College Admissions Counseling

At IvyWise, our programs are tailored to fit each student, no matter what stage of the college admission process they are in – or where they live. Programs, which are based on a number of hours, include integrated college counseling, academic tutoring, test prep, and research, ensuring that students are reaching their full potential inside and outside of the classroom. The college admissions counseling process is facilitated entirely through the myIvyWise portal, providing a secure workflow enabling counselors, tutors, and parents to track students’ progress together and communicate and collaborate 24/7.

Colleges consider all four years of high school grades, courses, activities, summer plans, and awards when reviewing applicants, so it’s important to start the college preparation process as early as possible as the first couple of years of high school are the foundation of your student’s profile as a college applicant. During freshman and sophomore year, students will work with their counselor to identify interests, plan challenging course loads, select appropriate and impactful extracurricular activities, as well as summer experiences and independent projects.

As students approach junior year, the most critical college prep year, they will work with their IvyWise college counselor to execute their test prep plan, continue to work on performing well in the classroom and craft a challenging courseload for senior year, finalize their balanced college list, develop an application strategy, and begin to brainstorm a compelling personal statement.

Leading up to and during senior year, students will work with their counselor to finalize their college list and all application elements including the personal statement and all supplements in order to complete their applications well ahead of deadlines.

As applications are completed under individual counselor’s guidance, students may submit them to the IvyWise Roundtable for feedback from our entire counseling team, benefiting from over 250 years of collective admissions experience.

The IvyWise Roundtable, which simulates the admissions committee process, reviews all aspects of each application, providing constructive feedback that enables students to implement critical changes before submitting and put forward their best possible applications. Once decisions are in, students will have support in deciding where to enroll and guidance on how to handle deferral and waitlist decisions, if applicable.

IvyWise offers comprehensive, albeit fast-track senior and transfer programs to help you prepare your applications or even offer guidance after your applications are done.

The IvyWise Senior Program is ideal for students who want to access IvyWise’s full breadth of services as they apply to colleges in the summer leading up to and during the fall of their senior year. Students will work with an IvyWise expert college admissions counselor on all aspects of the Common Application, including the personal statement and school-specific supplements, as well as develop and/or finalize their balanced college list, devise an optimal application strategy including whether or not to take advantage of early admission rounds, and prepare for visits and interviews, as needed. Students enrolled in the IvyWise Senior Program benefit from the IvyWise Roundtable, which simulates the admissions committee review process, where they will receive feedback from our entire team of expert counselors.

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 1-2-1 counseling services in a focused, fast-tracked, and affordable program. Seniors will work with an IvyWise counselor on all aspects of the Common Application including personal and activity statements, as well as the supplement for a top-choice school. The IvyWise Application Boot Camp does not include access to the IvyWise Roundtable review process.

You’ve already completed your Common Application and the supplement to your top-choice school, but are you sure it’s ready for submission? Get your application read by a former admissions officer before it really counts! The Application Review is ideal for students who are seeking a thorough, expert review of these materials with the opportunity to fix any red flags before they hit “submit.” An IvyWise counselor will provide comprehensive evaluation of all application aspects and make suggestions for improvement. This includes:

• Thoroughly evaluating all application materials including the student’s Common Application and personal statement, one supplement with essays, resume, transcript, and more
• In-depth guidance on how students can improve their application and supplement, from adjustments to the activity list to suggestions on revising essays

You’ve already completed the admissions process and the results are in – but they’re not what you expected. Receiving a deferral or getting put on the waitlist can be confusing and disappointing. IvyWise counselors provide expert insight into what comes next. They will review all of the student’s application materials and provide a strategic plan to help maximize the chances of admission. This includes:

• Reviewing your student’s application and provide feedback on factors that may have prevented admission in the early or regular round.
• Providing step-by-step guidance on the best plan of action, including helping your student draft a deferral or waitlist letter expressing their continued interest in being admitted to that school’s freshman class.
• Helping your student evaluate any other acceptances and choose the school best suited to his or her needs.
• Discussing alternative options if your student is having second thoughts about his or her top-choice school.