From high-pressure life decisions to high-stakes classroom exams, it’s hard to be a teenager these days. College is no different! Navigating the college admissions process can be overwhelming, but finding the right college counseling service can make all the difference at this critical age. Effective college counseling not only helps students gain acceptance to their dream schools but also sets them up for long-term success in college and beyond.
While college is undeniably expensive, a quality college counseling service doesn’t have to be. Empowerly and InGenius Prep are two top contenders in this field, each offering unique strengths. Let’s dive into a detailed comparison to help you find the best fit for your needs!
To help you make an informed decision, we’re here to provide you with a comparison between two of the top college counseling contenders: Empowerly and InGenius Prep.
Overview of Empowerly
Empowerly College Counseling, based in the United States, has helped thousands of students get accepted to their top-choice programs. The team consists of graduates from top US colleges with expertise in a variety of subjects including STEM, pre-med, business, and the humanities. The co-founders, Hanmei Wu and Changxiao Xie, are UC Berkeley and Princeton graduates, respectively. Both have diverse backgrounds in education which led them to create this student-focused company.
Empowerly’s key services include:
- College Admissions Committee Review
- Best-Match College Admissions Counseling
- Essay Editing from the Editor Team
- Expert Advice from the Resource Team
- Startup Internships, Research, and AI Programs
- College Financial Planning
Diverse Pool of Counselors with Broad-Ranging Specialties, Including:
- Former Admissions Officers
- Arts Portfolio Submissions
- Collegiate Sports Recruitment Strategy
- Joint BS/MD Programs for Pre-Med Students
- Elite Engineering Programs
This company also pioneered the Empowerly Score®, the first comprehensive evaluation tool for students that includes both qualitative and quantitative aspects of their college application profile. This tool allows students to target improvement more effectively to become competitive for their target universities based on evidence-based, results-proven strategies.
Overview of InGenius Prep
InGenius Prep is a college admissions consulting service based in New Haven, Connecticut, focusing a team approach to help students stand out from the competition and earn acceptances to top schools. The company was founded by co-founders Joel Butterly and Yosepha Greenfield, both Yale alumni, in 2013. As one of the largest teams of over 150 former admissions officers on staff, InGenius affords each of their hundreds of students close access to pro guidance.
InGenius’s key services include:
- Undergraduate College Admissions
- Graduate College Admissions
- Career Counseling
- Private High School Admissions
- Academic Mentorships and Writing Classes
This college counseling program focuses on a dual-mentor system, where students work with two counselors—a Former Admissions Officer and a Graduate Coach. Alongside their academic development programs, this two-pronged mentorship structure defines the InGenius Prep counseling approach.
Service Offerings Comparison
Empowerly | InGenius Prep | |
---|---|---|
Admissions Counseling | Specializes in US-focused admissions counseling, offering tailored advice to maximize acceptance chances at top US and North American universities. | Also focuses on US college admissions, helping students with admissions to top high schools, undergraduate universities, and graduate programs. |
Essay Review | Counselors provide detailed, iterative feedback on essays throughout the writing process, helping students refine their narratives to highlight their strengths and unique qualities. In addition, the dedicated essay editor team includes experienced writers who understand what top US colleges seek in applicants, providing final line-by-line revisions seamlessly integrated within the student experience. | The dual-mentor system provides students with guidance through every step of the process, including topic selection and essay editing. |
Test Preparation | Offers comprehensive test preparation services for a wide variety of standardized tests required for US college admissions. Their test prep program includes personalized tutoring, customized study plans, and access to a variety of practice materials. Empowerly’s test prep is designed to address each student’s unique strengths and weaknesses, so students benefit from experienced tutors, regular progress tracking, and strategic test-taking techniques to achieve their best scores. | Any test preparation or specific academic guidance is part of the student’s overall “Candidacy Building” phase before the application process begins. |
Extracurricular Guidance | Supports students in developing robust extracurricular profiles, advising on meaningful activities, leadership roles, and community service. Through the Empowerly Portal, students gain access to a wealth of resources, including extracurricular opportunities for high school students. These programs are designed to provide students with distinctive experiences and skills that stand out in their college applications. | Helps students “engage in unique extracurricular activities, strengthen your personal qualities, and hone your leadership skills.” InGenius also features an online extracurricular opportunity database for students. |
Financial Aid, Scholarships | Assists families with financial aid applications, scholarship searches, and college financial planning, ensuring students can afford their dream schools. | InGenius offers some pro bono services, stating that they help select scholarship students each cycle navigate the financial aid process in addition to their college application support. |
Special Programs | Features in-house programs such as startup internships, research opportunities, and AI initiatives, in addition to highly-customizable passion projects, allowing students to gain unique experiences and skills. | Offers in-house options for academic mentorship, internships, and writing development, giving students the opportunity to branch out and grow their skills. |
Customer Experiences
Empowerly | InGenius Prep | |
---|---|---|
Customer Support & Accessibility | Known for its responsive customer support and personalized approach. Counselors are readily accessible, and scheduling sessions is straightforward, ensuring students receive timely guidance. Each student family is assigned a Community Manager to ensure your journey is smooth! | Students are assigned a Progress Manager to oversee their journey from a support perspective. |
Success Rates | Boasts high success rates with students gaining admission to top US universities, including Ivy League schools. | Reports extremely high success rates, with students gaining admission to excellent schools within their range. |
Testimonials | Clients frequently praise the personalized attention and comprehensive support, noting significant improvements in their applications and confidence. | Many students and families appreciate the years of firsthand experience that former admissions officers can bring to the table. |
Technology & Resources | Offers a range of digital resources through the Empowerly Portal, including scholarship databases, activity lists, and examples of successful essays. Students also have access to robust essay editing, personal resource requests, application reviews, and college list verification—all in one, convenient place. As mentioned previously, the Empowerly Score® system within the Portal provides students with the opportunity to apply data-backed strategies to improve their chances of acceptance. | Similar to Empowerly, all meetings are conducted digitally, and students contact their counseling team through email. InGenius also provides online resources through their website for clients, where students can access their accounts. |
Family Testimonials
Empowerly
“I interviewed many college admission counselors and Empowerly stood out with its innovative, fresh approach. Our college admissions counselor was very helpful and a great fit, helping my son with the entire process. The AdComm Review was incredible, giving valuable brutally honest feedback. My son applied to various competitive EECS/CS programs and he was accepted early to UC Berkeley (his top choice!) as a Regent’s and Chancellor’s Scholar.”
Rachel, parent
“When my daughter started with Empowerly in 10th grade, she immediately connected with her counselor Brooke, who helped her build her resume for the pre-med track. We can’t say enough good things about Brooke! Additionally, the awesome Empowerly team helped immensely with finding a UCSF research internship and editing essays. If you’re a parent unsure of which counselor to pick, look no further and contact Empowerly.”
Nancy, parent
“Empowerly counseling was a very personal experience where I was encouraged to pursue my interests. If you’re wondering about how effective the process is, I would say that I accomplished more than I expected and I got into schools that would have been out of my reach otherwise.”
Casey, student
InGenius Prep
“We are so excited! We are on Cloud 9. We can’t thank you enough for all the care that you took with our son. The best part was he had such a positive outside perspective to balance his school’s crazy, competitive college admissions process.
Z.W., parent
“I wanted to let you know that my son has received admission to Vanderbilt and Rice… We are soooo proud and grateful for all your support through the application process, I saw how hard you worked with him.”
A.D., parent
“I’m proud to say I’ve been admitted to the Artificial Intelligence Program at U of Pennsylvania! Thank you so much for helping me through the application process. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
M.Z., student
Conclusion
Both Empowerly and InGenius Prep offer comprehensive college counseling services with distinct strengths.
Empowerly excels in US-focused admissions counseling, personalized support, and innovative tools like the Empowerly Score®. They provide extensive test prep, essay editing, extracurricular guidance, and unique programs such as internships and research opportunities.
InGenius Prep, on the other hand, emphasizes their years of experience on staff through former admissions officers. Their two-pronged counseling approach, working with admissions pros and graduate students, may appeal to families who prioritize this factor.
For students targeting top US universities and seeking tailored expert guidance, Empowerly is an excellent choice. To discuss your specific needs and determine the best fit for your student, schedule a consultation with Empowerly today and take the first step toward achieving your academic goals.