探花精选

Private College Admissions Counseling

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A Letter From Our CEO

Dear Parent -

Since the 1990's, I've watched the college admissions process grow increasingly intimidating for students. In turn, what should be an exciting transition to adulthood for your child may instead be a source of stress and anxiety. But it doesn't have to be.

I say that from experience. I attended Phillips Andover, a prestigious school with a dedicated College Counseling department. For over a year I worked one-on-one with my counselor to think through college options, plan visits, and most importantly—craft a strong application. It was an amazing resource, and one that I assumed all high school students had. Today I'm well aware of just how lucky I was.

There are three key benefits of working with a private admissions counselor:
 

  1. Insider Know-How: our team has been doing this for decades, and they have an insider's understanding of how colleges make their decisions. That experience is invaluable when it comes time to craft a compelling application.
  2. Perspective: there's too much emphasis on the 'best' school rather than the 'right' school. Our admissions counselors can increase your child's chances of acceptance at elite universities, but they also know dozens of schools that your child might not have thought of—and where he or she can be happy and successful.
  3. Having a Third Party: if we had a nickel for every time a parent has said to us, "I told him the same thing, but he didn't listen to me." The stress of trying to get your child motivated and organized is real, and so is the positive effect of "working with an expert." Your child will be more open to suggestions from our counselor, and will be more inclined to follow through on key tasks.


It has been a journey getting your child to this point in his or her life, and the road ahead will be an exciting one. If you think a private college counselor can help your child find success in the admissions process, I encourage you to keep reading below to learn more about our admissions counseling programs.

Sincerely,

A picture of Rich Enos, CEO of 探花精选

Richard J. Enos

CEO & Co-Founder

We’ve helped over 50,000 students since the 1990’s
Over 60% of our programs are with returning families
Our customer satisfaction scores are up there with Apple, USAA, and Amazon

One-to-One, Private College Counseling

Your Applications

This isn't a theoretical program. We take a hands-on and practical approach that focuses on completing key elements of the application process. The end goal is to have your child's admissions package polished and on-time.

Your Needs

Admissions Counseling isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of service. We can definitely help your child with the full process, but if you only want help with specific components of the process, we can build a custom program that addresses your key needs.

Your Success

We focus on two things. First, ensuring that your child crafts a compelling application that increases his or her odds of admission. Second, ensuring that your child gains admission to a range of schools where he or she can grow and be happy.

An Elite Team of Private Admissions Counselors

Admissions Experts

Our counselors know the admissions process inside-out, and understand what colleges are looking for in prospective students.

Extensive Counseling Backgrounds

Every member of our team has extensive experience counseling students, and some have been doing so for 2-3 decades.

Thoughtful, Flexible Styles

Our counselors can guide you and your child through challenging decisions, and also help your child communicate what makes him or her unique.

You (and your family) are busy

To be effective, a college counseling program has to work with your family's schedule. We make life simpler by bringing the support to you, and making logistics easy:

In home convenience

To provide you access to our elite consulting team, and make logistics easier, all of our college counseling takes place remotely. Your child and the counselor will meet via Skype and on the phone, and will use cloud-based document sharing tools to work collaboratively to build a strong application. This approach enables us to be highly selective in our hiring processes, and gives you access to any member of our team.

Flexible scheduling

Our one-to-one format and innovative approach make scheduling sessions with your counselor easy. Every program is custom designed to meet your family's scheduling needs, and to ensure that all key milestones and deadlines are met on-time. You and your counselor will lay out a calendar that works for everyone, and if you need to add hours for additional support or reschedule a session, you can do so easily.

College Counseling Program Overview

The goal of our admissions counseling is to help your child navigate the application process in a thoughtful and organized way. We offer comprehensive packages that cover all key stages of the process, as well as shorter packages that enable you to build a custom program. In either format, the areas in which we can provide your child support include:

  • School Selection
  • Recommendations
  • Planning Visits
  • Interview Preparation
  • Application Strategy
  • Final Application Review
  • Essay Strategy & Development
  • Supplemental Material Work
  • Resume/CV Development
  • Waitlist Guidance/Appeals
  • Common App Preparation
 


To guide your child through these key stages we have assembled a staff of admissions experts. The college counseling team includes former Deans and Directors of Admissions at schools like Cornell, the University of Virginia, and Occidental, and college counselors at elite boarding schools like Andover, Groton, Hotchkiss, and Deerfield. They know what works, and have helped thousands of students find success in an increasingly competitive admissions environment.

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