CollegewiseFounded in 1999, Collegewise is on a mission to help students access the transformative power of higher education. As the largest private college counseling company in the United States, Collegewise leverages the power of more than 130 admissions experts to help students identify the best possible fit of a university they can flourish in while also bringing fun into the college application process. Over the last 25 years, Collegewise experts have studied the changing landscape, identified the stressors and pain points of the whole process, and designed an approach to give more than 36,000 students the right information and tools to help guide them toward college. Collegewise prides itself on how much experience its counselors have (they hire and train the top talent in the space) and the tools they offer students, and this approach has brought incredibly happy successes with their students, which is why 9 out of 10 families recommend Collegewise to their friends.
Collegewise (collegewise.com) has 606 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
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Max P.
Sarah was very helpful and on top of every deadline
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you for your kind note. We’re glad to hear Sarah was helpful and kept everything on track with deadlines throughout the process. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!
Max G.
I had Sarah Turner as my college counselor, and I couldn’t recommend her more. She was extremely helpful in keeping me on top of my deadlines and assignments. Sarah is an excellent communicator and was always quick to set up meetings after I reached out. In addition, she was very accurate in predicting admission decisions and helped me build a well-balanced college list. I wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without her support and guidance. I ended up getting into—and enrolling in—one of my reach schools, which I believe is largely due to Sarah’s strategic counseling. If you’re looking for someone reliable, supportive, and helpful throughout the college application process, I highly recommend working with Sarah Turner and Collegewise.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. We’re so glad to hear that Sarah provided reliable, supportive guidance throughout your college application process and helped you stay organized and on track with deadlines and meetings. It’s wonderful that her support with building a balanced college list and navigating decisions contributed to such a strong outcome, including your admission and enrollment at a reach school. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are grateful you chose Collegewise to support you through this journey.
hong W.
I am so grateful that my son had such an outstanding experience working with Jared Rivers at Collegewise. I was first introduced to Collegewise through its free webinars. After that, I had a long conversation with one of the intake counselors, who thoughtfully matched our son with Mr. River. He is incredibly experienced and turned out to be the perfect fit for our family. As immigrants and a first-generation parent, Jared’s help meant a tremendous amount to me. He was always thinking ahead, taking his time, and guiding us with care through every step of the process. He created a college application action plan that worked around our son’s very busy schedule, and he truly listened to what mattered most to him. Mr. Rivers was not only patient with our son, but with parents as well. He took the time to answer all of my questions and made me feel supported throughout the entire journey. With Mr. Rivers' help, my son was recently admitted ED1 and will be attending his first-choice college this fall. Thank you! I would highly recommend him to any family that needs help navigating the college application process.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We’re truly grateful to hear that Jared provided such thoughtful, patient, and proactive support throughout your family’s college application journey. It’s especially meaningful to know he was able to guide your son with a personalized plan that fit his busy schedule, while also making the process feel clear and manageable for you as parents. We’re thrilled about your son’s Early Decision admission to his first-choice college and are honored to have played a small part in that outcome. Thank you again for your trust and recommendation.
Beth O.
Our experience with Collegewise—and especially with our counselor, Lori Jones—was truly exceptional. From the very beginning of our college search journey, Collegewise made what can be an overwhelming process feel manageable, personalized, and even exciting. Our son is passionate about pursuing a major in Marine Biology, and Lori helped guide him thoughtfully toward finding universities that were the best academic and personal fit. We began working with Lori during our son’s sophomore year of high school, and her guidance from that early stage made an enormous difference. Lori took the time to work directly with our son, getting to know his interests, strengths, goals, and expectations for college. With that foundation, she helped him realistically narrow down schools and refine his expectations, while always keeping his long-term goals in mind. Lori was instrumental in advising our son on course selection to strengthen his academic profile, helping him decide between the SAT and ACT, and guiding him through every decision point with patience and clarity. As the application process approached, both Collegewise and Lori provided invaluable support with college essays, applications, deadlines, and all the details that come with applying to universities. What truly set Lori apart was her accessibility and dedication. She consistently made time to meet with our son and with us as parents, answering our questions and helping us navigate this process for the first time. Her extensive experience was especially reassuring when it came to understanding the financial aid process, and her calm, knowledgeable approach helped reduce our stress every step of the way. Overall, we cannot recommend Collegewise strongly enough—and Lori Jones in particular. She was a key factor in making this long and complex journey not only successful, but also positive and reassuring for our entire family. Thanks to Lori and Collegewise, the college search process felt less intimidating and far more empowering. Our experience was truly outstanding.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful review. We’re thrilled to hear that Lori was able to make the college search feel more manageable, personalized, and even exciting for your family, especially as your son explored his passion for Marine Biology. It’s wonderful that her early guidance, from course selection and testing strategy to building a thoughtful college list, helped set a strong foundation for his process. We’re especially glad her accessibility, calm support, and experience with financial aid helped reduce stress and give your family confidence along the way. We truly appreciate your trust in Collegewise and are so happy to have been part of such an important chapter for your family.
Sudheer R.
Collegewise is a terrific service! We signed our son up during his sophomore year and it was one of the best decisions we made. Our son worked with Jessica Strange, and she helped him tremendously. In particular, she helped fine tune his college essays. He got into his top choice! I would wholeheartedly recommend Jessica and the Collegewise staff to help with your student's college planning
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review. We’re thrilled to hear that working with Jessica made such a positive impact on your son’s college journey, especially in refining his essays and helping him put forward his strongest application. It’s wonderful news that he was accepted to his top choice. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are grateful you trusted Collegewise to support your family through this important process.
Modupe O.
Our Collegewise counsellor was Jared Rivers, we first met with Jared in spring of 2025, having never gone through the college application process in the U.S., it was such a relief to have Jared hold our hands through the entire process from A - Z. There was instant connection between my college bound son and Jared. Jared would gently nudge him to complete essays, gave tips on taking ACTs vs SATs, plus he shared his personal college experiences which really brought it home to my son and I. He was always available to answer even the simplest questions, above all he personally contacted some universities on our behalf to get clarification on their requirements, he definitely spoke their language! Working with Jared felt like sharing our college application journey with an experienced and very calm family member! Jared was not fazed by my son's not too stellar GPA at the start of the process, he kept a positive spin on everything and encouraged him to keep working hard which paid off. We applied to a total of 20 colleges and he was accepted to 11 of them! We are grateful to have been connected with Collegewise and especially to our counsellor, Jared. It was definitely money well spent. Thank you Jared, thank you Collegewise, we would highly recommend this College tutoring company to any family seeking college admission guidance.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We’re truly glad to hear that Jared provided steady, knowledgeable support throughout your family’s college application journey and helped make a complex process feel more manageable from start to finish. It’s wonderful that he was able to connect with your son, keep him motivated, and provide clarity on everything from testing strategy to application requirements, including those extra steps to reach out to universities on your behalf. We’re especially happy to hear about your son’s outcomes across so many applications. We appreciate your trust in Collegewise and are grateful you chose to work with us.
Jes T.
Quality advice and caring support. I wholeheartedly recommend the firm. Our counselor Jared was insightful, responsive and patient throughout the process. He represented the firm well and was flexible to my son's situation. Undoubtedly the firm's guidance led to more acceptances and from better schools.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. We’re glad to hear that Jared provided insightful, responsive, and patient support throughout your son’s college journey and was able to adapt to his needs along the way. It’s wonderful to know you felt well supported and that the guidance helped open up strong college options. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are grateful you chose to work with Collegewise.
Erin W.
We had a great experience working with Tanner for SAT prep. He was easy to work with, encouraging, and really knew the test well. He adjusted each session to focus on what my son needed most, which made a big difference. My son is going into the SAT feeling prepared and confident, which is exactly what we were hoping for. I’d definitely recommend Tanner to other families.
Response from CollegewiseMay 12, 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We’re so glad to hear that Tanner was able to provide focused, personalized support and help your son feel prepared and confident going into the SAT. It’s great to know the sessions were tailored to his needs and made a real difference. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are grateful you chose to work with us!
