Acceptance Rates
IvyWise Admissions Counselors
Do you want the help of someone who only walked the halls of your top-choice school or the person who was holding the keys to admission? All IvyWise counselors have at least three years of direct admissions experience reading applications, sitting in committee, and making critical admissions decisions at top U.S. universities. They were in the rooms where the decisions were made. Whether you’re seeking primary or secondary school, undergraduate, or graduate admissions, they know what it takes to stand out when applying to a variety of institutions.
At IvyWise, we don’t assign counselors. Instead, we make informed recommendations depending on each student’s needs, goals, personality fit, budget, and more, so that families have the freedom to work one-on-one with their counselor of choice for the entirety of the program.
Nat specializes in undergraduate college admissions and is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi.
“Choose the activities that you really genuinely enjoy and choose the schools that will really appreciate and respect the choices that you have made.”
Kim specializes in undergraduate college admissions and is a former Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I think that ‘understanding your why’ is extremely important in this process. My advice to students is to be open-minded and to ask yourself tons of questions.”
Cara specializes in undergraduate college admissions and is a former Assistant Dean of Admissions at Colgate University.
“Sometimes, the college process feels like climbing a mountain. But if you pick your milestones, break it down into smaller pieces, and remember to have some fun along the way, you will make it to the top.”
Rod specializes in undergraduate college admissions and is a former Associate Director of Admissions at Case Western Reserve University.
“If you plan ahead, set realistic expectations, accept that there are no guarantees, and have an open mind about the process, the journey to finding your best-fit college will be fun.”
What Students Are Saying About IvyWise
“The IvyWise team has made my dream come true! I got admitted to my top choice university as an ED applicant — it’s truly such a relief. On top of that, they were extremely professional and organized (it is a huge advantage when it comes to college applications.) I am forever grateful for my counselor and the IvyWise team. It has been a wonderful experience.”
– Student, Lebanon
Accepted Early Decision to New York University
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for . . . all your invaluable help in the past year. I can only imagine my callow little self walking into your office last summer, probably late, and without any idea what admissions officers — or literally anyone — care to read. Thank you for whipping me into shape. ...I’m attending a school I never thought I’d have a shot at, not even a minute before I was accepted, and I can’t thank you enough for your guidance!”
– Student, Connecticut
Accepted to Yale University
“Despite beginning the process with IvyWise late in the college application season, [my counselor] was able to help find which colleges best suited me and fine-tune every one of my numerous essay drafts for each college. ...Without guidance from [my IvyWise counselor] and the rest of the team at IvyWise, the college application process would have been a much more difficult and daunting task.”
– Student, California
Accepted Early Decision to New York University
“I just wanted to take the time again to thank you for all your help in guiding me through the admissions process. All the time and hard work has finally paid off with the acceptance, and I only have you to thank for it. After advising me on all the extracurricular activities, course selection essays, and more, I understand how much you contributed to the strength of my application.”
– Student, UAE
Accepted to the University of Pennsylvania
“Throughout the entirety of the college application process, IvyWise was right by my side, which made my experience immeasurably better. ...I couldn’t have done it without IvyWise, and choosing to work with them was the best decision I made.”
– Student, Illinois
Accepted to Stanford University
“I could not have done any of this without your help and guidance along the way! Whether it was choosing the right extracurricular activities, preparing for standardized testing and choosing testing dates, writing essays (a huge portion of my application!), or just powering through the horrors of junior year, you were always there for me, and you provided clear guidance the entire way!”
– Student, New York
Accepted Early Decision to Dartmouth College
“There was so much that I was blind to in the college admissions process before I started IvyWise. Working with my counselor, I was able to stay on top of all my goals and manage a tight schedule. She helped me sort through the different pieces and decipher which ones were most important. My counselor was always positive, supportive, and friendly. I am so grateful for my IvyWise experience! ”
– Student, Massachusetts
Accepted to University of Notre Dame
“The attention to student's needs that IvyWise offers is like no other program I have ever seen. They want to make sure that you are creating the best application and that you are choosing schools that are the right fit for you. Through IvyWise, I was able to highlight high points in my application and make it more appealing to admission counselors. After the completion of my program I felt secure and happy about my application and the process I went through to achieve it.”
– Student, Brazil
Accepted to the University of Southern California
“My counselor helped me so much during the college application process. She helped me find the appropriate programs and schools that were right for me. She was the most helpful for my essays and helping me explain and understand why I wanted to study what I did. She was always supportive, regardless of the admission decision, and went out of her way to research things for me. Thank you so much!”
– Student, California
Accepted to Boston University, Accelerated Medical Program
“The Roundtable feedback was very, very helpful in this process. My essays were very well written because of all of [my counselor’s] personal feedback and the feedback that I received from Roundtable!”
– Student, New York
Accepted to George Washington University
What Parents Are Saying About IvyWise
“We are extremely pleased with the exceptional guidance and support the counselor and the IvyWise team have provided during this highly competitive, inevitably stressful college admission process. ...We have already recommended IvyWise to friends and colleagues. Needless to say, we would highly recommend IvyWise to anybody who is seeking high-quality college admissions counseling service.”
– Parent, Massachusetts
Daughter Accepted Early Action to Harvard University
“Having gone through the experience with IvyWise during my son's senior year, my only regret is we did not engage them earlier in the sophomore or junior year. ...My son not only got into his top 3 schools, but he was also accepted to 9 other schools.”
– Parent, Illinois
Son Accepted to Wake Forest University
“We are so thrilled with [our student’s] success. [Our counselor] was an outstanding and wise counselor. She kept [our student] on track with her timeline. Without [our counselor] it would never have happened. We felt [our student] was in very experienced and capable hands, whatever the outcome. Most importantly I felt that [our counselor] really got to know [our student] so well and understood her as a unique human being irrespective of the process.”
– Parent, Canada
Daughter Accepted Harvard University
“I can’t thank you and the incredible IvyWise team enough for your exceptional work with my son. He grew tremendously during this process — improving in introspection, writing ability, communication style — and so much more.”
– Parent, Ohio
Son Accepted Early Decision to Cornell University
“We were extremely pleased with our IvyWise experience. From the very start, our experience was well organized and professional, as well as warm and supportive. At the end of it all, our daughter was thrilled to gain admission to her top college choices.”
– Parent, North Carolina
Daughter Accepted to Stanford University
“[Our IvyWise counselor] has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He has made this process so stress-free. He was extremely thorough and insightful. I can't thank him enough for that.”
– Parent, Hong Kong
Daughter Accepted to New York University
“[This] was our third child to partner with IvyWise for college counseling and our third child to be admitted to her number one choice. We believe in this program! Her counselor was able to help her craft an application that communicated exactly who she is as a student and who she is as a part of an academic community – interested and interesting.”
– Parent, Oklahoma
Daughter Accepted to Duke University
“IvyWise did a terrific job! They deliver [and] that’s what matters. From strategy to execution and superb coaching throughout the process. …I strongly recommend them!”
– Parent, Brazil
Daughter Accepted Early Decision to New York University
“The IvyWise team is dedicated to helping students make the most effective and authentic presentation through their applications. Throughout the process, they offer insight gathered from years of working inside admissions offices and help students find their voice. ...From counselors to the staff, the IvyWise team is dedicated, professional, encouraging, and focused on success.”
– Parent, Minnesota
Daughter Accepted to Stanford University
“I wanted to thank you for your incredible support of [our daughter]. She was unbelievably excited yesterday, and I know that she was particularly happy to share her news with you. You've played an important role in her success, and helped her to become better in everything she does. Thank you so much.”
– Parent, Canada
Daughter Accepted to Yale University
Get Started with the Initial Consultation
The IvyWise Initial Consultation is the first step on the path to a successful academic experience and application process. Following a thorough review of your student’s profile, you’ll meet with the IvyWise expert counselor of your choice for 90 minutes to go over a personalized, strategic action plan to help your student achieve their academic and personal goals. This consultation also allows your counselor to make the best recommendation for ongoing work to fit your student’s needs.
To learn more and enroll in an Initial Consultation, call us today at +1-212-262-3500.
FAQ About Admissions Counseling
Do I need an admissions counselor?
It depends! Generally, everyone can benefit from additional help and expert guidance in the admissions process, whether you’re applying to independent and boarding schools, colleges and universities, or graduate school. An admissions counselor will get to know you, your goals, and guide you through all aspects of the admissions process, including developing your applicant profile, helping you choose where to apply, editing and refining essays, polishing your applications, and more.
Are admissions consultants worth It?
Yes, as long as they are qualified and put the student first. At IvyWise, we believe that a good admissions consultant does not just help you gain admission to your top-choice schools (which we do!), they also help you learn more about your interests, goals, and who you are as a student. Our counselors really work to demystify the admissions process and alleviate stress by putting students’ minds at ease about the things they need to pay attention to and the things that are just noise. We have the expertise to support students to realize their aspirations and we provide them with the tools that will help them continue to learn and grow throughout their lives.
What are IvyWise admissions counselors’ qualifications?
All of IvyWise’s admissions counselors are former Deans and Directors of admission from top colleges, universities, independent schools, and graduate programs. They all have at least three years of direct experience as admissions officers, reading and evaluating applications and sitting in committee. These aren’t former students who worked part time in an admissions office — they are seasoned admissions officers who made the decisions about who got in and who didn’t. They know what admissions offices are looking for and what happens in that 15 minutes of reviewing an application for the first time. IvyWise counselors are also members of NACAC and IECA, and adhere to all ethical guidelines and standards of good practice.
How much does IvyWise cost?
Pricing for IvyWise services varies depending on the counselor selection and the depth and breadth of services provided. No two programs are alike, and we work to customize an IvyWise experience that matches your goals and budget. Working with the experts at IvyWise is an investment, with students often working with their counselors for years before, during, and after the admissions process. It all starts with the Initial Consultation, a 90-minute personalized meeting with the counselor of your choice, where you’ll get a strategic action plan. The IvyWise Initial Consultation ranges in price depending on the counselor you choose to work with. Our enrollment team offers complimentary discovery calls, where you can learn more about our programs, services, pricing, and get a recommendation on which counselor would be a good fit for your student for an Initial Consultation.
