What Will an Educational Consultant Do for Me?

IvySelect is a college counseling firm composed of Independent Educational Consultants (IECs).  We serve a vital role in one of the most important decisions that your family will make… choosing which school will do the most to enrich your life during your college years and in the future.

IvySelect’s college consultants excel in facilitating admissions to Ivy League and other top-tier colleges. The highly competitive nature of these schools makes the challenge of finding the best college for you and gaining acceptance to it even more daunting.

Educational consultants like those at IvySelect perform an analysis in order to advise and support families through the college admissions process.  Our first goal is to learn about your interests, personality, preferences, aptitudes, and qualifications.  Most importantly, we learn about your educational needs and foster their achievement.

Once we understand you and your objectives, IvySelect provides these counseling services as your personal, dedicated educational consultant:

• Create a Plan – In order to arrive at your intended destination — the elite college that represents the best fit for you — you need a map. We work with you to develop a plan and positioning strategy so that your high school years are used to the greatest possible effect. Time-sensitive essentials such as exam dates, campus visits, and application deadlines are tracked.
• College Search – Based on your unique requirements, we search for those colleges that fit you best. To supplement public information, we apply our first-hand knowledge of each school to determine the best match.  Michael Goran, our Director and Lead Educational Consultant, spends a great deal of time visiting elite colleges to meet with admissions officials, faculty, and administrators. He is aware of nuanced institutional preferences so that he can better advise you in college selection and your strategy for acceptance at each school.
• Admissions Guidance – IvySelect’s systematic approach to the admissions processes of the elite colleges has evolved and matured over time. We attend workshops, seminars, and conferences offered by educational associations active in this dynamic field.  We stay current on the complexities of test preparation, applications, essays, interviews, financial aid and other relevant topics so that you don’t need to.
• Essay Advice – Most of the students competing with you for admission to an elite college will have credentials as good as yours. Often, the best way to distinguish yourself is through the quality of your college admissions essays.  IvySelect has substantial expertise in guiding students in essay preparation, including knowledge of each school’s “hot button” topics.
• Interview Preparation – Interviews can play a role in admissions to top-tier schools. IvySelect coaches you on what questions to expect, how to interact with various types of interviewers, and how to project a positive image.  Our prep sessions reduce your stress and enable you to come across as an authentic, thoughtful person.
• Assistance with Letters of Recommendation – Students often underestimate the importance of letters of recommendation in the admissions process. We assist you in identifying the faculty members who will have the most beneficial impact on admissions officials. Then, based on your positioning strategy, we guide the development of letters that will resonate with your profile as expressed throughout your application package.
• Optimizing Your “Hook” – Many students are able to improve their chances of acceptance by elite schools by emphasizing their special talent, or “hook”. This may be in sports, performing arts, debate, visual arts, mathematics, or another field in academia and common to the college experience.  IvySelect makes sure that you use your hook to your maximum advantage to obtain acceptance.
• Guidance on Curricula and Activities – As an underclassman or junior, you may rely on our expertise to select the high school courses that will best serve your educational goals. Likewise, we offer expert guidance in choosing extracurricular and recreational activities and summer jobs. In supplementing your other credentials, our recommended activities help you make the case that you will be a valuable addition to your targeted college’s community.

Every college is different. The degree of differentiation among elite colleges is especially extreme. A primary advantage to retaining IvySelect is that our college admissions consultants apply our personal knowledge of each college’s uniqueness. We enable you to navigate the complexities of college admissions successfully to meet your educational goals.