Why work with Great College Advice?

Whether you’re aiming to get into a top college/university or you’re hoping to lower your tuition bill, Great College Advice has helped hundreds of families just like you. Our counselors develop strong mentoring relationships with students in order to reduce stress through this complicated process. We’ve worked with students from across the country as well as many international students. We also offer stand-alone college essay guidance and our unique Roadmap Planning Service. We’re proud to share testimonials from satisfied, successful clients.

Get Accepted into Top Colleges

I can’t stop looking at his grinning face in the photo we took last night right after he found out. I am somewhat in shock as we all knew this was a long shot, even if he is an amazing student and human being. Thanks for all of your help and support. We know it made a huge impact on the entire process.

R. may have texted you, but I just wanted to share the good news: R. just got accepted to UChicago in the ED2 round. We are very happy about the outcome, especially after this very challenging and long application process. We wanted to express our gratitude to you for all your help. Thanks for your guidance to R. and your patience throughout. Thanks so much!

I have no doubt that Sam would not be attending Williams College next year if it wasn't for Karen. She really helped us explore and implement interesting summer experiences that helped form Sam over the years. Through all this she helped Sam in his becoming a fuller human being. So really, it isn't just that he was able to get into a great school, but she also helped us provide experiences that took Sam deeper in his development.

Enjoyed working with Sarah during the college planning and admissions process! Her suggestions pushed me to write better essays and present myself in the best light to AOs.

The most obvious service that Jamie did for Irving was helping him focus on the writing of a well-crafted, well thought-out admissions essay. But the bigger, more subtle thing Jamie did was help my son figure out what it is he wanted from a college, what he thought that college could do for him, and what he imagined that relationship would look like. The result was my son was enthusiastically accepted by his top pick. A smart, kind and clever dude. Perfect fit for my kid.

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Get Accepted into Top Colleges

5 Videos

Oliver C. Student, Vanderbilt

1:36

Isaac B., Student accepted to U of Pennsylvania

1:40

Ali H., student accepted to Dartmouth College

1:32

Sofia L, student accepted to Brown University

3:42

Sofia L., student admitted to Brown University

1:59

Save Money

I wanted to take the time to thank you for all the help you have been giving me, you have absolutely no idea how much I appreciate it !! I also wanted to inform you that on Friday I was admitted to Amherst College!!!! WITH a FULL RIDE 🙂 I know you will be as excited by the news as I am, and I have to say I owe a lot of this acceptance to you and your unconditional support throughout this entire process. It has been an absolute pleasure to meet you and have the opportunity to get your expert advice throughout. There should be more people like you in the world, and your children are as lucky as I was to have you by my side. Once again thank you soooo much!!!!

Karen is awesome! The schools Karen suggested were all good matches and our daughter was accepted to all of the target schools with scholarship money. Karen was very supportive and was always willing to talk to our daughter and to me (Katherine) when we had questions, no matter what they were.

I met Mark 10 years ago when I first started applying to college. I was struggling with the application process and did not have a strong support network at home as my dad had passed away and my mom spoke very little English. I reached out to Mark for his help as a college advisor and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. With Mark's help, I received a full scholarship to one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. He is more than just a college advisor: he continues to be a trusted friend and mentor.

As you can imagine, we are very thrilled with the admission of Fio to Boston University; moreover, for getting the Presidential Scholarship. Fio has worked extremely hard to achieve this but also has received extraordinary advice and direction from you. We are very thankful for all your great contributions in Fio's application process and supporting us as a family during this journey. Please receive our deepest gratitude.

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Save Money

2 Videos

Christina reflects on financial aid savings

Oliver C. Student, Vanderbilt

1:36

Reduce Stress

Andrea formed an instant and strong connection with our daughter and helped her stay on top of the college selection and application process. There were regular video chat sessions and homework in-between. Our daughter felt very comfortable in her relationship with Andrea, which is so important when grappling with one of the most important decisions of your young life!

I really enjoyed getting to know you over the past year in all of our meetings! Thank you again for the advice and help throughout the process and in making everything so much easier and more manageable. I appreciate all the time you spent, and I think all of our hard work paid off!

Overall I could not have asked for a better experience. Whether it was understanding the college process or writing and critiquing essays, none of my success would have been possible without the help from Sarah Farbman.

Andrea was an amazing source of knowledge, advice and wisdom! She has such a calm demeanor but operates with a "take charge" attitude that allows you to have confidence that everything is going to work out fine. And it did for my daughter. She managed the entire process. But more importantly she took the time to get to know my daughter so that she guided her towards colleges that would be the right fit for her. She truly cares and is passionate about her work. She operates with complete integrity. I highly recommend her.

Pam has been amazing. She is extremely knowledgeable and has helped my daughter stay on track and keep the stress out of the college process.

Sarah Farbman was the perfect counselor for our daughter. She guided her through the application process and helped her decide which colleges would be best for her. Much of the stress for us as parents, was removed knowing that someone was managing the process. We'd highly recommend Great College Advice to anyone and have already referred many of our friends.

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Reduce Stress

4 Videos

Clay, Student INSTRUCTIONS FOR KALOYAN

2:26

Joanna S., parent

1:22

Skye E., Graduate of Hope College

1:51

Sam K, Admitted to University of Pennsylvania

2:00

Find the Right Fit

Pam was a wonderful help in assisting our child in finding the right college fit for her. She takes the time to get to know her students and was a great resource in the college search. I highly recommend Pam as a college coach.

Pam helped me so much throughout the college admissions process. She was able to help me find colleges that would best fit me, set a schedule that took some of the stress out of the process, and in the end got me into a school I am very excited about.

Mark did an amazing job counseling me through the admission process 4 years ago. He understood my priorities and concerns and did everything he could to help me find a great fit. His caring and personal approach made the process very smooth. I especially appreciate that we remain in touch and that he is someone I can always go to for advice.

I had a phenomenal experience working with GCA. Karen not only assisted me in discovering myself but also exhibited great skill in guiding me through the application process. Moreover, she provided me with remarkable suggestions for lesser-known colleges, one of which I ultimately attended and absolutely cherished. I am extremely grateful for their invaluable support, as without it, I would not have had such a delightful college experience.

My counselor helped me explore the college options beyond the biggest names. My ultimate college selection was one that I never would have even heard about without his assistance, and it turned out to be the perfect fit for me and an amazing launching pad for my future studies and career. My counselor also ensured that I had autonomy throughout the process and that my search was authentic to myself and my goals, which I greatly appreciated and respected as a young person still coming to grips with his own independence.

Mark Montgomery was instrumental in my son, Eric's, successful application to and acceptance from, multiple excellent colleges and universities. He worked directly with Eric on his Common App essay and on answers to specific college questions. He helped develop and refine our college list based on academic requirements and probable financial aid. As a result of Mark's expertise we found the perfect fit for Eric's college experience and for our financial resources. Adding to this, Mark is delightful to work with. I highly recommend him and his company.

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Find the Right Fit

4 Videos

Sachin M., admitted to Colorado College

1:36

Nathan, student

0:56

Maya, student accepted to Kenyon College

0:52

Sophie W., student accepted to Wellesley College

0:52

Mentorship

Karen went above and beyond by not only providing not only her top-notch expertise on the colleges and application process, but in coaching and mentoring my son to make the right decision. She ensured that he was thoughtful about the application process and essays, as well as holding him accountable to getting things done by specific deadlines. I truly appreciated how she was able to get him to focus on his future and helping him figure out what was most important to him in his upcoming college experience.

I had the privilege of working with Great College advice as my university educational consultant. I cannot express my gratitude for the invaluable guidance and support I received throughout the college application process. Although I first met with Great College Advice over Zoom, it was evident they were committed to understanding the goals expected. They took the time to get to know me personally, including my academic interests, extracurricular activities, and long-term career aspirations. This personalized approach allowed Great College Advice to tailor their advice and recommendations to our family’s requirements. Furthermore, Great College Advice was always available for any questions or concerns. Their responsiveness and willingness to go the extra mile made me feel valued and cared for throughout the entire process. I not only gained admission to my top choice universities, but I also secured valuable life experience during the process of applying to University.

Without reservation I would recommend Andrea. She is smart, thoughtful, knowledgeable, responsive and patient. Most importantly, she was able to forge a unique relationship with my daughter that helped to make a process fraught with so much anxiety a much smoother experience for all.

Thank you for all of your work with Gabrielle. It was nice to have you walk her through a process to analyze how to approach an overwhelming choice. She had guidance thinking through what she wanted, and discovered more about herself.

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Mentorship

3 Videos

Calvin T., Student attending Grinnell College

2:43

Parker L, Student

1:21

Alex A. , Graduate of Lehigh University

1:55

International Students

I reached out to three other college counseling firms before finally settling on Great College Advice. What made them stand out to me was their emphasis on developing a strong connection between counselor and student before any application preparation had even begun. By the time any writing is to be done, so many deep and reflective conversations have come about that an essay that was a meaningful and authentic reflection of my strengths and personality almost wrote itself. After almost an year of working together and finally being accepted to Dartmouth, I am convinced this process results in an application that can draw eyes to it. I was also impressed by their professionalism, commitment, availability, and care in helping me with great advice at every step along my college application. I cannot recommend their services highly enough.

As an international student applying to universities in the US, I found the process daunting, challenging, and often overwhelming. By serendipity, I connected with this organization, and the consultant I had the privilege of working with boasts decades of professional experience. He is not only a seasoned educator but also a philosopher, mentor, and friend. Throughout our initial interactions, he engaged with me on profound topics like dreams, career aspirations, and societal issues, recognizing and nurturing my talents and passions. His guidance allowed me to understand the true essence of higher education, assisting me in pinpointing institutions and majors that genuinely resonated with me. During the application process, he constantly challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, pushing the boundaries of my capabilities and potential. His unwavering encouragement played a pivotal role in my acceptance to my dream university and achieving the education I had hoped for. This journey, under his guidance, has imparted lessons that will benefit me for a lifetime.

I have worked with Sarah all this last year and I can define the results as totally successful. As an international student, I had a hard time initially understanding how applying to US universities worked. But Sarah made it look so easy. Now I was accepted to the university that I wanted from the beginning and I can say that, without her help, I probably would not have made it. Totally a five star job!’

What I found most helpful were all the 1-on-1 chats and calls I had with Mark where he was able to talk through all the ideas I had in my head and turn them into something that was actually actionable. His guidance and wisdom was invaluable in helping me find a college that was just the right fit for me and one where I felt I could thrive. I would recommend Mark for anyone looking for an outstanding college advisor!

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International Students

6 Videos

Zi N. T. from Malaysia, now attending Vanderbilt University

2:14

Nikki, Student

1:20

Kevin W., Student from Hong Kong

2:06

Eileen, Student from Hong Kong

1:01

Calvin L., Student from Hong Kong

2:48

Lauren Z., Student from China admitted to U of Chicago

1:42

Essay Only

Dear Pam, Thank you for the invaluable guidance you have provided me throughout my college application process. Not only was your feedback on my essays instrumental in shaping my applications, but your strategic plan helped me get to NYU. Your belief in my abilities has constantly inspired me to aim for excellence, and I am fortunate to have you as my college advisor.

Not only did Jamie and his compassionate and gentle—yet coaxing—approach greatly reduce the stress for my daughter (and all of us at home) surrounding the college application process, their regularly scheduled meetings encouraged her to consistently work on the essays and to embrace the revision process. Jamie’s thoughtful questions, advice, and guidance led my daughter to writing well-written essays that reflected who she is and which helped get her into her top-reach school, Barnard College. We look forward to working with Jamie again when our son begins this process.

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Essay Only

2 Videos

Tiana, student accepted to University of California-Berkele

1:22

Fiona T. Student, admitted to NYU

1:09

Roadmap Planning Service

Tremendous experience. The session with the counselor at Great College Advice was excellent. We started a bit late at the end of sophomore year of HS. If possible, start early! The insight as to what colleges are actually looking for was perfect. The best part, as a father, I don't know what I'm talking about, but the counselor was on point and opened my son's eyes. He actually took the 'Great College Advice' to heart and ran with it. He ended up getting accepted into two great Scholars programs at excellent business schools!

Roadmap Planning Service

2 Videos

Barb S., Parent

2:04

Martha B., parent, VIrginia

2:30