CollegeAdvisor Review

CollegeAdvisor was founded in 2019 and is a subsidiary of U.S. News & World Report, which is known for its college ranking system. The company has over 150 advisors and they’ve assisted over 5,000 students. In this comprehensive CollegeAdvisor review, we’ll score them along five key metrics so that you have a full picture of whether CollegeAdvisor is a good fit for you.

CollegeAdvisor takes pride in its expansive team of over 300 advisors, though detailed profiles are currently only available for 153 on their website at the time of this review. The consultants bring diverse backgrounds and professional experiences to the table. They have attended prestigious universities such as Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, University of Chicago, Stanford, Yale, Dartmouth, Rice, and Johns Hopkins.

It’s important to note that not all of CollegeAdvisor’s consultants attended prestigious universities; many attended lesser-known schools, and some do not provide any information on their educational history. The majority of their advisors specialize in assisting with undergraduate admissions.

CollegeAdvisor offers a traditional college admissions approach, personalized by assigning each student to one or two dedicated admissions experts. The matchmaking process involves an initial meeting with an Admissions Specialist, who takes notes about students’ goals and advising needs, and an intake form that familiarizes the Specialist with the student. Once enrolled, the information collected by the Specialist is shared with the paired expert.

Through Zoom calls, these advisors work closely with students to identify their unique needs, establish a tailored list of target colleges, and assist in shaping comprehensive extracurricular profiles. The hands-on guidance extends to the essay drafting process, with support throughout multiple drafts and constructive feedback. In addition to essay assistance, some advisors oversee the financial aid and scholarship application processes, providing a holistic approach to the college admissions journey.

CollegeAdvisor offers a comprehensive array of services to guide students through the admissions process. The pricing structure consists of four tiers:

Premium Tier – $1,699:

• 10 hours of coaching calls
• Essay and personal statement assistance for two applications

Elite – $3,999:

• 20 hours of coaching calls
• Essay and personal statement assistance for six applications
• Matched with an advisor with at least 2 years of experience

Platinum – $6,999:

• 30 hours of coaching calls
• Essay and personal statement assistance for nine applications
• Matched with a former college admissions officer

Ivy Plus – $9,999:

• 40 hours of coaching calls
• Essay and personal statement assistance for 12 applications
• Matched with a former college admissions officer

Notably, only the Platinum and Ivy Plus tiers guarantee the assistance of a former college admissions officer.

Finding a truly qualified consultant is half the battle. Some consultants have not gone to top-tier schools themselves, and repeat advice they hear from others. Also, some firms have a qualified “face” of the company, but then bait and switch you with a less experienced consultant after you’ve paid. That’s why we always start each review by doing full due diligence on the company’s consultants.

We like that CollegeAdvisor boasts a diverse pool of advisors with expertise in many fields, including business, STEM, and the humanities. The breadth of their advisors’ experience could be a big plus for students seeking information or guidance within those fields.

With that said, the sheer number of advisors does raise a few concerns. Given how many advisors they employ, there is likely some variation in the quality of the services students receive, particularly for those at the lower price points. While CollegeAdvisors does collect a lot of information regarding a student’s goals and advisor needs, they do not guarantee that students will be matched with someone whose background aligns closely with their needs.

We think it is worth noting that there seems to be a direct correlation between package pricing and advisor expertise. CollegeAdvisor offers a range of packages, with the most seasoned and experienced advisors exclusively available in higher-priced tiers. This does not necessarily mean that high-quality advisors are unavailable to those purchasing lower-cost packages. Still, it does suggest there is a higher likelihood of a less experienced advisor within the Premium tier.

The biggest risk when applying to college is following bad advice. You only have one shot, so you need to make it count, and choosing the right admissions service can make a big difference. We use a 50-point evaluation system to determine the likelihood a service will help a student get into their desired college.

As previously noted, the practice of reserving the highest pricing tier for admissions experts raises concerns about the quality of the consultants. For instance, the middle tier (Elite) requires the purchase of 20 hours of consulting and provides a consultant with only two years of experience. This limited track record does not instill much confidence. The lowest tier, ‘Premium,’ which requires purchasing 10 hours of consulting, does not specify the consultant’s qualifications, suggesting they may be quite new to the industry. For families aiming to apply to top universities, these factors may lead to a lack of confidence in the service.

While all students can request to be re-matched with an advisor, this process does not guarantee a student will eventually be matched with a high-quality advisor, regardless of program tier. CollegeAdvisor does not offer refunds, so in the event that a student is unsatisfied with their matched advisor, they have little further recourse. These factors lead us to believe there is likely a high degree of variability in experience and outcomes, which could potentially be reduced by paying top dollar for a more senior consultant. However, this could prove to be an expensive gamble as the company offers few guarantees and no refunds.

College is already expensive. College consultants shouldn’t be more expensive than they need to be. We want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, and that your investment is translating into real improvements in your outcomes.

College admissions consulting prices and offerings vary. For this CollegeAdvisor review we’ll consider their pricing for the most common needs:

• 12th graders who need help with essays for 1 school: they do not offer just 1 school. The minimum investment is for 2 schools at $1,699 (10 hours).
• Non-12 graders who want advice on the college admissions process: $170 per hour (minimum purchase of 10 hours). *Note: This number is calculated by dividing the minimum financial commitment for non-12 graders by the expected number of hours of one-on-one consulting.

While we have some reservations regarding the consistency of the services described earlier, we do appreciate the affordability.

CollegeAdvisor’s larger operation enables them to offer application and advising services at prices lower than the industry average. Therefore, if you’re considering using CollegeAdvisor, we strongly recommend requesting a re-match until you are paired with a highly qualified advisor, particularly if you are not choosing their highest tier service.

College applications are already stressful enough. So any admissions service should be thoughtfully designed and easy to use. We consider factors such as customer support responsiveness, accountability, time commitment, and scheduling constraints.

A phone number and contact form are readily available to the public on their site. When we called on a weekday afternoon, we were quickly connected to someone who efficiently addressed our questions.

The student-consultant matching process is streamlined and efficient, allowing students to be paired with a consultant relatively quickly. If you don’t like your consultant, you can request a re-match, which is typically completed within 24 to 48 hours.

Scheduling sessions is straightforward. By logging into your portal and utilizing the calendar tool, which synchronizes with the advisor’s availability, you can view the advisor’s calendar and schedule sessions as needed. This process effectively eliminates the need for back-and-forth emails to find a meeting time. Communication with consultants outside of Zoom sessions is conducted via email.

Overall, the user experience at CollegeAdvisor is notably smooth. They have successfully eliminated many of the common logistical issues that often challenge other admissions companies.

College admissions is a complex process, with many moving parts. And with the stakes so high, mediocre consultants simply won’t cut it. You really want to find the “best,” but it can be hard to differentiate one firm from another. In this section, we take a look at what makes this service stand out, for better or worse.

We like that CollegeAdvisor offers re-matching, providing a safety net for students dissatisfied with their initial advisor pairing. This flexibility makes it easier to stomach their no-refund policy but does not guarantee a positive outcome.

We also appreciate that CollegeAdvisor offers free college advising annually for around 80 lower-income and first-generation students. Their Scholars Program requires an application, with decisions presented to students in July. The program offers students webinars and one-on-one advising for completing applications and supplemental materials.