How We Define Success
We don't evaluate how we're doing purely on our students' college acceptances. Why? Because there are so many things they've done well before they even meet us (GPA, test scores, extracurricular accomplishments, life in general).
We know other companies love to share fancy statistics about their success. While we have lots of great stats to share, we believe these numbers can be misleading (and in some cases deceitful). Read this blog post here if you'd like to hear the long version.
That said, we know families are often curious about the numbers, so here's a few genuine facts we consider to be worth sharing:
98%
of students we work with are accepted into the top 50 schools.
9/10
Average satisfaction rating from students who worked with our team of essay coaches
300+
Acceptances
every year, to every top college, including dozens to the Ivies.
Above and beyond the numbers, we also look to feedback from our students and families to inform us whether we're on track with our mission or not. Here, we're sharing just a few of those kind words with you.
“I remember meeting my coach and she was absolutely perfect.”
“I wasn’t really sure what the application process entailed. It was a very daunting task. The entire process with College Essay Guy is very well prepared and my one-on-one coach was absolutely perfect. She was on call pretty much 24/7 and made me feel genuinely cared for. Going through this process was 100% worth it.”
Meet Harris (Student)
Meet Albert (Student)
“I was facing the difficulties of polishing my essays.”
“College Essay Guy paired me up with the perfect counselor, who worked with me on new ideas for the storylines and helped to make me a better, more confident writer. I definitely recommend College Essay Guy.”
College Acceptances
Every year we help students get into their dream colleges all over the US, including highly-selective specialized programs, such as PLME at Brown, Huntsman at UPenn, MET at UC Berkeley and many more.
This is only a small sample (about 1/3rd) of the students we worked with the past two years, since we don’t typically track down (and pester) students to ask where they ended up going. Why? We’d rather they reach out to us to share where they got in or where they’re going. But many parents do ask us about this information, so we’re happy to share the data we have.
This is only a small sample (about 1/3rd) of the students we worked with the past two years, since we don’t typically track down (and pester) students to ask where they ended up going. Why? We’d rather they reach out to us to share where they got in or where they’re going. But many parents do ask us about this information, so we’re happy to share the data we have.
| College or University | Acceptances |
|---|---|
| American University | 5 |
| Amherst College | 3 |
| Barnard College | 3 |
| Babson College | 1 |
| Boston College | 9 |
| Boston University | 14 |
| Brandeis University | 4 |
| Brigham Young University | 1 |
| Brown University | 16 |
| Bowdoin College | 1 |
| Brown Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) | 1 |
| Bryn Mawr College | 1 |
| California Institute of Technology | 3 |
| California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | 16 |
| Cambridge University | 1 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 18 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 12 |
| Colby College | 1 |
| Chapman University | 15 |
| Claremont McKenna College | 2 |
| College of William and Mary | 4 |
| Columbia University | 13 |
| Cornell University | 24 |
| Dartmouth College | 7 |
| Duke University | 14 |
| Emory University | 8 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - FL | 3 |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | 2 |
| George Washington University | 11 |
| Georgetown University | 9 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 15 |
| Harvard University | 4 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 7 |
| Harvey Mudd College | 2 |
| Indiana University | 11 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 7 |
| Loyola Marymount University | 13 |
| New York University | 16 |
| Northeastern University | 21 |
| Northwestern University | 8 |
| Oberlin College | 2 |
| College or University | Acceptances |
|---|---|
| Occidental College | 3 |
| Pitzer College | 1 |
| Pomona College | 3 |
| Princeton University | 8 |
| Purdue University | 28 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 10 |
| Rice University | 8 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 6 |
| Santa Clara University | 15 |
| Stanford University | 11 |
| Swarthmore College | 2 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | 3 |
| Texas A&M University | 8 |
| The New School - Eugene Lang College for Liberal Arts | 4 |
| Tufts University | 14 |
| Tulane University | 5 |
| University of California (UCs) | 76 |
| UCLA | 26 |
| UC Berkeley | 24 |
| University of British Columbia | 3 |
| University of Chicago | 8 |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 13 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 23 |
| University of Maryland | 9 |
| University of Michigan | 17 |
| University of Michigan - Ross | 5 |
| University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill | 15 |
| University of Pennsylvania - College of Arts & Sciences | 14 |
| University of Pennsylvania - Hunstsman Program in International Studies and Business | 9 |
| University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School | 9 |
| University of Southern California | 31 |
| University of St Andrews | 3 |
| University of Texas at Austin | 24 |
| University of Virginia | 15 |
| University of Washington - Seattle | 26 |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | 16 |
| Vanderbilt University | 12 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 12 |
| Wake Forest University | 5 |
| Wellesley College | 5 |
| Wesleyan University | 5 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 11 |
| Williams College | 5 |
| Yale University | 6 |
Our Approach to College Admissions Support
Personalization
We help students dig deep and understand their values and superpowers, meaning we don't use template advice or strategies.
A Veteran Team
We believe strongly in bringing on the most experienced college counselors and essay specialists. Our coaches are the best in the world.
A Trusted Process
For 15 years, our approach has helped students navigate the admissions process, craft compelling essays, and so amazing results (and acceptances) follow.
“My main issue was getting organized with my ideas.”
“Working with my College Essay Guy one-on-one coach helped me to stop second guessing myself and find the one idea to get started with. I feel like I’m a much stronger writer now. It was definitely worth the effort and I would recommend the program to students looking for a strong sense of direction.”
Meet Katelyn (Student)
We're Popular with Parents Too
“Cannot imagine going through this process without you. The process flow is terrific with the value brainstorming at the beginning and the thoughtful essay shaping to bring out the story behind the applicant. Highly recommend.”
— Nika K.
“College Essay Guy is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! We could not be pleased more with how Kate and Ethan worked with our son. They took away the stress of the application process and writing essays from us and made our son a better, more confident writer in the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!”
— Aida N.
“College Essay Guy reduced our family's stress, increased my daughter's confidence, and kept her on schedule while helping her create fantastic essays that reflected her personality and future goals--priceless!”
— Sarah K.
“Best investment I have ever made for my college-bound child. I truly feel working with CEG made all the difference in submitting a polished, well-read application.”
— CEG Parent
“I was really amazed by how transformative the process was. How my son’s personal essay evolved, and the finished product really reflected him. When I read it for the first time, there was no doubt that it could have been anyone else as the subject in the essay. It was authentic. Jon did a really great job helping with that process, and was incredibly patient with my son! Thank you!”
— Donna J.
“CEG challenging my son to stretch & think outside the box while he wrote his essays. They truly pushed him to stretch his thoughts, to explore himself deeper, and produce beautiful essays that are so reflective of his personality & achievements. He might have not been to able to write them without the proper guidance.”
— CEG Parent
“CEG used a survey and an interview to learn about my teen and used those data in such a way that he was matched with a coach that was perfect for him---the coach really understood my teen, his needs, strengths, weaknesses. They worked together, had their own "writing cocoon," as I called it, and the essays produced were amazing and really represented my teen well. All 13 applications were complete and uploaded well before Thanksgiving. It was the best money I spent all year.”
— CEG Parent
“I would highly recommend College Essay Guy to anyone. Their expertise and professionalism was of the highest caliber, and I truly felt their value was worth the investment.”
— CEG Parent
“Nicole was terrific! Ciara really looked forward to her sessions with her. She provided concrete tasks and kept the process moving forward. Ciara says that her writing in general is much stronger because of her work with Nicole and it is showing in her school work. We knew nothing about US universities and what they look for, so this essay guidance was very very helpful!”
— CEG Parent
“CEG helped our son to organize his thoughts. They brought out great writing and built up his confidence. Our coach was just incredible. So supportive and encouraging. My son loved him. You guys really made what could have been a super stressful time fun. I cannot say enough good things about you.”
— CEG Parent
Just a few of our recent acceptances...
Lasya's going to University of Texas at Austin
“Please go with CEG. The experience with this company is far more authentic, more reliable, and simply better than with anyone else. (Trust me, I tried Princeton Review.) Nothing even comes close to the attention and vast support that your child will receive with CEG. I was terrified of college apps before. Working with CEG didn't just help me get them done — it taught me that I can tackle even the things I'm scared of, and that's a valuable lesson that you won't get from another company.”
Other Acceptances
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of California, San Diego
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Kamini's going to UC Berkeley
“By working with CEG, I was forced to really reflect on my experiences and identify what truly makes me special. While it was a grueling process, having a mentor who could talk me through it and give me fresh insight on my essays made the experience a lot more productive! Thanks to CEG, I got into my dream school!”
Other Acceptances
- Georgetown University
- University of Michigan
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of California Berkeley
- University of California Santa Cruz
- University of California San Diego
Andie's going to Boston University
“Working with College Essay Guy, specifically Nicole, was truly fantastic. As someone who considers myself an average writer at best, I had a lot of fear when faced with the 25+ essays I had to write. CEG broke it down into manageable pieces with clear examples to inspire me and, after many rounds of feedback and revisions, I was able to write deeply personal and finely-crafted essays that I showcase all the parts of myself that make me who I am.”
Other Acceptances
- University of Texas at Austin
- New York University
Aida's going to USC
“The CEG team has been phenomenal in this whole process. When I approached Ethan in late November, I was really distressed as the application deadlines were around the corner. Despite the late timing, Ethan and the CEG team welcomed me with open arms and trudged along with me every step of the way to complete the process. It's rare to find strangers who truly care about you and want to help you in everyway possible, and I think the CEG team really challenges those stereotypes with finesse.”
Other Acceptances
- Emory University
- Boston University
- George Washington University
- Northeastern University
- Clemson University
- American University
- University of Miami
Kajal's going to Yale University
“Ethan, Mindi, and the rest of the College Essay Guy team were amazing in every sense of the word. I'm a very feedback-driven person, and their constant back-and-forth communication with me on what works and doesn't work in each of my essays taught me how to become a better writer and have better college essays.”
Other Acceptances
- Boston University
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Emory University
- Johns Hopkins University
- New York University
- Rice University
- University of California Berkeley
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of California San Diego
- University of Michigan
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Southern California
- University of Virginia
- Washington University in St. Louis
Maya's going to UC Santa Barbara
“Everyone from the College Essay Guy team was super encouraging and quick to give feedback. Alexis, my coach, was super supportive through the whole process and helpful in making decisions. Ethan’s feedback was reassuring and challenged me to dig deeper. I would definitely recommend CEG to anyone applying to college.”
Other Acceptances
- University of California Davisv
- University of California Santa Cruz
- San Diego State University
- California Polytechnic State University
- Loyola Marymount University
- University of San Diego
- Santa Clara University
Pratibha's going to NYU
“I cannot recommend CEG enough. I started with them really late and I was very stressed out because I had written up a jumbled mess of thoughts. Amanda gave me multiple appointments and within three weeks, my essays started to look really good. We went through a process of concisely summarizing everything. I gained a lot more confidence as I went through the process.”
Other Acceptances
- University of Washington (Seattle and Bothel campuses)
- New York University
- Allegheny College
- Reed College
- University of San Francisco
- University of Arizona
- University of Montana
- Michigan State University
- Oregon State University
- University of Oregon
- University of Nevada Las Vegas
Kaina's going to UCLA
“Working with the College Essay Guy team and my counselor has really helped me with the college admission process as a whole and has made it a lot easier. It has taught me skills on how to write my essays creatively using methods and techniques I would've never thought of on my own. The process also helped me learn more about how my everyday experiences and activities have shaped who I am and my values.”
Other Acceptances
- Boston University
- Boston College
- Northeastern University
- University of California Berkeley
- University of California Santa Barbara
- University of California San Diego
- University of California Davis
- University of California Irvine
- University of Southern California
- Santa Clara University
- Penn State University
- University of Maryland
