The Ivy Institute | College Admissions Research | November 2026
Abstract
Three of six firms posted specific prices for an identifiable senior counseling package. College Essay Guy listed senior planning at $5,400 or $10,800, with writing support sold separately. PrepScholar listed $9,495 to $15,995 by application count. The Ivy Institute listed $12,500 upfront and another $12,500 if the student earns a qualifying acceptance. Crimson published a typical family budget with an individual quote. IvyWise and Solomon directed families to consultations. Differences in coverage and duration make a six-firm average misleading.
Which price is being compared
A posted price can describe one essay, one year, a fixed number of applications, or several years of work. This study records what the number buys. The panel deliberately includes modular, per-application, team-based, former-officer-led and conditional-payment offerings. The Ivy Institute is included at the publisher’s request. The analysis concerns U.S.-facing undergraduate programs, with all amounts in nominal U.S. dollars. It measures what firms disclosed, without access to invoices, discounts, negotiated fees, or the distribution of actual spending.
For each firm, the first choice of evidence was its own package or pricing page. A specific posted package price, a provider-reported budget, a historical press figure and a secondhand estimate were recorded separately. A package had to identify senior-year coverage and a numerical fee to enter the three-firm posted-price comparison. Individual essay products, free introductory calls and hourly rates from earlier nationwide surveys were kept outside that comparison. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
| Firm | Price evidence | Scope or qualification |
|---|---|---|
| College Essay Guy | $5,400 or $10,800 | Rising-senior planning. Essay coaching is separate. Three-school writing support lists at $4,975. |
| Crimson Education | $40,000–$70,000 | Firm’s stated budget for most families. Exact quote depends on duration, mentors and scope. Higher spending is possible. |
| IvyWise | Individual quote | Official consultation page directs families to discuss fees. A 2024 profile reported Roundtable programs from $14,000. |
| PrepScholar | $9,495 / $11,995 / $15,995 | Rising or current seniors. Application limits of 7 / 12 / 20, respectively, with weekly one-on-one meetings. |
| Solomon Admissions Consulting | Individual quote | Package page does not give a price. A 2026 secondary source reports $5,000+ secondhand, with unspecified scope. |
| The Ivy Institute | $12,500 initially; $25,000 if triggered | One senior engagement. The second $12,500 depends on acceptance to at least one of eight designated colleges under the agreement. |
The table uses published terms as of the research date. The College Essay Guy and PrepScholar figures are advertised package prices. Crimson’s figure is budget guidance and supplies neither a minimum nor a maximum. The IvyWise media report also described a multiyear engagement at about $50,000. That is a historical example. The Solomon estimate originates with a reviewer who explicitly calls it secondhand. Neither secondary figure substitutes for a current written quote. [1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 9, 6, 10, 7]
A comparison with the service held constant
Within PrepScholar’s menu, moving from seven to twelve covered applications costs $2,500 for five additional places. Moving from twelve to twenty costs $4,000 for eight. Both increments equal $500 per additional place at full use. A family applying to eight schools would cross the first threshold for one extra application, paying $2,500 more at the published tier prices. The incremental cost per available place and the cost per additional application actually used answer different budgeting questions. [5]
College Essay Guy illustrates a different arithmetic. Combining its $5,400 senior counseling option with its $4,975 essay package for up to three schools totals $10,375 at list prices. Combining the same planning option with its $7,150 six-school writing package totals $12,550. These are calculated scenarios, subject to any individual quote. They prevent a mistaken comparison between the $5,400 planning figure and a competitor’s price that already covers essays. [1, 2]
The Ivy Institute’s conditional fee
The published senior fee splits into two $12,500 payments. The first is due at the start. For eligible families, the second becomes due if the student receives an acceptance from at least one of eight colleges designated before the first submission. If none of those colleges admits the student under the signed terms, the second payment is not due. An offer from a college outside the designated eight does not by itself trigger the published condition. The initial payment remains part of either scenario. [7]
| Engagement | No qualifying offer | Qualifying offer |
|---|---|---|
| Senior year only | $12,500 | $25,000 |
| Grades 11 and 12 | $25,000 | $37,500 |
| Grades 9 through 12 | $42,000 | $54,500 |
The multiyear scenarios add $8,500 for each of grades nine and ten and $12,500 for grade eleven when those years are included. They assume unchanged posted fees and eligibility in senior year. They are arithmetic illustrations rather than a four-year contract quote. A household comparing the two senior scenarios does not need an unverified probability estimate to see the maximum obligation. Scholarship awards would require a separate comparison with aid the student would have received without advising. [7]
The national benchmark and its limits
The Independent Educational Consultants Association’s December 2022 report drew on nearly 1,000 responses from its professional and associate members. It reported a $230 mean hourly rate, a $6,450 overall comprehensive mean, and a college-consulting specialty average of $6,304 for roughly two years and 30 or more hours. Most respondents’ comprehensive package fees fell between $4,000 and $7,500. Those measures describe the survey at that time. They should not be relabeled as a 2026 national price or compared directly with a single senior year at a high-profile firm. [8]
Interpretation
A defensible price comparison begins with the student’s actual application list and desired start date. Add the cost of essay coverage for that list, distinguish specialist access from a separately priced service, and record the final date or event that ends the engagement. In this panel, one extra application, a different start grade, or an acceptance from a specified college can materially change the total. The published evidence supports those concrete scenarios. It is insufficient to estimate a market median for “top” firms or a monetary return on hiring one.
Disclosure and data availability
The Ivy Institute commissioned this series and is a firm examined in it. The references identify the material used, and the series supplement provides the underlying coding tables.
References
- College Essay Guy. College admissions counseling packages and FAQs.
- College Essay Guy. One-on-one essay and application coaching and prices.
- Crimson Education. U.S. program pricing and components.
- IvyWise. Initial consultation, profile review and action plan.
- PrepScholar. Complete admissions package, terms and prices.
- Solomon Admissions Consulting. College admissions consulting packages by grade.
- The Ivy Institute. Costs, package scope and Acceptance Commitment.
- Independent Educational Consultants Association (December 2022). State of the Profession, comprehensive fees and specialty fee tables.
- New York Post (August 15, 2024). How to stand out to colleges when attending a competitive high school, historical IvyWise prices.
- The College Investor. Solomon Admissions Consulting Review, secondhand price reporting.
