College Admissions Counselors in Virginia
Find college admissions counselors in Virginia. 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 Virginia
Agencies are listed alphabetically within their cities.
Independent School Options
Location: Alexandria, VA
Services include:
- K-12 Independent School Options for Students with Learning Differences
Affiliations and Accreditations
SJC College Counseling, LLC
Location: Clifton, VA
Services include:
- Early Planning beginning in Middle School
- Admissins Guidance
- Career Development
- Major Selection
- Resumes and Interviews" College Exploratoin
- College Affordabiltiy
- Financial Aid Applications
- Application Timelines
- Essay Feedback
- Correspondence with Admissions Office
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Solutions
Location: Glen Allen, VA
Services include:
- College search and selection
- Application assistance
- Essay development
- Financial aid overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
Roemer Educational Consulting, LLC
Location: Great Falls, VA
Services include:
- Complete college application oversight and assistance
- Personalized "Best Fit" college recommendations including schools in the safety, target and reach categories as well as the potential for merit aid
- Strategic guidance on application timeline (i.e., Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision)
- Complete essay brainstorming, development and editing services
- Development of detailed student college application resume to present your student in the best possible light
- Evaluation of and recommendations on future college admissions testing
- Advice on high school course selection
- Guidance on extracurricular and summer activities
- Scholarship search and application assistance
- Admissions interview preparation
- Advice on final enrollment decision-making.
Affiliations and Accreditations
Admission Styles
Location: Leesburg, VA
Services include:
- Review of Student’s educational history
- Guidance regarding future high school curriculum planning
- Research and assistance with planning summer and extracurricular activities
- Discussion of standardized test preparation and scheduling
- Planning academic course schedules
- Building and organizing an extracurricular list
- Planning testing schedule and strategies
- dentifying colleges that are appropriate matches for the Student and developing a personalized list of schools
- Guidance regarding college visits and interview preparation
- Guiding the application process and timetable
Affiliations and Accreditations
Creative College Connections
Location: Leesburg, VA
Services include:
- Guidance to Select Colleges
- Advice on Extracurriculars
- Personality,career and learning assessments
- SAT/ACT Diagnostic with Recommendaitons
- Summer Planning
- Application Guidance and Review
- Essay Brainstorm, Development and Review
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
- Strategic Advice on Deferrals and Wait Lists
- Transition to College Meeting
Affiliations and Accreditations
Point A College Counseling
Location: McLean, VA
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
PrepMatters
Location: McLean, VA
Services include:
- College selection
- Application guidance
- Essay review
- Graduate school advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Apha College Admissions Consulting LLC
Location: Midlothian, VA
Services include:
- Review of Student/Parent Educational and College Preference Questionnaires, Learning Sytle and Career Assessments
- Review and Recommendations re: High School Curriculum, Grades and Standardized Testing
- Review of Volunteer Work
- Education on the College Admission Process
- Access to College Planning Software Platform
- Developing Good Fit College List
- Creating/Refining Resume and Personal STatement
- Interview Preparation
- Application Timeline
- Consultation on Acceptance and Financial Aid Offers
- Advising for LD and ADHD Students
- Advising for Freshmen Course Selection
Affiliations and Accreditations
College Primed, LLC
Location: Midlothian, VA
Services include:
- Early Start Services beginning in Grade 7
- Self Assessments, Personalized Action Timeline
- Review of Academic Transcript
- Standardized Test Timeline
- Best Fit College List
- Guidance on Internships and Summer Employment, Essay Support
- Evaluate the pros and cons of apply Early Decision, Early Action or Regular
- Explore Financial Aid Options
- Interview Preparation
- Review Common App
- Managing Deferrals and Waitlist
- Advisement on College Enrollment
Affiliations and Accreditations
Upward College Planning LLC
Location: Oakton, VA
Services include:
- Self Discovery
- College Discovery
- College Admissions
- Essay Feedback
- Resume Review
- Interview Preparation
- Standardized Test Plan
- Extracurricular and Summer Activities Plan
- Financial Aid Overview
Affiliations and Accreditations
JCF CONSULTING
Location: Potomac Falls, VA
Services include:
- College lists
- college search
- application assistance
- test prep
- decision assistance
- essay assistance
Affiliations and Accreditations
Burke-Little & Associates, Inc.
Location: Richmond, VA
Services include:
- NATSAP
Affiliations and Accreditations
Champion College Counseling
Location: Richmond, VA
Services include:
- Academic Planning/Course Selection
- College List Compilation & Analysis
- Standardized Test Strategies
- Application Walk-Through & Review
- Tackling the College Essays
- Preparation for Campus Visits & Interviews
- Activity & Extracurricular Resumés
- Scholarship Advising
Affiliations and Accreditations
Craig College Counseling
Location: Richmond, VA
Services include:
- Website Broken
Affiliations and Accreditations
Open Doors College Consulting
Location: Richmond, VA
Services include:
- Organizational Timeline
- Interview for College Preferences
- Review of Prior Academic Accomplishments
- High School Course Selection
- Testing Recommendations
- Right Fit College List
- Planning and Practice for College Visits and Interviews
- Assistance in Identifying and Applying for Financial Aid
- Acceptance Decision Making Support
Affiliations and Accreditations
Lives Under Construction, LLC
Location: Springfield, VA
Services include:
- Classes and Camps on the Application Process, Essay Writing
- Finding and Applying for Internships
- Clarifying Educational Goals
Affiliations and Accreditations
Minerva Education Consulting
Location: Ware Neck, VA
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
Rambo Research and Consulting LLC
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Services include:
- Research Best Colleges and Majors
- Evaluate Competitiveness
- Personal and Academic Assessment
- Major Choice
- Admission Task Planning
- Essay Topic Choice
- College Form Review
- Scholarship Identification
- Interview and Portfolio Preparation
- Financial Aid Guidance
Affiliations and Accreditations
JENN THE TUTOR
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Services include:
- TEST-OPTIONAL CONSULTING
- MERIT AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS CONSULTING
- ADMISSIONS CONSULTING
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 Virginia
Liberty University, a private Christian school in Lynchburg, is the largest school in Virginia, serving over 60,000 students. The largest public university, Virginia Tech, has a student population of about half that but offers many in-person degree programs as well as eight master’s programs and 19 certificate programs online. Students who attend Virginia Tech can pursue fields like engineering, criminal justice, education, and business.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
The majority of Virginia’s universities and colleges could be considered small schools, serving populations of less than 5,000 students. Included on this list are public schools, like Christopher Newport University in Newport News, and private schools, like Hampton University, a historically black university in Hampton. Though most of its higher education institutes charge tuition fees above the national average, Virginia offers several loan forgiveness programs for qualifying attorneys and medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical professionals.
Virginia is perhaps most famous for its rich history - but the state is also home to many unique museums and famous landmarks. For example, those who love the classics can visit the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond. Those who harbor romantic dreams of espionage and intrigue might visit the CIA Museum in McLean. And, if you like your attractions random, you could check out Virginia’s 300-yard-long natural tunnel or its 29-ton spinning granite ball. While you’re here, you might consider attending one of the 78 colleges located in the state.
Learn more about Virginia’s higher education opportunities by checking out the state’s many colleges and universities.
What are Virginia’s Colleges & Universities?
- 11 Research Universities
- 32 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 16 Graduate Schools
- 15 Public Colleges & Universities
- 28 Private Colleges & Universities
- 17 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 31 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 21 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 26 Community Colleges
- 15 Online Colleges
