How does the Counselor pairing process work?

We have a dedicated Student Success Manager who works closely with our team of Admissions Counselors to understand their experience and style, while also learning about a student’s goals via our Onboarding Form/Persona Assessment process to ensure we're matching students with the best-fit Counselor. Three factors are considered during the pairing process: 1) the student’s story, personality and goals based on onboarding form responses, 2) schools on the student’s list, and 3) area of study (if decided).

Do you offer scholarships or discounts for your services?

Our mission is to help every candidate realize their true potential. When you graduate from college, we want you to look back and be proud of yourself for achieving your dreams. As such, we want to make sure that your financial circumstances are not a barrier to success.

In keeping with our mission, we provide a small number of partial and full scholarships to our applicants. These are awarded after you start working with us and are based on both professional potential and financial need. Please note, these scholarships are only available for our End-to-End Admissions Consulting Package.

That said, we also want to make sure you are working with the best team, and attracting top talent is expensive. Hence, we’re not able to provide scholarships to everyone. Your project manager can tell you more about scholarship opportunities after we start the engagement.

What happens if we meet the Counselor and do not feel the match is a good fit?

We understand the importance of getting the counselor pairing right and therefore have a dedicated Student Success Manager whose sole responsibility is to identify best-fit Counselor matches; we have an excellent track record in regards to the student-counselor pairing. However, if you have any concern over the compatibility with the Counselor once you've met, you would provide that constructive feedback to our Student Success Manager and they would work with you on next steps.

What is the difference between a Premium Counselor and Standard Counselor?

Our Premium Counselors have 7+ years of experience supporting students through this process; Standard Counselors generally have 2-6 years of experience.

Does my student only work with one Counselor throughout the engagement or is there a team?

Students work one-on-one with their assigned Counselor throughout the engagement with a community network “behind the scenes” supporting them. There are writing support teams assisting with essay editing, as well as internal meetings/collaboration amongst Counselors.

Are the counseling sessions offered as one-on-one or are they group sessions?

All sessions are one-on-one, there are no group sessions.

How do you specifically support students in securing research and/or internship opportunities?

As part of the College Candidacy Development Program (grades 9-11), the Counselor will work with the student to compile a list of selective and competitive summer programs and opportunities to target and apply to - including online courses, boot camps, summer immersion programs, internships, shadowing and research - and will support the student through the application process (outreach strategy, essays, interviews, letters of recommendation). Further, the Counselor will provide guidance on how to successfully seek out and secure local shadowing, internship or research opportunities via outreach where perhaps these enrichment hours can take place throughout the school year instead of waiting for the summer months alone.

Can we add additional Candidacy Development sessions for our 9th/10th/11th grader?

Yes, if you would like additional support outside of the included hours, we can add “a la carte” candidacy development hours, and your Admissions Specialist can assist you with that.

How many of your students receive merit scholarships and what is the average amount?

28% of our students have received scholarships from foundations and organizations such as Coca-Cola Scholar, Cameron Impact, Davison Institute Fellow, Gates Scholar, and more. The average amount awarded to our students is $34,000, with a maximum amount of $150,000.

Do you offer practice SAT/ACT tests?

As part of our SAT/ACT Tutoring Services, we do offer practice tests as well as question banks.

Do you prepare students for the digital SAT (DSAT)?

Yes, we have a dedicated 1:1 tutoring program for the new digital format of SAT. Our DSAT focused tutoring helps students prepare for the new format along with prepping students for the adaptive nature of the test. As part of the program, we provide students with 23 practice tests, 200+ video drills as well as 1800+ practice questions.

Can we speak in person to a family that has worked with you previously?

We work under privacy and confidentiality with our families and are therefore unable to provide direct contact information; however, we have several families who have shared their experiences by way of success stories and video testimonials.

Do you offer a sibling discount?

Yes, we offer a 5% discount if you enroll two or more students in our program.

What differentiates Quad from other college admissions consulting firms?

A couple of things that we feel set us apart are 1) the Roundtable that we participate in each year; this helps us stay connected and on top of the relevant shifts happening in admissions trends year-over-year, and 2) the caliber of our Counselors. We have a rigorous vetting process and hold our Counselors to a high standard, not only in the way of their experience but also their success rates with students. You can learn more about our team here and see all Counselor profiles here.

Frequently Asked Questions