Answers to the questions families ask most before starting with an independent educational consultant.
An independent educational consultant works exclusively with your family to guide course planning, extracurricular strategy, college list development, applications, and essays. Unlike a school counselor balancing hundreds of students, we offer dedicated, one-on-one college advisory tailored to your student.
School counselors are incredibly valuable, but often manage very large caseloads alongside scheduling and other administrative duties. As an independent educational consultant, I offer more time, more personalized attention, and a family-specific plan that complements what the school provides.
Many families begin as early as 9th grade to build a strong academic and extracurricular foundation, but it's never too late to start. We also work with juniors and seniors who need focused application and essay support on a shorter timeline.
No ethical college consulting practice can guarantee admission — no one controls an admissions committee's final decision. What we do guarantee is a thorough, strategic, and honest process that puts your student's best, most authentic application forward.
No. Our essay review process is entirely editorial. We are here to help with brainstorming, structure, and feedback that sharpens your student's own voice and story. Colleges want to hear your student's own voice.
College admissions can create real pressure to cut corners. However, it is very important that students personally write and prepare all portions of the college application. It is ok to ask for help with a specific sentence or phrase. It is not acceptable to have an AI tool write or rewrite portions of your essay. All of our families are required to sign an ethics agreement ensuring that both technology and other resources are used responsibly and in accordance with college application ethics guidance published by the College Board.
Yes. While we offer in-person meetings locally, most of our college advisory work happens virtually, allowing us to support families nationwide with the same level of personal attention.
Pricing depends on your student's grade level and the scope of support needed, from hourly advising to comprehensive multi-year packages. Book a complimentary consultation and we'll walk you through options that fit your family.
A 30% deposit is due at signing to reserve your engagement and begin work together. The remaining balance is divided into equal monthly installments. Invoices are sent via email each month and payment can be made directly through the secure online payment portal. We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, and Apple Pay. We are always happy to talk through a different arrangement if your family's circumstances call for it.
Oak & Ivy will invoice parents via the main parent email on file around the first of each month based on the agreed upon terms. This email will come directly from Quickbooks and families should check their spam folder if it's not readily available. Payment can be made using all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal. All invoices are due when received.
We're happy to talk through your student's specific situation — no pressure, no obligation.