College Counseling in New Jersey

Families across New Jersey turn to Great College Advice for personalized college admissions guidance backed by decades of counseling experience and proven results.

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Why Local Guidance Matters

New Jersey families face a distinct set of pressures:

• The nation’s largest outflow of college-bound students

New Jersey consistently sends more first-year students out of state than it receives by a wider margin than any other state. That means most NJ students are building lists that span New York, Pennsylvania, New England, and beyond, and competing in applicant pools far from home. An experienced counselor with regional, national, and international expertise will be a valuable resource for your family to make your college application stand out.

• Dense, high-performing high schools

In counties like Bergen, Essex, Morris, Somerset, and Union, admissions offices read dozens of applications from the same schools each year. Context matters and so does differentiation.

• Real cost pressure

New Jersey ranks among the highest-cost states in the country for public four-year tuition and fees, which pushes many families to carefully weigh in-state value against out-of-state and private options.

College Counseling Services in NJ

✅ Common App & supplemental essay support

✅ College list building & fit assessment

✅ Application strategy & timeline planning

✅ High school course planning, including AP vs. dual enrollment options

✅ Standardized test strategy for test-optional decision-making

✅ Financial aid & FAFSA guidance

✅ College interview prep

✅ Guidance for New Jersey students applying out of state or internationally

✅ Guidance for out-of-state and international students applying to New Jersey schools

✅ Support for athletic recruiting

Meet Your New Jersey-Based College Counselor

Andrea Aronson — Westfield Office

Andrea leads Great College Advice’s New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut practice from Westfield, bringing more than 16 years of dedicated admissions advising experience. She holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a certificate in college counseling from UCLA, and she works with students locally, nationally, and internationally. A skilled writing coach, Andrea helps students identify schools that offer generous merit and financial aid and build applications that reflect their authentic strengths.

Schedule a consultation with Andrea →

New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut families are also matched with other members of our six-counselor team based on the student’s goals, target schools, and working style.

In State or Out of State? How We Help NJ Families Decide

For most New Jersey families, the first real fork in the road is geographic — and it is rarely just about geography.

“Finances and distance are the two things you want to weigh when you’re asking, ‘Do I stay in New Jersey and close to home, or do I spread my wings and go a little farther?'” says Andrea Aronson, who leads Great College Advice’s New Jersey practice.

New Jersey High Schools We’ve Worked With

Note: This list reflects general GCA outreach across NJ and is not tied to any specific counselor.

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule a consultation with Great College Advice’s New Jersey team to build a personalized plan for your student’s college journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best colleges in New Jersey to apply to?

“Best” depends on the student’s goals, but the schools New Jersey families most commonly target include Rutgers University (with campuses in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden), New Jersey Institute of Technology, The College of New Jersey, Rowan University, Montclair State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Princeton University. Our counselors help students look past name recognition to focus on programs, campus culture, and outcomes that fit that specific student. The right college list looks different for every student.

Why do so many New Jersey students go to college out of state?

New Jersey has long had the largest net outflow of college-bound students in the country — far more students leave for four-year colleges elsewhere than arrive from other states. Cost, the density of colleges in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania, and a desire for a different environment all contribute. It is not automatically the wrong choice, but it is a choice that deserves a real financial comparison rather than a reflex.

Should my student prioritize in-state or out-of-state schools?

It depends. In-state publics typically cost less and give New Jersey students access to state aid programs. Out-of-state and private options may fit a specific major or campus environment better, and some regional publics and private colleges offer merit awards large enough to close the gap. We help families weigh program fit, campus environment, and true net cost side by side. Our breakdown of public vs. private and in-state vs. out-of-state costs is a useful starting point.

Does having so many excellent colleges nearby make the college search easier?

It can make the college search much more informed but not necessarily easier.

New Jersey families are fortunate to be within relatively easy driving distance of an impressive collection of colleges and universities, including institutions such as Princeton, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Stevens Institute of Technology, and many highly selective schools in neighboring New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

This geographic proximity makes it possible for students to visit a wide variety of campuses without extensive travel. Those visits can be invaluable in helping students understand differences in campus culture, academic programs, size, location, and student experience.

Is the college admissions competition particularly intense for New Jersey students?

It can be, particularly at highly selective colleges. New Jersey has a large, highly educated population and many academically competitive public and private high schools. Students often have access to sophisticated academic and extracurricular opportunities, which can result in a deep pool of impressive applicants.

This means that families should be cautious about relying on statements such as “students from our high school always get into that college” or “a student with these grades should be a shoo-in.”

At the most selective colleges, there may be dozens of qualified applicants from a single New Jersey high school. Being a strong student is essential, but being able to articulate what makes the student unique can be equally important.

Students should focus on developing genuine intellectual and personal interests and finding ways to demonstrate depth, initiative, and impact. The goal isn’t to look impressive on paper simply because everyone else does; it’s to help admissions officers understand the individual behind the accomplishments.

Do we need to live near Westfield to work with a New Jersey GCA counselor?

No. All counseling is delivered online, so families anywhere in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut can work with Andrea or another Great College Advice counselor. Being based in New Jersey gives Andrea regional insight into local high schools and the schools NJ students most often consider, but sessions happen virtually.

At Great College Advice, we provide personalized, one-on-one college admissions counseling that helps students make strategic decisions about academics, extracurricular activities, college selection, essays, and applications. We understand the competitive environment in which many New Jersey students are applying and help families look beyond rankings and conventional wisdom.

Our goal isn’t simply to help New Jersey students get into college. It’s to help them identify the colleges where they are most likely to thrive—and develop an admissions strategy that gives them the strongest possible opportunity to be admitted.