I think 3 stars is about right for this company…read more While we loved the counselor assigned to us over the last three years, my son came to the realization that Zenith was not the best fit for him. Pros: - Counselor provided great accountability, along with to-do lists and helpful action points. A summary followed each monthly counseling session. Sessions are usually 30 minutes in length. - Flexible scheduling on Calendly, - Counselor was encouraging and thoughtful. Counselor took feedback from the parent (me) seriously and integrated it with my son's desires and needs, to build a plan. Steps to reach that plan were clear. - Counselor was consistent. We never had to change counselors, so that points toward some worker retention, although Glassdoor seems to indicate otherwise. - Counselor suggested challenging routes (e.g. competitions and summer programs) to help build my son's resume. We implemented quite a number of the suggestions. - As you can tell, I give our counselor 5 stars. We had the same counselor in 6th/7th, 8th, and 9th grade. Cons: - More expensive than other companies. I am currently using another program for my younger son that is $10,000 less. Also, Zenith's price tag only gets you help for 5 school applications. More application help = more money, but they will tell you that once you've write enough for 5 schools, then you have enough material for future use. Recently, Zenith is trialing a discounted pre-pay option, which I had wanted to take advantage of, until my son asked to stop services. - Mediocre first impression, and distasteful lasting impression (of program execution). While his YouTube video sucks you in, when I actually met Kevin (the program director), I found him to be rather condescending. As a working professional, and as a potential client at the time (back in 2022), I thought that I would have received more of a red carpet roll-out. However, it was explained that they were interviewing us just as much as we were interviewing them. OK. Hmm. I should have stopped right there, but I went with Zenith because of their focus on "The Big Three," which are medicine, engineering, and law. I was hoping that Zenith would focus my son on his field of study, which Zenith did deliver. However, over these formative middle school and early high school years, it appears that over specialization can also drive kids away from a field of study. I gather that my son might have felt "stuck," and maybe pushing him in a particular direction just made him feel bad. Lesson Learned (for me). - Marketing, or hugely promoting, partner companies. We felt that Zenith pushed Polygence, which provides a "research experience" for their clients. Polygence also costs an exuberant amount, which I was willing to pay for, but which my son didn't want me to pay for. He said that the price point for Polygence just wasn't worth it to him. The option to use Polygence was brought up an uber amount of times, but for the record, our counselor did say that it was A-OK if we did not want to go with Polygence. - English? My son did apply to the some suggested summer programs. I was my understanding that his essays were passed up to a panel for editing, which was then passed back down to him for revisions. I read some of his essays for these programs and felt that Zenith could have helped him develop more imagery, to help him stand out more. Their editing suggestions felt a bit "canned," and I wish they would have invested more time into teaching my son how to write. If this is the way that they treat the kids' summer applications, I can only imagine how much (or rather, how little) they do for the real college essays. Overall, Yelpers not only look at quality, but they also look at whether or not a product has good economic value. Does Zenith present a decent product? I would say yes. Does Zenith provide a stellar enough product for its pricing? I would say no. Also, Zenith does not appear to offer SAT/ACT prep, nor financial aid counseling, or at least I have not experienced it. I hope that my review has been comprehensive enough for the owner to take note. I went on a call about a year ago to express some of these concerns, but I was not fully assured that they would be addressed. This does not bode well, and it took my son to see it and shake some sense into me.

I am sharing my experience so other families can make an informed decision…read more In February 2026, I was charged approximately $4,500 for automatic renewal without receiving any advance reminder or notice. When I discovered the charge, I contacted the academy immediately to request cancellation and a refund. I was informed that my request was submitted after an internal deadline and that no refund would be issued. Shortly afterward, my child's enrollment was terminated, and his access to all learning materials was removed, even though I had already paid in full and he had been working on those materials for over a year. At no point did anyone reach out to understand my situation or try to resolve the matter collaboratively. I later explained that I was experiencing financial hardship after losing my job, and that this unexpected charge was causing significant stress. Only after I escalated the matter and mentioned disputing the charge with my credit card issuer was my child's enrollment reinstated. This reinstatement occurred without any acknowledgment of the distress caused or explanation of their earlier actions. In addition, I was disappointed with the level of service provided for the price. The program consisted of approximately one half-hour session per month, often covering similar topics repeatedly. In my experience, the value did not match the cost. While services have now resumed, the overall handling of this situation felt unprofessional and unfair. I believe families deserve clearer communication about renewals, more transparency, and more compassionate customer service. I hope this review helps others ask the right questions before enrolling.

Review from my son: Zach Pava played a major role in my…read morecollege admissions process. Not only was his college essay feedback on 15+ essays extremely insightful, I felt that the manner in which he set up a schedule with deadlines and tasks was more helpful. He always kept in touch, especially during October and November, and always responded promptly. Zach set up mock interviews for me with other Insight counselors to practice for college admissions interviews, which did not count against my counseling hours! Also, the fact that Zach primarily worked over Skype was actually more convenient, since I did not have drive to the Cupertino office all the time for the counseling; instead, I could just do it over Skype in my room.

I just recently graduated from Emory University, and upon finishing my time in undergrad, I found…read moremyself looking back and reflecting on my college application process. I am the eldest in my family, and a first-generation American, so my family and I were unseasoned and largely out of our comfort zone when the time came to begin applying to universities. I found Zach through Insight, and he was a tremendous help to me, offering up suggestions about colleges I may be interested in applying to, prepping me for college tours and visits, editing my personal statements and supplemental essays, and offering me any guidance or support I needed throughout the long process. While I was a bit shy and lacking in confidence, Zach saw my strengths and potential, and constantly motivated me to challenge myself, ensuring that my applications reflected my best attributes. With Zach as my counselor, I never once felt stressed or overwhelmed about writing my applications, as Zach planned out deadlines for all components of my applications, ensuring that I would have everything in on time. Zach's genuine concern for my well-being and future was palpable throughout the application process, and after being accepted into Emory, my top choice school, Zach continued to be supportive of my aspirations. He was always more than happy to answer any questions I had about college and the future beyond. I highly recommend Zach not only as a college counselor, but also as a trusted mentor. His help was, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for me and my family!

We are very grateful for Ilumin's support throughout the college application process. The team was…read moreknowledgeable, responsive and encouraging. They made the process much less stressful. We truly appreciate their guidance and would highly recommend Ilumin to other families.

If you are looking for college admission support, I cannot recommend ILUMIN Education enough. Our…read moreconsultant, Danny has been working with my son since junior year, and his help during the application process was invaluable. He was extremely dedicated and provided advice that my son actually listened to and follow - which is a huge win for any parent! Seeing him get into his dream college was proud moment for us, and we know Danny played a big part in that success. We are so appreciative of the care and effort put into his journey.

Tony is a great mentor and counselor. He strategically guided and helped to prep my son's college…read moreapplication, and helped him to get admissions from multiple top schools in business majors with scholarships. Tony is very organized and followed closely with every step in the application process. Tony also adjusted the plan after my son got his EA results which was very helpful. I highly recommend Tony!

IvyBoost has been a great help in my college application journey since freshman year. My counselor,…read moreTony, took the time to understand my strengths, personality, and shortcomings, providing great insight when I began to curate a college list during application season. The casual but focused conversational style of our meetings worked very well for me. The IvyBoost team has also provided many resources that proved useful for organizing info about schools, my resume, and anything that was important to my college application. Its services have provided clarity and objectivity throughout my high school years, acting as a great support system whenever I had any inquiries or concerns. I'm so excited to join my dream program on scholarship in the fall, and it's thanks to the IvyBoost team's guidance!

Entering my senior year of High School and the chaos of college applications, I was very lost on…read morewhat a strong college essay and application looked like. I remember having different extracurricular experiences to talk about but there was a missing piece of how to word my essay and let alone start on my essays. I spent 2 weeks blankly starring at my document before realizing I needed more help than I expected. It wasn't until I started working with John and Jamie that I was able to talk about my life experiences and turn them into strong essays that reflects who I am and the type of leader I am in any community. Working with them helped me quickly understand how college essays are structured and how I can word my experiences to illustrate my strong characteristics as a student and leader. I really appreciated the weekly workshops provided by Jamie and John for extra time to spend on essays. As someone who had a hard time finding time and motivation to work on my essays, the workshops and set meeting times held me accountable for getting my work done before each meeting. I would 100% recommend John's service to anyone else struggling during this process. I am now committing to UC Davis and I couldn't be more grateful for the help provided by John and Jamie.

We were referred to John by one of our close friends and we are so thankful we did it. John and…read morehis team worked closely with our son for four years, from course selection to summer camp application, and eventually through the college app process. He put a lot of thought and paid extra attention to every details of the application forms. He is our guardian on meeting every milestone in this journey. John is more of a mentor to my son as well. He helped him navigate through his stress and anxiety, so that he could focus on making progress in his course work and applications. He also help bridging the communication between us and our son, which we deeply appreciated to balance our relationship during the crunching times. We would highly recommend John, he is the one you can count on!

As a student from a small town in Italy with very limited access to information about U.S. college…read moreapplications, finding guidance was challenging. Luckily, a friend introduced me virtually to Dan Zhou, the founder and CEO of ReadyEdgeGo, and my experience since then has been nothing short of incredible. Dan has been incredibly generous, kind, and supportive throughout the entire process, offering his help completely free of charge. During our conversations, we explored not only my academic achievements but also who I am as a person. He helped me craft meaningful blurbs describing pivotal moments in my life, which greatly enriched my application. Thanks to his expert guidance, my college essay is shaping up beautifully; without ReadyEdgeGo's support, I honestly think it would have been a complete mess. Now, as an incoming high school senior preparing to apply this fall, I feel confident and well-prepared to face the college admissions journey. I wholeheartedly recommend ReadyEdgeGo to anyone looking for compassionate, personalized, and expert college counseling. This is definitely a 5/5 stars service!

East or West, Dan is the best ! ReadyEdgeGo is fresh air in today's competitive world of college…read morecounselling and mentorship. Instead of focussing on the process and ends goals, they focus on the big picture motivating kids to reach their full potential. They have multiple programs that are custom fitted for your specific needs. The counsellors are compassionate, experienced and super helpful. Dan has all the elements that help him easily connect with students from any spectrum - I would highly recommend his team to all parents. Dan does this from his heart and I can vouch for it !

Ms. Wong was instrumental in guiding my daughter throughout the entire college application process,…read moreand always with such great care and professionalism. My daughter, who is now on her way to start at one of her dream schools, feels the same. Here are my daughter's words: For the last three years, and throughout the entire college admissions process, Ms. Wong truly played a huge role - in her constant support, vast knowledge, and steady guidance. I am so grateful for her. She always provided quick responses regarding any questions I had about the overwhelming college process, and she always gave them with kindness, motivation, and genuine care! I could tell without a doubt that she truly wanted to see me succeed and thrive, and she would always motivate me to do my best. I would also like to shout-out Ms. Lin for her amazing college essay coaching help. Ms. Lin provided invaluable feedback to college essays and is so sweet and kind. I will always be grateful for their support.

My daughter ended up with a mediocre college after signing up for their consultation, The essay was…read morevery basic, they had college students review and provide feedback. Only positive was they were done with College applications before many started. I feel she could done better if we had not relied on their help and focused ourselves. I am disappointed and will not recommend.

This person did not return any phone messages or emails from myself or my son. Possibly he is no…read morelonger in business.

John was chosen by our child after interviewing three potential advisors. It turned out to be the…read moreperfect choice. John provided the right mix of guidance, encouragement and gentle prodding to keep the process on track. The results were fantastic. Our child received ten acceptances, some of which are national top 20 schools. It was a delight to have to help our child choose from such an amazing set of schools. Highly recommend John's approach to this important task.

I had a very disappointing experience with Fahey College Consultant. We paid a significant amount…read morefor guidance through the college application process, especially for help with essays and making sure applications were completed on time. Unfortunately, once the process began, the support we expected simply was not there. The student struggled with writer's block and anxiety during the essay writing stage and needed real guidance and feedback. Instead of meaningful help, we mostly received long lists of tasks with little actual support on how to complete them. Communication also became inconsistent during critical parts of the process. As deadlines approached, we expected close guidance and review of the application materials, but the student felt largely abandoned in the middle of the process. While the consultant presents herself very well and is a strong salesperson during the initial conversations, the actual delivery did not match the promises made. For such an expensive service, families expect hands-on guidance, especially when students are struggling. Our experience was that the student was left to manage a very stressful process largely alone. I would strongly advise families to carefully evaluate the level of support they will actually receive before committing to this service.

If I could give 0, I would. Please STAY AWAY from this counselor and her team. She would sweet talk…read moreuntil signing a contract and then from there everything goes downhill. She and her so called team of writers don't do any due diligence on the essays, they would even leave one college name in another college essays and this was after multiple rounds of checking by THEM. She addressed my child in email with another student's name and completely another major and college, so this shows how much thorough she is with her work. DONT WASTE MONEY....she only takes money and then vanishes.