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How Can a College Admissions Counselor Help You with Your College Application?

08/10/2021•11 minute read

As a high school student, you probably dread the question, “Where are you going to college?” because with it often comes feelings of stress, panic, and nervousness. It’s not that you don’t want to attend college; in fact, nearly 20 million US students attended colleges and universities in fall 2019. It’s because the college admissions process can feel overwhelming, and getting into college is becoming more and more competitive.

Parents and caregivers turn to college admissions counselors to help their students have the best chances of getting into their dream college. On a practical level, they’re looking for a person (or a team of people) who can help with college applications and relieve the stress of applying to college. They’re looking for people to help them:

Keep track of deadlines
Answer questions about SAT and ACT testing
Determine the best time to visit colleges
Answer questions about early action and early decision applications
Decide where their student can get in
Build a list of dream, target, and safety schools

As a highly qualified and talented student, you may not get into your dream college because you simply don’t have the support you need. While you have the knowledge and motivation colleges look for in a student, you may not understand the application process or how to approach each aspect of the application package. Working with qualified and experienced college admission counselors will give you the confidence you need to put your best foot forward.

Crimson Education is the world’s leading college admissions consulting company. Our students' disproportionately high rate of success is due to our unique model which teams students with Ivy/Oxbridge & other top university graduate experts who work with them 1:1 to perfect every part of their application. Book a free consultation to learn more about our Admissions Support Program.

What do college admissions counselors do?

Many high schools have guidance counselors who help students with questions about college applications. Unfortunately, they’re often stretched too thin due to budget constraints and the number of students they can help. That’s why a college admissions counselor (or college admissions consultant) is so important. They come alongside you and your family, guiding you through the college admissions process. College admissions counselors are trained and experienced professionals who help prepare you in all aspects of the college admissions process.

A college admissions consultant is more than someone who helps you prepare your college application. A quality consultant also offers positive encouragement, educated guidance, and helpful advice so that you can make the most of your high school experience.

Families often hire a college admissions counselor in early high school to get a successful head start in the college admissions process. If parents hire an admissions counselor in the early part of high school, they can help students:

Engage in fulfilling and enriching extracurriculars
Find opportunities to grow and tailor their interests (build their story)
Discover schools and programs that complement their strengths
Help students become more competitive college applicants
Manage stress and deadlines
Master AP courses and challenging classes
Build time management skills
Decide on a major, write their personal statement, and practice for their admissions interviews

Ready to take your college application process to the next level? Speak to a Crimson college admissions counselor today.

Is college admissions assistance legit?

College admissions counselors have come under fire in recent years. Some consulting agencies do not comply with the principles and ethical standards set by institutions like the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC). So, it’s not surprising that families are wary of college admissions agencies and how much they actually help students in their education journey.

Crimson Education is a member of both NACAC and IACAC. We attribute our high rate of success to two principles. First, Crimson only hires the best tutors and mentors from across the globe, so students only receive the highest quality counseling, tutoring, admissions, and mentoring services. Second, our highly qualified experts walk with their students through every part of the US and UK application processes. Learn more about our Admissions Support Program.

How Takenoshin Got Into Harvard

Do I need a college admissions counselor?

Applying to college wasn’t always so complicated. Most colleges asked for a few forms, standardized test scores, your class rank, and maybe a short essay. Then, you just waited a few months for an acceptance or rejection letter.

Today, college admissions are much more competitive, and the college application process includes countless moving pieces. Top schools have admissions rates well under 10%, and even moderately-ranked schools are hovering between 10-30%. Additionally, while the application process includes many more pieces and deadlines, the Common Application and the Coalition Application have made it easier to apply to multiple colleges simultaneously.

A college admissions counselor not only understands the application process, they can walk with you as you embark on your college admissions journey.

Does a college admissions counselor really help?

A college admissions counselor serves you and your family by guiding you through the complicated process of applying for college. They help you create a timeline, build a list of schools, suggest extracurriculars, provide feedback on essays, review grades, and decrease overall college application stress.

Ideally, a college counselor should start working with you well before filling out the actual application. Understandably, you and your parents have a lot of questions. One of the jobs of a college admissions counselor is to ease the stress and answer those questions! Here are just a few common questions college admissions counselors answer:

What should my child do during the summer months to help boost their college application?
Is my student taking the right classes?
Do lots of extracurricular activities look good on a college application?
Which college is good for my child’s chosen major?
Are all application deadlines the same?
What helps a college application stand out?
What financial aid packages are available for my child?

While a high school college counselor can answer some of these questions, they don’t have the time or resources to guide every student through the competitive admissions process. That’s why it’s important to hire a college counselor who can help with strategy, extracurricular recommendations, summer projects, and your overall application profile.

It’s hard to stand out from the rest of the qualified applicants. An admissions counselor knows what selective colleges look for and helps you present yourself in the best possible light.

Parents don’t always have the time or energy to keep track of the deadlines, testing dates, essays, etc. A college admissions counselor takes care of all of that for them! Speak to one of our expert admissions counselors to answer any questions you may have!

Can a college admissions counselor help me choose a college?

College is expensive, and choosing the wrong college could mean unnecessary expenses for your family. A college admissions counselor helps you narrow down your college selections to the ones that best fit your academic goals and interests. While a college admissions counselor is an added expense, they offer unmatched guidance and dedicate themselves to your success.

College Admissions Success Stories

Crimson’s college admissions counselors help students gain acceptance into the world’s top universities. Counselors define success as knowing their students are studying at their dream school, making advancements in their areas of study, and changing the world. Read some of Crimson’s student success stories and watch Crimson testimonial videos on our YouTube channel.

How Ayaka Got Into Brown University

How can a Crimson college counselor help me?

Crimson is proud to be part of your journey to college admission. We match you with a dedicated personal support team to help with each area of your application. With more than 3,000 mentors and tutors, our team has first-hand knowledge and experience about the entire college application process. Our unique personality test pairs you with mentors based on personality type, learning and teaching styles, and interests.

Depending on your program, you could have team members in the following areas:

Education Coordinator
Strategist, Extracurricular & Leadership (ECL) Mentor
Application Mentor

Crimson offers both experienced strategists and near-peer mentors. You get the expertise of a strategist and the confidence knowing that you can achieve what your near-peer mentor did in the recent past.

Crimson students are 4x more likely to gain admission to an Ivy League university, 3x more likely to gain admission to Stanford and MIT, 4 x more likely to gain admission to Duke, UChicago, and Northwestern, and 2x more likely to gain admission to NYU, UC Berkeley and UCLA.

Why Crimson is your Top College Admissions Counselor

Crimson recruits highly qualified staff who are the best of the best. Our strategists, mentors, and tutors are Ivy League and top school graduates. Our extracurricular mentors have launched groundbreaking initiatives and impacted others on a global and international scale. Crimson tutors are top scorers in the SAT, ACT, AP, and more.

Crimson offers exclusive content to our students and free college admission resources like eBooks and our Top of the Class podcast to the general community.

How Crimson Education Helps Students Get Into Top US & UK Universities

Final Thoughts

While many free college admissions resources are available online, expert support only comes from qualified college admissions counselors. Crimson’s admissions experts help with everything, including tutoring, choosing courses, building strong extracurriculars and leadership profiles, crafting essays, and preparing for interviews.

Ready to get started?

Schedule a free 1:1 consultation with one of our academic advisors. They can’t wait to tell you how Crimson can help you reach your university admission goals.

Key Resources & Further Reading