College Admissions Counselors in Massachusetts
Find college admissions counselors in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts
Agencies are listed alphabetically within their cities.
Acton College Consulting, LLC
Location: Acton, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- College visit planning
- Essay and short answer review
- Activity sheet review
- Interview and resume preparation
- Teacher recommendations
- Financial aid and graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Boston Education World, Inc.
Location: Acton, MA
Services include:
- College selecion
- College tours
- Essay revisions
- Application assistance
- Resume building
Affiliations and Accreditations
Hall Educational Resources
Location: Amesbury, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Intervew preparation
- Campus visit planning
- Essay brainstorming
- Application development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Berkshire College Advising
Location: Amherst, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Class selection advising
- Testing strategies
- Merit aid strategies
- Application assistance
- Essay writing advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
OtherWords
Location: Amherst, MA
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
Educational Pathways, LLC
Location: Andover, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Interview preparation
- Application assistance
- Essay brainstorming/review
- College transfer search and application process
- Career interest testing
Affiliations and Accreditations
Astable Space
Location: Ashland, MA
Services include:
- Course selection
- Standardized testing
- Summer Programs and Activities
- College search and selection
- Essays
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Consulting Services
Location: Bolton, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Application strategy
- Essay brainstorming
- Interview preparation
Affiliations and Accreditations
Aspire To College
Location: Boston, MA
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
Leathers Consulting Group
Location: Boston, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
McGinty Consulting Group LLC
Location: Boston, MA
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
Lantern College Counseling
Location: Boxborough, MA
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 Advising NOW
Location: Brighton, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Campus tour planning
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid and graduate school overview
- Gap year assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Best Choice College Consulting
Location: Burlington, MA
Services include:
- Discussion of Common App Essay preparation and brainstorming
- Resume creation in preparation for the Common Application
- Essay Finalization, including supplement work
- Common Application review and finalization including additional information section
- Final list development
- Planning strategy for applications
- Financial aid overview
- Scholarship information
- Final Decision Review
Affiliations and Accreditations
Independent Advisor
Location: Cambridge, MA
Services include:
- College selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Strategies For College, Inc.
Location: Canton, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Financial document management
- Application assistance
- Test preparation
- Essay brainstorming
- Career planning
Affiliations and Accreditations
The College and Career Coach
Location: Canton, MA
Services include:
- College selection
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- Graduate school overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
HD College Quest
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- Test preparation
- Financia aid and graduate school overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
Matlack Educational Consulting
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Application assistance
- Campus visit planning
- Interview preparation
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
The Dromgoole Center for Admission
Location: Concord, MA
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
Top Tier Admissions
Location: Concord, MA
Services include:
- College List & Selection
- Time Management & Application Deadlines
- Summer Application Bootcamps
- Final Matriculation Decision
- Essay assistance and review
- Mock Interview Coaching
- Graduate School Applications
- Financial Aid & Scholarship assitance
Affiliations and Accreditations
New England Educational Advisory Service
Location: Delray Beach, MA
Services include:
- Comprehensive assessment of academic strengths and weaknesses
- Evaluation of talents and extra-curricular activities
- Course selection, major determination, career exploration
- Strategies/planning for application process
- Recommendations of suitable/viable school options
- Preparation for campus visits, interviews and applications
- Provision of accurate, current information
- Family mediation in decision making process
- Ongoing communication, advocacy and planning
Affiliations and Accreditations
Empowered Academic Success
Location: Dighton, MA
Services include:
- Aptiude, Career and college fit assessment
- Academic plan review
- College research assistance
- College list building
- Reume/activities list building
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- College selection
- Academic coaching
Affiliations and Accreditations
Creative College Consulting
Location: East Falmouth, MA
Services include:
- Identify Academic, social, and financial goals
- Resume Development
- Recommendation Letter Requests and Cover Letters
- Review and revise resume
- Finalize Application List
- Application Review
- Essay Editing
Affiliations and Accreditations
MELINDA STEWART, MSW
Location: Groton, MA
Services include:
- College research and list making
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
Apt Tutoring
Location: Hingham, MA
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
Independent Educational Consultant
Location: Hingham, MA
Services include:
- Curriculum, test and extracurricular activity planning
- College list building and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- College visit and interview preparation
Affiliations and Accreditations
Potential College Advising, LLC
Location: Hingham, MA
Services include:
- Essay guidance
- High school course planning
- Athletic recruiting assistance
- Military academy and ROTC application assistance
- College visit planning
- College list building
- Resume writing
- Application assistance
- Financial aid primer and timeline
Affiliations and Accreditations
All About U College Counseling
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Services include:
- High school consultations for pre-college planning
- Extracurricular and summer program review
- Interest assessments
- College list development
- Testing recoomendation and preparation referrals
- Essay assistance
- College visist preparation
- Interview preparation
- Final decision support
Affiliations and Accreditations
Connie Millard College Counseling
Location: Ipswich, MA
Services include:
- Review transcript and advise on course selection
- Assess student’s interests, attitudes, and abilities
- Explore careers and majors of interest
- Research appropriate colleges and develop a balanced college list
- Advise on financial fit
- Plan for and prioritize college visits
- Plan for and prioritize college visits
- Develop a plan for standardized testing
Affiliations and Accreditations
Haile Educational Consulting
Location: Leominster, MA
Services include:
- College list building
- Resume development
- Interview preparation
- Essay writing
- Application assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Barletta Eucation
Location: Lexington, MA
Services include:
- Intake and assessment
- Student discovery
- Personalized college search
- Essay support and review
- Application guidance
- Testing strategy
- Interview preparation
- Process managment
- Educational planning
Affiliations and Accreditations
Elizabeth Cooper Educational Consulting
Location: Lexington, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Schnitzer Associates
Location: Lexington, MA
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
Strategies For College
Location: Mashpee, MA
Services include:
- CUSTOM COLLEGE SEARCH
- ADMISSION APPLICATION SUPPORT
- PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT & YOUR COLLEGE MAJOR
- thorough evaluation of the high school transcript and extracurricular activities
Affiliations and Accreditations
Ivy College Consulting
Location: Mattapoisett, MA
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
Road to College
Location: Maynard, MA
Services include:
- College list building
- Essay editing
- Application preparation
- Campus visit strategies
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Quest Advising
Location: Medford, MA
Services include:
- High school course selection
- Extracurricular activities/communit service guidance
- Scholarship and financial aid research guidance
- Standardized test guidance
- College list building and selection
- Campus visit planning
- Interview preparation
- Essay development
- Resume assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Rightcollege4you
Location: Medway, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- Financial aid and graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Matlack Educational Consulting
Location: Needham, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Application assistance
- Campus visit planning
- Interview preparation
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Top College Consultants
Location: Needham, MA
Services include:
- High school course selection
- Essay development
- Major and career advising
- College search and selection
- Campus visit review
- Interview preparation
- Application assistance
- Financial aid advising
- Helping students with learning differences find support in college
Affiliations and Accreditations
Peak College Consulting
Location: Newburyport, MA
Services include:
- College research and list making
- Application assistance
- Essay Prep
- Financial aid assistance
- Recommend extracurriculars
- Graduate school advice
- Interview Preparation
- Guidance on final choices
Affiliations and Accreditations
AcceptU
Location: Newton, MA
Services include:
- Development of college preparation plan with annual goal setting
- Myers & Briggs® iStartStrong academic interest exploration
- Academic advising/course selection for all future grades
- Extracurricular profile advisement focused on leadership development
- Intellectual enrichment/academic competitions, if applicable
- Summer activity planning, including support with summer program applications/essays
- Preliminary college visits and demonstration of interest
- Diagnostic standardized testing (SAT, ACT) and score assessment
- Guided skill-building, including personal writing
- Development of college admissions strategic plan aligned with goals
- Planning college visits and demonstrating interest
- Development of balanced college list reflective of academic and personal goals
- Strategic positioning to ensure differentiation in applications
- Full application and essay support, including brainstorming, outlining and editing
- Letter of recommendation writer strategy and selection
- Final application review prior to submission
- Preparation for college admissions interviews, including mock sessions, if applicable
- Project management of application process, materials and deadlines
Affiliations and Accreditations
ArtsBridge, LLC
Location: Newton, MA
Services include:
- Assisting students applying to college in the arts
- Application guidance
- Essay coaching and editing
- College list customization
- Pre-screen and audition schedule assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Avalon Admission
Location: Newton, MA
Services include:
- Nearly 40 experience in admission consulting, with thousands sent to the Ivies
- Complete college admissions consulting
- Application help
- Application essay guidance
- College selection guidance
- Test prep
- Private high school admissions
- Boarding school admissions
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Coach
Location: Newton, MA
Services include:
- Create a personalized college list
- Provide guidance on college financing and aid negotiation
- Create an admissions action plan, with timelines and schedules
- Prepare for college interviews
- Identify opportunities and support the search for merit and private scholarships
- Strategize letters of recommendation
- Build a college résumé of academic study and extracurriculars
Affiliations and Accreditations
Head Toward College
Location: Newton Center, MA
Services include:
- College search and selectioin
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Interview preparation
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
Head Toward College
Location: Newtonville, MA
Services include:
- college selection and admissions process
- essay prep
- application review
- Accepted/Deferred/Waitlisted assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Campus Bound
Location: North Attleboro, MA
Services include:
- Identifying Colleges
- Researching Colleges
- Assistance with Essays and Applications
- Standardized Test Planning
- Supplements, Resumes and Recommendations
Affiliations and Accreditations
Farias College Admission Partners
Location: North Attleboro, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Essay development
- Application assistance
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
Compass2College
Location: Osterville, MA
Services include:
- College List & Selection
- Time Management & Application Deadlines
- Summer Application Bootcamps
- Final Matriculation Decision
- Essay assistance and review
- Mock Interview Coaching
- Graduate School Applications
- Financial Aid & Scholarship assitance
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Vibes Consulting
Location: Seekonk, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Solutions
Location: Southborough, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Edge
Location: South Darthmouth, MA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
Affiliations and Accreditations
Acheive Coach
Location: Sudbury, MA
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
AchieveCoach College Consulting
Location: Sudbury, MA
Services include:
- College list review
- Application assistance
- Essay develeoping
- Resume development
- Test planning
- Financial aid application timeline
Affiliations and Accreditations
Dana Roth Educational Consulting
Location: Sudbury, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Campus tour planning
- Interview preparation
- Essay brainstorming/editing
- Application asssistance
- Financial aid guidance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Lauren Jackson College Consulting, LLC
Location: Sudbury, MA
Services include:
- College list building and selection
- Campus visit planning
- Resume building support
- Interview preparation
- Essay review
- Application assistance
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
Arts Bridge
Location: Waltham, MA
Services include:
- Assisting students applying to college in the arts
- Application guidance
- Essay coaching and editing
- College list customization
- Pre-screen and audition schedule assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
ArtsBridge, LLC
Location: Waltham, MA
Services include:
- Assisting students applying to college in the arts
- Application guidance
- Essay coaching and editing
- College list customization
- Pre-screen and audition schedule assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
John Gray Educational Consulting
Location: Wellesley, MA
Services include:
- Course selection advice
- Recommendations on extracurricular involvement and summer activies
- Test planning
- College list building
- Interview preparation
- Application assistance
- Essay brainstorming
- Resume development
- College selection
Affiliations and Accreditations
Marcia Moor M.Ed
Location: Wellesley, MA
Services include:
- Application guidance
- College list building
- Campus visit planning
- Test preparation
- Essay assistance
- Interview coaching
Affiliations and Accreditations
Educational Directions, Inc.
Location: Westborough, MA
Services include:
- Academic consultations
- Comprehensive evaluations and academic assessments
- College and post-secondary planning and placement
- Educational planning and placement
- Therapeutic and wilderness planning and placement
Affiliations and Accreditations
Carberry College Consulting, LLC
Location: Westford, MA
Services include:
- Application guidance
- Essay revisions
- Application workshop
- Activities review
- Financial aid deadlines and application review
- Interview preparation
- Major and career exploration
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Selection & Admission Consulting
Location: Weston, MA
Services include:
- College list development and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Resume creating
- Interview preparation
Affiliations and Accreditations
Berkshire College Advising
Location: Williamstown, MA
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 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 Massachusetts
Some of the most talked about universities in Massachusetts are its private schools, including Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which also happen to be the largest. Tuition for these prestigious schools runs between $50,000 and $54,000. Students here have access to some of the top programs in the country in fields such as biology, literature, law, education, engineering, and religious studies. The alumni from New England schools are equally as impressive, including Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Gates, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
The public higher education institutes also boast top-notch programs, allowing students to pursue associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in fields like mathematics, social work, medicine, and economics. The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the state’s largest public university, offers tuition around $16,000 and serves over 28,000 students. Additionally, students who are interested in attending a religiously affiliated school have 17 options to choose from, most of which feature high graduation rates for their students. For future dental, medical, or mental health professionals, Massachusetts also offers loan forgiveness programs for those working in underserved communities.
As the port of destination for the Mayflower, home to the Plymouth colony, and site of the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts looms large in United States history, but this most populous New England state isn’t just for history buffs. The Bay State is also known for its delicious cuisine, beautiful coastlines, and devout sports fans. Not to mention, it has over 100 colleges for students to choose from.
Find a program that’s right for you and explore the best schools Massachusetts has to offer.
What are Massachusetts’ Colleges & Universities?
- 16 Research Universities
- 41 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 23 Graduate Schools
- 12 Public Colleges & Universities
- 45 Private Colleges & Universities
- 10 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 35 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 13 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 16 Community Colleges
- 23 Online Colleges
