A La Carte Admissions Advising
You don’t know what you don’t know.
Allow us to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
| Hourly Consulting | Secondary Essay Advising | |
| Early Stage College Consulting | Resume/CV Review | |
| Personal Strength Assessment | Interview Preparation | |
| College Research Assistance | Improve Your Study Skills | |
| College Interaction Strategy | Marketing Your Brand | |
| Primary Application including Essay | Waitlist Strategy & Communications | |
| Primary Essay Review | Preparing Your Letter Writers | |
| College Transfer Tactics | Application Final Check | |
| Career Coaching | Explanation of the Process |
Hourly Consulting
Looking for assistance with your application, but don’t need a comprehensive package? Ivy Bound provides guidance by the hour to help you present your best self to the admissions committees. Have questions? We’ll work with you to develop a package to meet your needs and within your budget and time frame.
Fee: $350/hour (minimum 2 hours); with blocks of 8 hours or more, our most popular package, discounted rates apply; $315/hour
You may choose to pay in up to 6 interest free payments on hourly bookings of 3 hours or more with Splitit or Pay Pal Credit.
Early Stage College Planning
Are you a junior in the fall semester, or perhaps in middle school, a freshman or sophomore? If you are not applying to college this year, allow Ivy Bound the privilege of evaluating your admissions profile and preparedness. We appraise your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as you engage the college admissions process. Ivy Bound conducts a Personal Strengths Assessment that prompts you to self-reflect, self-assess and clarify your interests and goals. Only after self-discovery will you reveal your core values and true vision for the future. Work with Ivy Bound and together we’ll partner on this journey toward application success.
Fee: $990 – $1,990
Personal Strengths Assessment
Applying to premier colleges, which by definition are selective and competitive, requires a team approach. Work with us! We’ll be your partner and teammate. Every journey begins with the first step. As Socrates eloquently stated, “know thyself.” With this premise in mind, Ivy Bound guides you on the path from self-discovery, self-reflection, self-assessment to self-actualization. In other words, going from “the thought” to your full potential, becoming who you are. Colleges want to know you on a deep and personal level. But, you cannot tell them unless you are self-aware of your subtle and obvious interests, your struggles and accomplishments and what they mean to you. Let’s not forget your short and long-term goals. Colleges want your self-discovery to show authenticity and depth, and in a way that is compelling and credible. In order to do this, you must know your strengths and weaknesses, and your driving force and purpose in life. Ivy Bound’s comprehensive evaluation breaks down your admissions profile, looking at the component parts; academic, pre-professional, personal and athletic. Once this is accomplished, you’ll have the tools to present a truly compelling story, and “Wow” the admissions committee.
Only by asking the right questions will you find the right answers, subsequently making the right decisions. Furthermore, only after your Personal Strengths Assessment can you assess your readiness and competitiveness for the battle ahead.
Fee: $990
College Research Assistance
Earning an acceptance letter from your “best fit, dream” college requires excelling in many areas. In regards to your secondary essays and short answers, carefully crafted narratives specific to a particular college is pivotal. This entails thorough research and knowledge of the university. It is all about fit. Without research into the institutions you apply to, your essays and interviews are average or perhaps even mediocre. Why risk it! You research your doctors, your vacations and your purchases online! Doesn’t it seem prudent to research thoroughly the colleges you plan to apply to. It’s only your future at stake!
Fee: $350 per school
College Interaction Strategy
You’re likely going to need guidance on how to interact optimally with colleges and their admissions representatives. Simply filling out an application and praying for the best is like playing the lottery and hoping to win. However, creating and nurturing relationships certainly increases your odds of reaching your goals. Ivy Bound can help!
Fee: $350
Primary Application including Essay
You and your Ivy Bound Expert work together to identify key themes and big picture messages for the all-important personal statement. Together we create an authentic, genuine and personal story that is unique to you. You convey your voice, your story in a way that “wows” the reader. With the right presentation, the admissions officer not only wants to accept you, the he/she wants to meet you, and get to know you better over coffee.
Fee: $2,600*
*The UC application fee is an additional $900
Primary Essay Review
You have already written your personal statement. But, you feel it is not ready. In fact, you may still feel lost. Here is where Ivy Bound can help. We review your essay for messaging, impact, spelling, grammar and syntax. Even after our expert review, your essay may be far from finished. But the progress will be immense. You’ll feel that you’re heading in the right direction.
Fee: $700
College Transfer Tactics
Unsuccessful in reaching your top choice college the first time around. Do you wish to apply again as a transfer student? Wondering what to do next? Work with an Ivy Bound consultant to maximize your second attempt at reaching your best fit dream school. We will:
- Assess your entire application’s strengths and weaknesses
- Analyze your interview preparation
- Provide you with likely deficiencies in your application leading to denial or the waitlist
- Assist you in developing a successful strategy for re-application
Fee: $700
Career Coaching
Perhaps you can envision your future employment after college, but can’t imagine your 20 – year time horizon with crystal clarity. While colleges don’t expect all students to have their careers mapped out with certainly, they do expect you to have a tentative plan as to how to use the college’s vast resources. With our assistance, you’ll discover your interests, values, dreams and life’s purpose. Then you develop a Action Plan to get you started.
Fee: $700
Secondary Essay Advising
While your Ivy Bound Expert doesn’t write your essays, we don’t just wordsmith either. We pinpoint what is missing. Moreover, we improve the structure, message and precision of your essay, all without compromising your genuine voice. With our guidance, the essay sounds like poetry and articulates your message. Moreover, each short answer essay is evaluated in the context of the whole application. Ivy Bound helps you both stand out and fit in.
Fee: $1,400
Resume/CV Review
Chances are your resume, if you have one, is subpar. The resume documents your academics, your accomplishments, your extracurricular activities and your notable experiences. At a very minimum, it is a summary of your life. Without it as a reference, writing a compelling personal statement may be a challenge.
Fee: $595
Interview Preparation
With these three one-hour sessions, you choose whether to take three one-hour practice interviews or one introductory session and two one-hour mock interviews. If truly wish to excel and gain confidence on your interviews, you may wish to sign up for more hours, or practice on your own.
Fee: $1,050 for three sessions
Improve Your Study Skills
With our guidance, you learn how to study smarter without studying longer. We show you how to improve your memory, take better notes and get better grades.
Fee: $350
Marketing Your Brand
Every college has mission and vision statements that guide them toward focusing on their institutional priorities. Without a proper marketing campaign, you are not promoting your assets and talents, and you are not differentiating yourself from the competition. Your branding strategy must convince the colleges that you are a better fit than the other applicants.
Fee: $700
Waitlist Strategy & Communications
You weren’t accepted and you weren’t rejected. What to do now? We guide you through this maze of uncertainty, including how to reply to the admissions committee and how to gauge your odds of getting off the waitlist.
Fee: $700
Preparing Your Letter Writers
Selecting the right people to draft your letters of recommendation and support your candidacy is essential. Just because you earned an “A” in a class doesn’t mean you’ll get a great letter. In fact, great letters require motivation and skill, neither of which many letter of recommendations have. At Ivy Bound we’ll help you select and prepare your recommenders for this vitally important request.
Fee: $350
Application Final Check
You’ve completed your application. Yet you want another pair of eyes to review it before you submit. We can help accomplish this final check to make sure you don’t make any glaring mistakes.
Fee: $1,050
Explanation of the Process
The first step in your successful journey toward acceptance into a premiere college is self-reflection and self-assessment. In other words, what truly matters to you? What are your goals and dreams? Are you competitive to your target schools in regards to grades and test scores? How do you choose the right college for you? What is the admissions process and timetable? Finally, how do you market your USP, your “Unique Special Point” in order to stand out and get noticed?
Fee: Complimentary
Find out the answers to the questions we’re asked most often.