98%
of Our Students Admitted to One of Their Top 5 Colleges
36,000+
Families Guided to Success Since 1999
27+
Years of Proven Experience
$75,500
Average Aid Awarded to Students We've Advised
Decades of Trust. Top-Reviewed on Trustpilot.
For over 27 years, we've earned trust one family at a time — and it shows: 97% of our Trustpilot reviews are five stars, the highest ratio among leading undergraduate college admissions consultancies. That's not luck. That's nearly three decades of doing the work right.
620+
Five-star reviews on Trustpilot
Colleges Where Our Students Now Attend Nationwide
What Does a College Counselor Actually Do for Your Child?
A college counselor helps your teen build a plan for high school and the college process that covers everything from course selection and testing strategy to essays, applications, and financial aid. Just as important, they work directly with your family to keep things ambitious yet realistic and organized. For parents, it means having one person to call instead of piecing advice together from forums, other parents, and a school counselor juggling hundreds of students.
When Should You Start Working With a Counselor?
There is no single right time to start. Earlier generally means more flexibility in course planning, testing strategy, and eventually the college list itself. Below is what support typically looks like at each stage.
![A middle school student in 8th grade exploring her interest in Chemistry]()
7th and 8th Grade: Building Foundations & Exploration
This period is about exploration, giving your student the space to discover their real interests rather than chase what looks good on an application. We focus on building the foundations that matter most: strong writing, a smart and low-stress testing strategy, and the time management and self-advocacy skills that carry them through the years ahead.
![A 10th grade student exploring his interest in robotics]()
9th & 10th Grade: Getting Ahead Without Getting Overwhelmed
The strongest applications usually come from decisions made well before senior year. Course selection, building a real extracurricular record instead of a padded one, and knowing when to start testing all matter more than most families realize. At this stage, we're focused on setting your teen up so senior year isn't a scramble.
![Two 11th-grade students are preparing a research paper in the high school library.]()
11th Grade: When the Plan Becomes Real
Junior year is when things start to feel concrete: testing, the college list, and the first drafts of what eventually becomes application essays. It's also usually when families feel more pressure, which is precisely when having an experienced partner helps the most.
![A 12th-grade student is attending his high school graduation with his parents.]()
12th Grade: Application Season
The work shifts to execution: finalizing the list, writing and refining essays, managing deadlines across multiple platforms, and sorting through financial aid and admissions decisions as they come in. Even families who start late still benefit from having someone keep track of everything.
![A teenage girl seated at a desk studying with an open laptop and notebook.]()
Homeschool Families
Homeschool students face a different set of questions: how to present coursework, build a transcript colleges will recognize, and document extracurriculars outside a traditional school structure. We work with homeschool families regularly, and we know how to translate a homeschool record into an application admissions officers can evaluate with confidence.
How Involved Should Parents Be in the College Admissions Process?
Some parents want to be closely involved. Others want to take a step back and let their teen own the process. Neither approach is wrong. What matters is that it is intentional, not something you fall into by accident.
You don't have to choose between staying close to the process and letting your teen own it. A counselor's job includes keeping you genuinely in the loop with what's done, what's coming up, and how things are shaping up overall.
The most expensive college mistake isn’t the price tag. It’s the wrong fit.
When the fit is wrong, families pay in extra semesters, lost credits, and lost time. A counselor helps your student find the right fit from the start.
4 in 10
students transfer to a different college.
3 in 10
never finish at the college where they started.
So your student starts at a school where they're likely to finish.
How Much Does a College Counselor Cost?
Cost varies by family, timeline, and the level of support needed, so there's no single number that applies to everyone. As a starting point: comprehensive counseling packages typically run $8,000–$15,000, Premier programs range from $23,000–$41,000, and our most selective offering, Summa by Collegewise, can run up to $60,000. Hourly and tutoring support starts at $180/hour.
How to Choose a College Counselor
Not all college counseling is the same, and it's worth asking a few questions before committing to anyone:
- How many years of experience does the counselor have, and what's their background? Strong counselors come from a range of paths — former admissions officers, veteran teachers, private school counseling directors — so ask what they've actually done for other families, not just where they've worked.
- Will your teen work with the same person throughout, or a rotating team?
- What's actually included? Some programs only cover applications; others also handle course planning, testing strategy, and financial aid guidance.
- What do other families say about the experience, not just the outcomes?
At Collegewise, our 130+ counselors — selected from fewer than 1% of applicants and averaging 10+ years of experience — bring a mix of backgrounds, including former admissions officers, veteran teachers, and private school counseling directors. What they have in common isn't one résumé line; it's a track record of mentoring students through a process that looks different for every family.
