.png)
Okay, so no one needs a college consultant just as no one needs a fluffy pillow to sleep on, but wow, it’s so much more comfortable when you have one, right?
Getting into college is more competitive than ever before, which means that nearly every college-bound student would benefit from expert advice, whether it’s to maximize prestige, post-graduation outcomes, or even financial aid.
Still, some students undoubtedly benefit more from the help of a consultant. We have compiled criteria that we believe describe who could most benefit from a college consultant. If you find yourself reading through this list while thinking, “hey, that sounds like me,” then the answer could be yes! You might benefit from working with a college consultant.
1. Your high schooler wants to apply to Top-40 colleges.
College consulting is not only for the Ivy League-bound. The Top-40 list is home to many public universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, and University of Virginia, all of which have steadily declining acceptance rates. Similarly, schools such as Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Johns Hopkins have become top choices among the best students, as they outrank some of the Ivies.
In the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, selectivity at top U.S. universities reached unprecedented levels. Columbia University admitted just 2,557 students out of 59,616 applicants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 4.29%. Brown University received 42,765 applications and accepted 2,418 students, yielding an overall acceptance rate of 5.65%. At MIT, 1,324 students were admitted from a pool of 29,282 applicants—an acceptance rate of just 4.52%.
Even universities traditionally considered less selective have become increasingly competitive. Boston College admitted approximately 5,000 students out of 39,681 applicants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 12.6%. Tufts University reported an acceptance rate of 10.5%, and USC received 83,500 applications and admitted 8,684 students, yielding a 10.4% acceptance rate.
These figures underscore the heightened competitiveness of college admissions, where even institutions outside the Ivy League are admitting a small fraction of applicants. In this landscape, students must not only present strong academic credentials but also articulate their unique fit and contributions to each institution.
If your student is academically competitive with sights toward the Top-40 schools, then exceptional scores and grades are only the starting point. On top of these things, your student will need a compelling extracurricular profile, corroborating documents and recommendations, and perfectly unique and sophisticated essays to match. A college consultant is an expert in all of these items and can be just the person to help your high-achiever reach their dreams.
2. You haven’t recently gone through the admissions process.
The college application process is difficult and confusing all on its own. There are several types of applications, like early-decision, early-action, and regular admissions. There are deadlines, essays, recommendations, and transcripts for each of the multiple schools your student is applying to, even if they are relatively accessible, high-acceptance-rate schools. This is enough to make someone’s head spin, but there’s more.
The college application strategy is one that is evolving constantly, even from year to year. Moreover, it is evolving from college to college. While one school may appreciate a well-rounded approach, other schools prefer students with razor-sharp focus. Some schools appreciate quirky kids, while for others, the pretentious approach actually works better. Some schools may have departments that are saturated, resulting in a lower acceptance rate, but by applying to a similar-yet-different major, your student can significantly increase their odds of admission.
If you happen to have a student who underwent college admissions last year, then you might be in a good position to handle admissions with your current knowledge. But if you are relying on the experience that you, as a parent, had while applying to colleges, don’t be surprised to learn that admissions are a whole different beast now. For a college consultant, this knowledge is critical to maintain and puts us in the best position to help your student.
3. You don’t have the time to ensure quality control.
For a college consultant, your student’s application is a full-time job. Most students who come to The Admissions Angle are planning to apply to anywhere from 10-20+ colleges, and for each of these applications, the school will want to see several essays. And while there are patterns among these essays, they are not one-size-fits-all. For the “why do you want to go to our school” essays, each one will need to be wholly unique.
It is the job of a college consultant, among other things, to help brainstorm each of these essays to be maximally competitive, read them and offer guidance, and provide critical edits at the end. A startling percentage of students would have sent essays to Columbia in which they forgot to edit out the part that says Brown from a sloppy copy-and-paste error, if it weren’t for us. Trust us when we say that there are very few students applying to schools who can handle this task on their own.
The vast majority of American households are dual income, with two working parents. If this describes your household, then a college consultant can help give your students’ applications the attention they need to ensure the best chance of success.
4. You are the parent of a headstrong high schooler.
In any household, there are bound to be disagreements. But throughout the stress of college applications, we have observed countless conflicts among parents and their students regarding both decisions and workload.
First, students and parents often have disagreements about which schools to apply to. Sometimes, parents have unrealistic expectations for where their student can be accepted. Other times, the student has their heart set on a liberal arts education, while their parents always envisioned them at a large state school. And still other times, the student wants to try out different strategies while their parents prefer a streamlined approach. A college consultant can help mitigate these conflicts by acting as a voice of authority and experience, thus eliminating conflicts based on differences of opinion.
Second, the college admissions process happens to occur alongside the intense academic workload of senior year. Every student, no matter how dedicated, will procrastinate at some point. Almost every student will have at least one mild meltdown, where it all feels like too much. While the consultant cannot always be there to motivate the student to action, they can act as an extra voice to support, uplift and, when necessary, offer the necessary push. In our experience, this can save parents a ton of grief.
Is a college consultant right for my student?
A college consultant is not necessary for every student, but we believe that every family can benefit from an initial consultation, where we can discuss your expectations and see if we’re a good fit. Whether you meet the above criteria or not, we’d love to have a call!
