HelloCollege is more than just a team of expert college admissions counselors. We are guides. Our top notch college admissions counseling plus mentoring, means we're here to partner with your family to achieve the best college results for your student.
We truly care.
The reality is, you don’t know enough about college admissions. You’re doing your best to figure it out through school, friends, and free resources online.
But, you still feel slightly overwhelmed and anxious, unsure if you're making the right choices for your child's future.
That’s why we’ve developed our S.A.F.E. (Social, Academic, Financial, Employment) College List Strategy, which has helped tens of thousands of families navigate the college selection process. Finding the right college fit the first time will avoid expensive transfers and ensure your student lands a successful career after college.
With more than 6,000 colleges out there, each with its own unique social vibe. Finding the right one can be the difference between your child having a great time in school and their transferring.
We'll help you discover the perfect academic fit for your child, a college where they'll be appropriately challenged – striking the right balance between pushing their limits and thriving once they're there.
College costs can be confusing and intimidating, but if you know how to navigate them, you’ll be able to take control. We help you maximize scholarships and financial aid to reduce your costs.
When your child heads off to college, they're gearing up for a future job, and the choice of college can significantly shape their career path and earnings potential. Set them on the right track by applying to college that align with their goals.
At HelloCollege, these four factors form the cornerstone of our college admissions counseling services. Our S.A.F.E. College List Strategy isn't about gaming the system to secure admission to a prestigious university. Instead, it's centered around identifying the perfect fit for your child and skillfully presenting their unique qualities for success. There are no shortcuts – just a formula for genuine achievement.
Our experienced admissions counselors and intuitive digital tools provide a structured approach that helps students stay organized and motivated throughout the application process. By offering continuous support and personalized guidance, we bring ease and stability to the college planning experience, allowing students and their families to confidently navigate each milestone and stay on track for a successful future.
Working closely with our counselors, students receive guidance on choosing the right high school courses and implementing a smart test prep strategy. We offer regular reviews of transcripts, personalized assessment of test score gaps, and tailored testing plans. Access to top online prep courses, expert-led strategy workshops, and practice tests with detailed reports ensure students are well-prepared for success.
Ensure your child is on the path to a successful future career with HelloCollege’s structured approach to choosing a major. Following a self-discovery interests-and-aptitudes assessment, our college admissions counselors provide one-on-one guidance, offering comprehensive diagnostic reports to identify the best college major and career options. You can explore results through workshops and online college counseling sessions, narrowing your list of potential majors and careers.
We make building your college list easy with our S.A.F.E. College List Strategy. Your admissions counselor will guide you through College Exploration meetings to uncover your preferences, and our College Ambassador program connects you with alumni for insights. Multiple strategy sessions result in a custom college list based on your career analysis.
In a highly competitive college application pool, standing out is key. Your HelloCollege admissions counselor evaluates your competitive positioning with respect to other applicants. Then, through personal sessions, students and counselors collaborate to identify strengths. We then develop a strategy for showcasing your unique qualities – your Stand-Out Factor. We’ll then analyze potential schools’ acceptance rates and academic profiles, before offering strategies to improve admission odds for your top-choice schools.
HelloCollege helps families tackle college costs. Our online college counseling sessions and workshops cover strategies for affording college, winning scholarships, and maximizing aid. In sessions with our financial specialist, we’ll help you evaluate your annual budgets and your student’s aid potential, ensuring an airtight FAFSA application. We also help you dissect offers during an Award Assessment meeting, at which we’ll also help you increase aid through strategies like appeals.
Our expert essay coaches, with over 200 years of combined writing and editing experience, provide hands-on assistance to elevate your essay writing skills. You’ll work with your coach to develop compelling topics and refine your essays. Essay coaches focus on your essay’s story, structure, and mechanics, ensuring your essays stand out.
Work with your college counselor to develop a strategy tailored to boost acceptance odds, whether you’re applying Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. In our application strategy sessions we’ll create a timeline and select the right test submission policy. We’ll also help ensure your best presentation with guided workshops and private Common Application review sessions, while one-on-one mock interviews will prepare you for this vital part of the admissions process.
HelloCollege not only guides students to admissions success but also fosters their growth as young leaders and professionals. Through our program, you’ll engage in resume building, professional preparation, and college interview skills-building. You can also access our exclusive Parent Mentor Network for informational interviews, job shadowing, and internship connections with high-level professionals.
From our very first consultation, Hello College made us feel at home with their approach and their ability to help us! I would highly recommend them to anyone that is applying to a service academy or any other highly competitive institution. They build an entire profile specifically for you, so that you don’t miss any deadlines. They also spend time really getting to know you, so they can help you represent yourself genuinely. Because of them our son received appointments to both of the service academies he applied to. He is about to live his dream! Thank you Hello College! And special thanks to the two people who walked the entire process out with us: Counselor Amanda Yoder and Essay Coach Brooke Kent! Thank you for all of your diligence and care and for celebrating with us when we got the news!!
Parent of Dirk
Fairfield High School
United States Naval Academy
I have had Gina T. and Amanda Y. as my counselors throughout my college application process and they have been immensely helpful. From the beginning, both Amanda and Gina have been nothing short of understanding and supportive towards me and guiding me through the extensive application process. Specifically, Amanda has been incredibly flexible and responsive when it came to any questions and concerns I had- she was always able to answer questions in a way that worked for me, as well as working with me rather than against me to build the best application that correlates to who I am as a college applicant. She kept me on a schedule that I was able to follow- as well as giving me access to the notes and spreadsheets we had created together so that I was able to reference anything we talked about at anytime. Gina has been incredibly supportive in my essay comprehension journey as writing the essays is one of the most stressful parts of the application process. She worked with me to create outlines and develop ideas that strengthened who I was as an applicant. She was very responsive and dedicated when it came to my essays. All of her feedback and comments felt personal and positive as she really cares about how you build an essay that reflects you and your best abilities. Hello College has been a great experience and I highly recommend this program when looking to enhance your college application.
Student
Shorecrest High School
San Diego State University
Hello College is a top tier college preparatory program; and would recommend them. My twins (class of 2025) have successfully achieved acceptance into their respective universities – thanks to this program and our ace counselor, Allison. She has kept them focused, motivated and engaged in what can be a cumbersome, confusing process. In addition to Allison’s guidance, each of them had an amazing college essay coach to help them find their voice in that all important essay. Parents, my one bit of advice is to start with Hello College by the winter of your student’s Junior HS year if not sooner – as they have a lot of test prep services as well. Hello College is the real deal and a valuable investment to make.
Parent of Piper & Georgia
Naperville Central High School
Butler University & The University of Iowa
I had an incredible experience with HelloCollege’s college counseling program. Specifically, Don Keller was a huge help throughout the entire process. Not only did he help keep me on track while applying to 15 different schools, but he was always available to help with any and all of my requests. Don Keller set up multiple mock interviews so that I could be prepared to compete for scholarships at the University of Texas and at the University of Virginia. I was incredibly impressed with his responsiveness and attention to my situation. Don was involved every step of the way. Whether it was reading essays, giving advice on college selection, or simply being interested and attentive about my personal life, I always felt confident that I could hop on a phone call with him and talk out my situation. Ultimately, with the help of Don Keller and the entire HelloCollege program, I was granted a full-ride scholarship to attend the University of Texas’s McCombs School of Business. I could not be more thrilled with this result, and HelloCollege was an integral part of this achievement.
Student
Saint Viator High School
University of Texas - Austin
We could not have been more happy and thankful for the services provided through HelloCollege! Their free seminars are amazingly informative introduction for families – especially for those of us who have not applied to college in over 20 years – a lot has changed! While the fee was initially jarring, the services provided are invaluable – personality tests to assist in determining right major, personalized organization of college choices based on a number of factors (your budget, school sizes, your child’s grades/interests/etc), essay writing workshops/edits, scholarship workshops/advising, time management of all college planning, consistent live communications, etc. Our advisor, Dan Farnesi, was not only an obvious expert in this field, but he was also so kind, gentle and encouraging with my daughter and us throughout the whole process (he was pretty much family therapist at times). When she became discouraged, he knew just how to boost her spirits and motivate her to proactively achieve her goals. Especially during these pandemic years, Dan was more than an academic counselor, but an encouraging friend and cheerleader. Through HelloCollege’s guidance, my daughter was accepted into 11 of the 12 colleges she applied to and received multiple >$15k per year scholarship offers (more than paying off the HC fee just in the first year). Our only regret was not starting with HelloCollege earlier – like freshman/sophomore year. Thanks, Dan and HelloCollege!!
Parent of Alina
York Community High School
University of Iowa
We first attended a Hello College session (at Hinsdale Public Library) about the college admission process. It was an eye opener for us and we decided that we need to go, get help from Hello College. We enrolled and we first met Dan. He made a lasting impression from the first meeting itself. He made it clear that he is there to guide Arpan (and us too) navigating through the process for college admissions. This is the first time for us sending our kid to college in the US, and this process was completely new for us. Dan made sure that this is made understandable to us. Dan’s constant follow up and his openness to availability was a big help. We were constantly assured that whenever we need, Dan can be approached for help and we did approach him at times. He was our goto man ! At the same time the several sessions at Hello College for the standardized exams, essays, resume etc were a big help to Arpan to plan and approach these with tact. The preparation for the standardized exams and feedback were also excellent and really helpful. With the overall and timely guidance we were able to meet almost all the early action/decision application timelines.
Parent of Arpan
Hinsdale Central High School
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Founder and Managing Director
Inspired by his parents, Kevin’s journey from a first-gen, diverse, low-income background to Northwestern University shaped him. After experiencing challenges, including student loan debt, he founded HelloCollege and has spent the last 25 years helping students successfully navigate college admissions.
VP of Client Services
As an MSA holder, Allison brings a wealth of experience supporting students in higher education. As the respected Service Leader at HelloCollege, she leads her team in expertly navigating admissions and academic advising, empowering students to achieve their goals with confidence and success.
Director of Counseling
Amanda leads our counseling team with over 10 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Master's in Education with a counseling concentration and graduate certificates in Military & Family Education and Administration & Supervision (Educational Leadership).
College Counselor
Don is a highly skilled College Admissions Counselor, boasting a 20-year background in college admissions. Don's expertise includes admissions reading for UC - Berkeley and the prestigious Questbridge Scholars program, as well as many years as a high school counselor.
College Counselor
Raymond, a first-generation college graduate from the Bay Area, holds a Master's in Education from Harvard, a Master's in Public Health from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Social Work from University of Southern California. His diverse experience includes roles at Assist America and the UN, reflecting a commitment to global youth advocacy.
College Counselor
Miracle received her B.A. from the University of California - Berkeley and a M.Ed. from the University of Vermont. She has a rich background in higher education, founding her own College Advising company and roles in business academic counseling at Tulane University and college advising at UC Berkeley.
College Counselor
Kim holds an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and has over 10 years of experience in college and career counseling. She has a passion for helping students discover their career passions and connect them to the perfect college experience.
College Counselor & Essay Coach
Brooke Kent, a summa cum laude graduate of Rice University, a researcher for the White House Transition Project, and the former executive writer for the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, has spent two decades helping students tell their stories in a personalized, persuasive, and achievement-focused way. Her philosophy is simple: Your Story. Our Support. Your Solution.
College Counselor
Leslie has nearly 20 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and an Educational Leadership Endorsement from Longwood University.
College Counselor
Keira received a BS in Communications from the University of Miami and holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Columbia University. She has spent the majority of her career working in college admissions and college counseling as well as corporate recruiting. Her mission is to help students find and build their passions towards the next stage in their lives: college.
College Counselor
Dr. Bruce Watson is a seasoned higher education professional. With over 10 years of experience and a doctorate in education, Bruce has held leadership roles in admissions offices at several large universities.
Learn more about our unique approach
At HelloCollege, we take a holistic approach to college admissions counseling, providing tailored solutions that address each student’s unique journey.
Our customized process meets students where they are, ensuring every aspect of the admissions process aligns with their individual strengths, passions, and goals. From identifying best-fit colleges and exploring scholarship opportunities to crafting compelling application essays and building activities lists, our comprehensive support covers every step of the way.
We’re dedicated to not only helping students gain acceptance to college but also ensuring they thrive once there, graduate free from massive debt, and launch successful futures. With our expert guidance, students can be empowered with the tools and confidence they need to navigate the complexities of the admissions process, make informed decisions, and find the path that’s right for them.
Our dedicated team of counselors and specialists work collaboratively to provide outstanding college admissions help. We believe the best results come from the combined efforts of our expert counselors who bring diverse perspectives, deep knowledge, and extensive experience to the table.
By working together, each student benefits from the personalized attention of a one-on-one counselor, while also gaining access to a broader network of expertise. This approach allows us to offer well-rounded guidance that covers all angles, fits every circumstance, and ensures nothing is overlooked.
We’re here to help students and families every step of the way, pooling our collective knowledge to maximize chances of success and making college dreams a reality.
We pride ourselves on delivering a high level of accessible, responsible, and genuinely caring service, offering college admissions counseling services that combine the accessibility and personal touch of a small business with the proven results of a larger organization
Our counselors are not just experienced professionals—they are dedicated, caring individuals who are committed to each student’s success. They take the time to get to know every student to provide personalized consulting services and build a specific application plan reflective of who they are as an individual.
What sets our college admissions counseling services apart is our unwavering commitment to providing tailored support. We work closely with each student, offering regular advice, guidance, and encouragement throughout this crucial and often stressful time.
HelloCollege’s online platform helps keep things on track. Check your child’s progress, schedule a meeting, and access resources at any time.
HelloCollege has helped more than 20,000 students improve admissions odds nationwide.
We offer a variety of free resources including live workshops, blogs, videos, downloadable checklists and more. Here’s where we recommend you get started.
Navigating high school and applying to college is much different than a generation ago. The process has become competitive, confusing and stressful.
Let us help you with:
HelloCollege is here to provide you expert college admissions counseling services. Our students gain admission to their top schools, earn more scholarships and graduate faster with a job in their major.
Schedule a consultation with us to get all of your answers, otherwise here are some most asked questions and answers to them.
College admissions counseling is a process of assisting students and families in navigating the challenging and competitive college admissions process. Acting as a personalized guide, counselors provide tailored support at every step, from choosing the best-fit colleges to writing standout application essays and beyond.
There are many differences between high school counselors and college admissions counselor. High school counselors focus on academic advising, graduation requirements, and overall student well-being. College admissions counselors, on the other hand, specialize in the college application process, helping students select schools, write essays, and meet deadlines. They offer more personalized, in-depth support for college admissions.
The cost of getting private college admissions counseling can vary based on the provider’s experience, location, and services offered. On average, hourly rates range from $100 to $300, with some experts charging more. Many counselors offer package deals that can cost from a few thousand dollars to over $10,000, depending on the level of support. While it’s a significant investment, many families find the guidance invaluable.
At HelloCollege, we offer a variety of packages and a la carte options to suit different needs and budgets. Visit our college counseling plans for more details.
For a full breakdown if it’s worth it, visit our blog post: Are College Counselors Worth It?
The best time to start working with a college admissions counselor is typically during junior year, but starting earlier is even better. Some students begin as early as freshman year to build a strong foundation, set goals, and plan extracurricular activities. Starting early gives you more time to plan your college application strategy and reduces stress later in the process.
Every high school student and family can benefit from expert college guidance, whether they’re applying to competitive STEM programs, exploring liberal arts colleges, or figuring out how to afford college without need-based aid.
With a private college admissions counseling, students develop a clear plan, showcase their strengths, avoid common mistakes, and receive tailored support throughout the entire process. For a full breakdown of the reasons to work with a counselor, read here: Why Should I Hire a College Counselor?
No, college admissions counselors do not and cannot guarantee acceptance to any colleges. While they provide expert guidance, admissions decisions are ultimately up to the colleges. Counselors can help improve a student’s chances by strengthening their application, but they cannot control or predict admissions outcomes.
Choosing the right admissions counselor involves researching their qualifications, experience, and areas of expertise. Look for someone who understands your specific needs, whether it’s selecting schools or crafting essays. A good consultant will personalize their support and outline a clear process.
For more information on finding the right match, visit our blog post, How to Choose a College Admission Counselor?
While private college counselors can be costly, they aren’t just for wealthy families. Many offer a range of services at various price points, with some even providing scholarships. Additionally, by helping families navigate financial aid and scholarship opportunities, consultants can actually be a cost-effective option for many, potentially reducing the overall cost of college.
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