Is a Private College Admissions Counselor Right for You?

Private college admissions counselors (like our stellar team at Top Tier Admissions) work with students to maximize their options in the increasingly complex and competitive college admissions process. Using knowledge and insight into admissions trends, policies, and practices – from first-hand experience as former college admissions officers or professional educators – our private counselors help students optimize successful admissions outcomes by making informed and strategic decisions about their high school academic choices, extracurricular pursuits, and college applications.

HOW TO KNOW IF PRIVATE COUNSELING IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Do you…

Want to stand out from the crowd?

Simply earning top grades and scores – even at highly ranked high schools – is no longer a reliable path to a spot at selective colleges. With this in mind, students and their families increasingly seek assistance from private counselors to supplement their school-based counseling.

Want more individual attention?

School counselors handle large rosters of students, so one of a private counselor’s most valuable contributions is highly individualized attention and advice in guiding, strategizing, and helping a student to prepare for the college admissions process and to develop college applications that stand out.

Want less stress and an advocate in your corner?

Most fundamentally, private college admissions counselors are advocates that serve as part of a student’s core support team. We lower stress for students and their families throughout the process by providing expert advice and guidance from a perspective of deep knowledge about all the nuances of college admissions. Across years of one-on-one work together, our counselors get to know students on a personal level so that when it comes time to turn to college applications, we know each student’s most interesting experiences and strengths.

WHAT DO PRIVATE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS DO?

In addition to working on every stage of your college strategy and applications, the best private college admissions counselors help students set goals, explore options, and assess their academic and extracurricular profiles. Early expert advice helps students use their limited time efficiently, keep as many doors open as possible, and avoid inadvertently making choices that limit their future college options. At Top Tier Admissions, we frequently work with students years before they first meet with their assigned school counselor to provide guidance on:

Goal Setting. To keep the process less overwhelming, we break down big college dreams into concrete steps that students can take each term or year.
Academic Exploration. We help students identify areas they love learning about that they can develop authentically and strategically, nurturing interests far beyond the five core subject areas students typically encounter in school. Do you love Astrophysics? Archaeology? Asian Studies? Your school’s curriculum doesn’t need to hold you back.
Curriculum Choices. Taking into consideration a student’s interests and the expectations of target colleges, we advise on high school course selection and the appropriate balance of rigor and grades: Which APs carry more weight and how many is too many? Is it worth risking a B in an Honors class, or better to get an A in a standard level?
Extracurricular Activities. Private counselors advise on which activities will be most meaningful, preventing students from spreading themselves too thinly or spinning their wheels unproductively on activities they think will “look good.” Looking beyond the traditional school-based clubs and common activities, we help students think creatively and facilitate opportunities.
Summer Planning. We create an individualized summer plan every year for each student, identifying the most worthwhile summer programs and opportunities, and assisting with applications to competitive summer programs. Should you pursue a summer job or an internship? Which programs are worth the cost and which are considered “pay-to-play?”
Standardized Test Planning and Prep. As private counselors, we offer resources and create an individualized testing plan, helping students navigate the current test-optional landscape with regards to the PSAT, SAT, ACT, APs, English-language proficiency exams such as the TOEFL, and others, and matching them with tutors. We can help you determine whether to apply test-optional or retake the SAT/ACT.

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Community Impact. We specialize in helping students identify ways to contribute meaningfully beyond the stereotypical (and often required) volunteer hours spent tutoring or building houses abroad. An increasing number of colleges have essays devoted to community engagement: How have you contributed to areas that best reflect your interests and values? What assets will you bring to your college’s campus?
Enrichment Activities. Private counselors make custom suggestions and support students in pursuing additional opportunities and credentials, including contests, internships, conferences, competitions, calls for publications, and creative self-designed initiatives. We are exceptionally proud of our most recent cohort of college-bound seniors who defied the odds by honing their academic strengths through mentored research, unique community engagement initiatives, published writing and presentations at academic conferences, national honors, and more.

NOT ALL PRIVATE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS ARE CREATED EQUAL

Not all private counselors have the expertise to serve as strategic advisors and spark a student’s love of learning. At Top Tier Admissions, we pride ourselves on the detail and comprehensive support we provide to our students. Our collaborative approach allows students to develop a personal relationship with their counselor while benefitting from the perspectives and experiences of our collective TTA braintrust, and helpfully removing many stressful conversations and decisions from the family dynamic. This, and our track record of excellence over 20 years, is the foundation of Top Tier’s extraordinary success in working with students on their college journeys.

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Heidi Lovette

Senior Private Counselor at Top Tier Admissions

As Assistant Director of Admissions, Heidi evaluated and made executive decisions on 7,000+ undergraduate applications to Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences. With additional experience in the admissions offices of Dartmouth College and Temple University, she brings deep insight into the review process at highly selective institutions. Heidi’s admissions experience is complemented by a 15-year career in communications and publishing. As Medical Editor at Cambridge University Press and Science Editor at Cornell University Press, Heidi collaborated with STEM faculty and physician authors to bring dozens of books to successful publication. Heidi now enjoys using both her firsthand admissions experience and editorial skills to advise students on how to distinguish themselves in the admissions process.

After attending Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, Heidi graduated cum laude with an Honors thesis from Dartmouth College as a double major in Classical Archaeology and Comparative Literature. At the University of Pennsylvania, Heidi was a Williams Fellow in the graduate program of Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World. She has conducted archaeological field work in Sardinia, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey.