Zenith Prep Academy is a premier college counseling company dedicated to helping students achieve their highest potential for college admissions and beyond. We combine personalized strategy with institutional expertise. Every client works directly with a team of specialists, and receives a tailored roadmap built around their unique story to help them achieve their goals. Our services span the full admissions journey, but goes so far beyond that. We work to externally validate student passions to signal top university admissions officers the buying criteria they are looking for in the next admissions class.What sets Zenith apart is our philosophy: we optimize for the student first. We call it Growth Equity for Kids — a long-term, profile-building approach that prioritizes authentic development over short-term tactics. The result is students who don't just gain admission to exceptional schools; they arrive ready to lead.From foundational programs to our industry-leading Super Guarantee, Zenith Prep Academy can offer a service for every family, and a commitment to excellence at every level.Your student's potential is limitless. We help them prove it.
Zenith Prep Academy (zenithprepacademy.com) has 84 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.
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Education Services · Washington, District of Columbia
Excellent
Education Services · Colorado Springs, Colorado
Excellent
Education Services · Harrisburg, North Carolina
Excellent
Education Services · Rockville, Maryland
Excellent
Showing 71 reviews with 5 stars · Clear filters
Claire
Sam Deery-Schmitt is my college counselor at Zenith. I am a rising junior, and he has been extremely helpful toward my growth as a student, both academically and mentally. He is very organized and encourages reflection and preparation. His guidance, advice, and feedback have been so valuable. Working with him has been a super cool experience!
Haritha G.
We are having a great experience working with Stefan Waldschmidt from Zenith Prep Academy. Stefan truly took the time to get to know our son, helping him build a strong profile and work on various projects to strengthen his profile for college admissions. Stefan's guidance gave our son confidence to aim for top schools, and we are so grateful for the personalized support.
PK
The ongoing extracurricular preparation guidance, and regular check-ins leading up to the application process helped a lot. Our counselor Jake was very caring, suggested different opportunities and supported the progress.
Hillary Y.
We have had a wonderful experience working with Zenith, and especially with Sam. Our child has followed a somewhat unusual educational path: partly homeschooled, highly curious, and often needing support that does not fit neatly into a standard school structure. As working parents, we wanted guidance from people who understood both advanced academics and the broader process of helping a young person grow into a strong, purposeful applicant over time. Zenith has been exactly that kind of partner. What we have appreciated most is that Sam has taken the time to understand our child as a whole person. He has helped us think not just about courses and test scores, but about how to develop real interests, make thoughtful choices, and build a coherent path. Over time, interests that began more casually — including guitar and math — have become much deeper commitments with measurable successes and clear paths forward. Zenith helped us see how to support that growth in a way that felt authentic rather than forced and that has become a joy rather than a chore to our son. Sam has also brought a level of domain knowledge that would have been very hard for us to replicate on our own. He has helped us identify resources, programs, outside classes, and online options that we simply would not have known about otherwise. He has also been invaluable in helping our son become more organized and intentional. With a mix of advanced academics, music, math, rowing, and other commitments, it would be easy for things to become scattered or overwhelming. Sam helped us think through priorities, balance, and planning so that our child could pursue ambitious goals while still keeping the overall picture manageable. Zenith has also helped us navigate advanced coursework and a nontraditional schooling setup. They helped us identify resources, think through AP and college-level classes for a younger kid, and find support in areas like English and writing when our sonwas not enrolled in a regular program. For a student whose needs do not fit perfectly into a conventional school path, that kind of flexible, individualized guidance has been incredibly valuable. Overall, Zenith has helped us move from simply trying to manage an unusual educational situation to feeling like we are building a thoughtful long-term path. Sam’s guidance has helped our child become more focused, more confident, and more intentional about his interests and goals. For families hoping to support a motivated student in becoming not just academically strong, but genuinely well-rounded child, prepared for future opportunities, I would highly recommend Zenith.
Rosane C.
We started with Zenith over 16 months ago, and my daughter was initially paired with an amazing consultant. About nine months in, she moved on, and another strategist took over. While she was very kind, she ultimately was not the right fit for what my daughter needed. After a couple of months, I reached out to Zenith to request a consultant who was a better match - someone who could be both caring and supportive while also providing structure, accountability, and guidance. The Family Success Specialist took the time to listen to my concerns and understand exactly what my daughter needed, and they matched her with Bec Brady. Four months later, it feels as though Bec has been with us from the very beginning. She seamlessly picked up where we left off, quickly understood my daughter’s goals, and has consistently focused on what she needs while genuinely listening to her. Thanks to Bec’s guidance, my daughter is heading into her junior year with a strong and well-defined plan. She has already been accepted into two summer programs that were at the top of her list, and Bec has been instrumental in keeping her motivated, encouraged, and on track throughout the process. We feel incredibly positive about the future and are confident that my daughter is well-positioned to gain admission to the school of her dreams. We are truly grateful for Bec’s dedication, expertise, and support.
Mia W.
Lindsey is knowledgeable, practical, and very easy to work with. She quickly understands what students and parents are looking for and gives clear, helpful advice. Her suggestions are always based on the student’s own strengths and goals. We are very grateful for her support.
Herleen
My counselor, Olivia Burd, was extremely helpful throughout my college process! She was always very quick to reply to emails about questions that I had and was incredibly easy to communicate with. I felt very supported by her and she was incredibly encouraging- I could tell she really wanted me to succeed. The resources and seminars were very informational and they were with us every step of the way. Zenith made the application process super easy and straightforward. Thank you!
Kamie A.
Stefan Waldschmidt provided me with a truly unparalleled college admissions process, weaving together the milestones that had made up my life trajectory thus far into a clear narrative that was more deeply reflective of my character than anything I would have constructed on my own. With this incredible work, Stefan helped me to be admitted to my dream college, Cornell University. Not only is Stefan such an insightful individual and thus a great joy to work with, he is also the most skilled narrative-weaver and college admissions counselor I have ever encountered.