College Admissions Counselors in Illinois
Find college admissions counselors in Illinois. Getting into a top ranked college requires more than straight A’s. You need expert help; we help you find quality college consultants near your city and state.
According to our college consulting expert, David H. Nguyen, PhD, founder of Next Level Prep, Location is pertinent to finding the best educational consultant agencies because companies based in a region will understand the characteristics that admissions officers look for in students from high schools in that region. There is an edge that consultants gain from having worked with many students in the same region.
That’s why our college consulting agencies are broken down state-by-state.
Most high school students have extremely limited access to direct guidance during the college admissions process. According to The New York Times, during the 2012–2016 school year, every public school counselor in the U.S. was assigned an average of 470 students! That doesn’t leave much time for one-on-one support as you figure out how to complete your FAFSA, decide which extracurriculars improve your chances of college admission, and what application strategies can help you stand out in a sea of other excellent students.
College admissions consultants, or college coaches, can help fill that gap, and give you a major advantage in finding the school of your choice.
Find College Admissions Counselors Close to You in Illinois
Agencies are listed alphabetically within their cities.
Ivy Bridge International
Location: Buffalo Grove, IL
Services include:
- College application guidance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Mr. Yujun Ran
Location: Buffalo Grove, IL
Services include:
- college selection and admissions process
- essay prep
- application review
- Accepted/Deferred/Waitlisted assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Global College Search
Location: Chicago, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
Global College Search Associates
Location: Chicago, IL
Services include:
- Essay assistance
- Interest assessment
- College admissions counseling
- Career services
Affiliations and Accreditations
Mary Hetlage College Counseling
Location: Chicago, IL
Services include:
- Academic and extracurricular planning
- College research and selection
- Guidance on application
- Essay brainstorming and feedback
- SAT/ACT planning
- Interview preparation
Affiliations and Accreditations
Union Hall Advising
Location: Chicago, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
ASPIRE GROUP
Location: Deerfield, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
Chamberlain College Consulting
Location: Deerfield, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
The Aspire Group
Location: Deerfield, IL
Services include:
- Glenview, IL 60654
Affiliations and Accreditations
Kennedy College Consulting
Location: Downers Grove, IL
Services include:
- College search
- Exploration of majors
- Career assessments
- Application support
- College research and selection
- Academic course selection
- Essay development
- Merit scholarship advising
- Interview preparation
- Test planning
Affiliations and Accreditations
Shelly ONeill Educational Consultant
Location: Elmhurst, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Academic Counseling Group, LLC
Location: Evanston, IL
Services include:
- Personal and academic assessment
- School selection
- Financial aid review
Affiliations and Accreditations
Ann Somers College Counseling
Location: Fox River Grove, IL
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Ritchie College Consulting LLC
Location: Glencoe, IL
Services include:
- Starting as early as 8th grade with students
- Application process assistance
- Resume development
- Essay development
- College visit assistance
- Interview preparation
- College selection
Affiliations and Accreditations
J. Tracy Mehr College Consulting,
Location: Glen Ellyn, IL
Services include:
- Evaluate High School Courses
- Extra-Curricular Activities
- Building Your College List
- College Affordability
- Essay Brainstorming and Editing
- Award Letter Analysis
- Standardized Testing Strategizing: ACT / SAT
Affiliations and Accreditations
Excellerate Learning Studio
Location: Glenview, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Test preparation
- Essay development
- Financial aid and graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Global Educational Consultants
Location: Highland Park, IL
Services include:
- Explore academic and extracurricular interests
- Review school records and test scores
- Provide standardized test recommendations
- Test preparation
- College lists
- Essay brainstorming
- Edit application essay and resume
- College visit recommendations
Affiliations and Accreditations
Wendy Kahn College Consulting, LLC
Location: Highland Park, IL
Services include:
- Test prep
- Essay and resume guidance
- Interview preparation
- College selection
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Bound Consulting LLC
Location: Hinsdale, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application process
- Self assessment and career exploration
- Resume development
- Summer internship and college activity planning
- Campus career fair preparation
Affiliations and Accreditations
Spotlight College Advising
Location: Hinsdale, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Test preparation
- Essay development
- Financial aid and graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Geldermann College Consulting
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Services include:
- Self-assessment personality inventory
- Testing advice and timeline development
- High school course selection
- Resume building
- College selection
- Application guidance
- Essay brainstorming and editing
- Learning disabilities program guidance
- College visit prep
- Interview coaching
Affiliations and Accreditations
Jeanette Spires College Consulting
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Services include:
- college selection and admissions process
- essay prep
- application review
- Accepted/Deferred/Waitlisted assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
JSS College Counseling
Location: Libertyville, IL
Services include:
- Self-assessment
- Career counseling
- Interview preparation
- Campus visit planning
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- College selection
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Laura George Consulting
Location: Lincolnshire, IL
Services include:
- Tutoring
- Application and essay coaching
- Test preparation
- Graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Ivy League Potential LLC
Location: Naperville, IL
Services include:
- Application Evaluation
- College Profiling
- Demonstrated Interest
- Essays
- Interview Preparation
- Recommendation Letters
- Resume
- Supplemental Material
- Social Media Profiles
- Evaluating Acceptance Letters
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Comprehensive Consulting LLC
Location: Northbrook, IL
Services include:
- Executive functioning skills
- Academic coaching
- Test prep
- College planning and admissions
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Knowledge
Location: Peoria, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Bound Opportunities
Location: Riverwoods, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Plan on College
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Services include:
- Personalized student timeline
- True fit and value college search
- SAT/ACT prep course
- Scholarship coaching session
- Career coaching
- SAT vs ACT diagnostic
- Essay reviews
- Student admission prep workshop
Affiliations and Accreditations
Academic Angle: College Admissions Counseling and Test Prep
Location: Skokie, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
Deb Donley College Counseling
Location: Skokie, IL
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
MBS College Coaching
Location: Springfield, IL
Services include:
- Finding the right college
- Developing the Essay
- Completing the Application
Affiliations and Accreditations
Higher Ed U
Location: St. Charles, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Road2College
Location: St. Charles, IL
Services include:
- College Search
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
Before College Consulting
Location: Westmont, IL
Services include:
- Learning about the student
- Educating families on resources
- Maximizing student merit aid potential
- Student-athlete guidance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Spotlight College Advising
Location: Wheaton, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Test preparation
- Essay development
- Financial aid and graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Kazmier College Consulting
Location: Wilmette, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
JH Consulting
Location: Winnetka, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
LHE College Consulting
Location: Winnetka, IL
Services include:
- Application assistance
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Riley Baker Educational Consulting
Location: Winnetka, IL
Services include:
- College selection
- Essay brainstorming
- Resume development
- Application strategy
- Interview coaching
- Campus visit guidance
- Transfer/Grad school process
- Boarding school process
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Consulting FAQs
What is an admissions consultant?
An admissions consultant is a hired professional who can guide you through the complex landscape of college admissions. Admissions consultant companies vary greatly in size and service offerings, and operate either locally, or as part of a nationwide network.
Learn more about how to select a college admissions counselor that is right for you in our conversation with NextLevelPrep college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen, who explains how to choose a college admissions counselor.
What does a college admissions consultant do?
College admission consultants help guide families and students through the often complex college admissions process. Services typically include counseling on how to improve your chances of getting into your chosen schools, coaching on writing college essays and personal statements, SAT and ACT test preparation, and assistance in the scholarship process, among others.
Why hire a college admissions consulting company?
One of the primary benefits of hiring a college admissions consultant is their experience: an expert consultant will have up-to-date insight on what colleges are looking for in terms of grades, extracurricular activities, test scores, and personal statements. This knowledge can help you make a favorable impression on the schools of your choice.
Plus, college admissions consultants who also provide test preparation can significantly improve your performance on SAT/ACT exams — improving your odds of both earning scholarships and getting into the higher-tiered schools on your list.
When is the best time to start working with a college admissions consultant?
This depends on your goals. If you simply need support during the test-prep and application process, you can begin your relationship with a consultant during your junior year of high school — just as the college search process really heats up. However, some college consultants begin working with families as early as 8th or 9th grade, guiding students in their academic focus, electdive course selection, extracurriculars, community service, and more.
This type of full-service consultation is generally very costly, but the goal is to provide students and families with a complete road map leading directly to a top college.
How much do college admissions consultants charge?
The price for college admissions consultation can vary widely depending on the type of company and the nature of services you seek. From one-time seminars to weekly consultation, to hands-on guidance for the entirety of your high school education, you have a lot of options. The higher the level of service you seek, the more you’ll spend.
For an overview of the pricing landscape, check out college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen’s ranking of The Best College Admissions Consulting Agencies.
Are college admissions consultants worth it?
Yes! If you have access, this extra level of support can genuinely provide you with insight into the admissions process and enhance your odds of admission. More importantly: you won’t be alone during the arduous process of applying to colleges.
While your high school guidance counselor can literally spend no more than a few minutes a semester on your admissions process, a professional college admissions consultant will be directly and professionally invested in your success. This can make a major difference in where you end up earning your undergraduate degree.
Can I trust college admissions consultants?
Yes, you can trust the recognized college admissions consulting groups. That’s why we list only companies that are recognized by agencies and associations such as Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC).
These independent agencies provide oversight and certification, ensuring that members adhere to all appropriate legal, ethical, and commercial standards both on behalf of consumers and within the higher education infrastructure. Consulting companies listed in their directories may be considered trustworthy and legitimate.
For more on how you can safely and effectively navigate the college admissions consulting landscape, check out college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen’s Confessions of a College Prep Consultant.
Find College Admissions Consultants Near You
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- DC
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Colleges and Universities in Illinois
Prospective students searching for colleges in Illinois have plenty of excellent schools to choose from. Illinois offers over 130 higher education institutes throughout the state. Thanks to an expansive public university system and several top private institutions, students can select from an extremely wide array of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Illinois.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago, the state’s two largest public universities in Illinois. Students can access a full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees for in-state tuition rates of $13,000 to $15,000 respectively. Both public universities also offer a full selection of online degree programs.It’s also worth noting that Illinois residents who pursue online degrees at public colleges in Illinois will qualify for in-state tuition rates. Out of state students will generally pay more whether pursuing on-campus or online degrees.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
More than half of the colleges in Illinois are actually private schools. Among these private colleges and universities, the most notable are DePaul University, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago. Tuition from these three private schools can be costly, ranging from $44,000 to $55,000. However, each of these private schools boasts a high graduation rate and excellent professors.
Illinois is also home to many small private schools, including Benedictine University and National Louis University.
Popular disciplines in Illinois include disciplines like criminal justice, social work, nursing, education, religious studies, communications, and medicine. Both traditional and online students have a wide range of options in each of these subject areas.
Degree completion programs are also widely available for lapsed students who have already accumulated some college credits. This is an especially popular online degree option among working professionals in Illinois.
Additionally, Illinois offers several loan forgiveness-based financial aid programs for qualifying students pursuing careers as teachers, public defenders or prosecutors, or nurses.From the skyscrapers in Chicago to the vast prairie lands in the north, Illinois is a place where city meets country. Students can grab a Chicago-style hotdog on the way to a Cubs game, explore the ancient sandstone cliffs in the Shawnee National Forest, or admire an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, all while attending one of The Prairie State’s universities or colleges.
The higher education institutes in Illinois have also produced many prominent alumni, including Stephen Colbert, Phillip Glass, and Kurt Vonnegut. Students hoping to walk the same streets as these well-known individuals can check out some of the state’s top programs and universities.
What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?
- 17 Research Universities
- 36 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 28 Graduate Schools
- 12 Public Colleges & Universities
- 44 Private Colleges & Universities
- 24 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 34 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 15 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 49 Community Colleges
- 28 Online Colleges
