College Admissions Counseling in New York City
Expert College Counseling Services
The college admissions process in New York City is unlike anywhere else. Manhattan's private school students are applying from some of the most academically rigorous programs in the country, competing against each other and against equally prepared students from across the world. Getting into a selective college from this environment requires more than a strong GPA and a well-written essay. It requires strategy, self-knowledge, and a counselor who understands how these applications are actually read.
Our counselors have read applications from inside admissions offices. They have written committee notes at Swarthmore, evaluated candidates for boarding school programs, and spent decades inside the schools your child is applying from. That is a different kind of expertise than most consulting firms can offer.
How we work with families and students
We work with families at every stage of high school, from long-range academic and extracurricular planning in 9th and 10th grade through the full application process in junior and senior year.
A typical engagement includes:
→ Initial assessment — understanding your child's academic record, interests, and goals; identifying the schools most likely to be the right fit
→ Strategic four-year planning — mapping course selection, extracurricular involvement, and skill-building across high school to build a coherent, authentic profile by senior year
→ College list development — building a balanced yet ambitious list of 12-18 schools across likely, target, and reach goals, with a clear and data-backed rationale for each
→ Essay coaching — brainstorming, structural guidance, and revision support for the personal statement and all supplements, while preserving your child's voice→ Strategic application execution — managing every deadline and moving parts, from the Common App and activity list to school-specific supplements, so nothing falls through the cracks
→ Interview preparation — mock interviews and coaching for the schools that require or recommend them
→ Decision support — help evaluating offers, understanding financial aid, and making the final choice
We work with a limited number of families each cycle to ensure every student has direct access to their counselor throughout the process.
What makes our approach different…
Most counseling firms position themselves as admissions experts. We are that, but we are also educators who spent careers inside the schools your child is applying from. Paul Baly served as Director at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. Laura Khutorsky evaluated applications at Swarthmore College and served as Associate Director of Admissions at The Elisabeth Morrow School. We understand what admissions committees are actually looking for because we have sat in those rooms.
We are also parents. We understand what this process feels like from your side of the table; the anxiety, the mixed signals, the pressure your child undertakes, and the elusive grasp we parents feel throughout the process. We try to make the process less stressful and more purposeful for the whole family. And we know that there are sometimes when high school students need to hear the same message from someone other than their parents for it to truly stick.
We believe in the two-way fit. The goal is not to get into the most selective school possible. The goal is to find the school where your child will thrive. Those are different questions, and we spend a lot of time on the second one.