Navigating the college admissions process can be daunting for both students and their families. With increasing competition and rising tuition costs, securing a spot at a top-tier university requires more than just good grades and test scores. This is where college counseling becomes invaluable. Expert guidance can help students present their best selves to admissions committees, strategically plan their high school years, and alleviate some of the stress associated with applications.
While college is undeniably expensive, effective college counseling doesn’t have to break the bank. Quality counseling services can offer valuable insights and support at various price points, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
In this article, we compare two prominent college counseling services: Empowerly and Ivy Coach. Our goal is to provide you with a detailed overview of each service, highlighting their strengths and unique offerings, so you can make an informed decision about which is the best fit for your family’s needs and budget.
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 Ivy Coach
Ivy Coach is a prestigious college admissions consulting service known for its track record of helping students gain admission to Ivy League and other top-tier schools. Founded by Bev Taylor about 28 years ago, Ivy Coach boasts a team of former admissions officers from elite universities, providing expert guidance on the admissions process.
Ivy Coach’s key services include:
- College Admissions Counseling
- Graduate School Admissions Counseling
- Essay Editing and Brainstorming
- SAT/ACT Tutoring
- Extracurricular and Summer Planning
- Early Decision/Early Action Strategy
- Letters of Recommendation Guidance
- Waitlist and Deferral Strategies
Ivy Coach is renowned for its high success rates, with a significant percentage of clients gaining admission to their first-choice schools. Their counselors help students craft compelling personal narratives and strategically position themselves in the competitive admissions landscape.
Service Offerings Comparison
Empowerly | Ivy Coach | |
---|---|---|
Admissions Counseling | Specializes in US-focused admissions counseling, offering tailored advice to maximize acceptance chances at top US universities. Students are able to work with their best-match counselor in addition to the entire Empowerly team. | Provides personalized guidance from former admissions officers to help students navigate the admissions process. Students work with one counselor. |
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. | Offers comprehensive essay review services, with former admissions officers helping students brainstorm and polish their essays to create compelling and authentic narratives. |
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. | Provides SAT/ACT tutoring with experienced tutors, focusing on personalized strategies to help students achieve their best possible scores. |
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. | Guides students in identifying and pursuing extracurricular activities that align with their interests and enhance their college applications. |
Financial Aid, Scholarships | Assists families with financial aid applications, scholarship searches, and college financial planning, ensuring students can afford their dream schools. | Offers support with financial aid applications and scholarships, helping families navigate the financial aspects of college admissions. However, due to the high cost of Ivy Coach’s services, few of their clients need or qualify for merit aid. |
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. | Though they do not offer additional extracurricular programs, Ivy Coach provides personalized guidance on extracurricular and summer activities, helping students stand out in the competitive admissions process. |
Customer Experiences
Empowerly | Ivy Coach | |
---|---|---|
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! | Offers robust customer support with easy access to counselors. Their counselors are experienced professionals, often former admissions officers, providing high-quality, expert advice. |
Success Rates | Boasts high success rates with students gaining admission to top US universities, including Ivy League schools. | Reports high success rates, with nearly all students gaining admission to one of their top three Ivy League and other top-tier universities. |
Testimonials | Clients frequently praise the personalized attention and comprehensive support, noting significant improvements in their applications and confidence. | Clients highlight the expertise of former admissions officers and the personalized guidance provided throughout the admissions process. |
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. | Though Ivy Coach doesn’t use a centralized portal, it provides a variety of resources to help students navigate the admissions process, including personalized essay feedback and strategic admissions advice from former admissions officers. |
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
Ivy Coach
“Ivy Coach really helped me hone in on what I needed to express to show admissions counselors who I am and what I’m all about.”
Marco, student
“Ivy Coach came in and they helped me prepare essays that showcased my skills and experiences from the military as well as highlighted my unique demographic, an Indian American veteran of the U.S. Army.”
Soutrik, student
“While looking to help our son, Alex, prepare for key college interviews spanning a list of Ivy League universities, we were very fortunate to find Ivy Coach’s website via the internet.”
Eileen, parent
Conclusion
Both Empowerly and Ivy Coach 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 to allow students to fully realize their potential.
Ivy Coach, on the other hand, offers exclusive access to expert guidance from former admissions officers and strategic admissions planning for elite universities for those willing to pay higher costs for the opportunity.
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.