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Perhaps the most complex and time-consuming element of college applications is the essay-writing process, which now often includes personal statements, additional information essays, diversity statements, mountains of supplements, and other fun surprises. As a result, many parents and students are increasingly seeking the help of college essay tutors or consulting services to help them organize, strategize, and execute an ever-growing number of admissions-related assignments. You know this. That’s why you’re here, looking for the best essay advising services, right?
But how do you know which college essay consulting services are the real deal? Or who has valid expertise and who is “faking it till they make it” (or exaggerating their credentials)? And what qualifications even matter when it comes to hiring someone for admissions essay advice?
We put together a handy checklist of skills to covet, questions to ask, and red flags to look out for when hiring an admissions essay expert. In other words: here’s our honest guide to finding the best college essay advising service.
With so many options for college essay assistance and consulting out there, it’s just as important to know what to avoid as it is to know what to look for. So, let’s start with the don’ts:
A slew of essay advising services (and general college advisors) lead by promoting their Ivy League pedigree. While we recognize the value of an education from those top-tier institutions, we have found that it is not synonymous with being qualified for (or skilled at) college essay advising. Just because someone was able to gain admission to Harvard or Yale or UPenn doesn’t mean they know how to help you get in. We employ experts based on their past essay advising experience, creativity, and ability to effectively guide a student through the essay-writing process. We don’t discriminate against those who don’t have Ivy League diplomas; if we did, we would have missed out on hiring some of CEA’s most brilliant and beloved consultants. Success with your own application to an Ivy League university does not equal an innate ability to help others succeed with theirs.
The logic here is very similar to our Ivy League advice above. We have the utmost respect for college admissions officers and their in-depth understanding of the evaluation process. But just because you can recognize an effective application essay doesn’t mean you can help a student create one. The ability to help a student identify their story and generate creative ideas that admissions officers will remember is what counts. That, plus ample experience helping students with a wide variety of assignments, is what makes for a truly stellar college essay tutor (regardless of any past job titles).
At least not if you want the personal attention and nuanced feedback that comes with hiring a true expert. Massive test prep companies have hopped on the college essay prep bandwagon and are known to employ staff with little-to-no college essay advising experience. And a “college essay editor” is not the same as a college essay advisor, consultant, or expert who helps a student think through strategy, content, and messaging. College essay consulting companies that try to grow too fast often have a similar issue with sloppy hiring and lack of personal attention. If you are looking for high-touch service, a small or mid-sized operation is likely better suited to your needs. Simply put, if you’re seeking quality help, avoid any service that treats you like just another number on a conveyor belt rather than an individual.
Even if that student was successfully admitted to the school of their (and your) dreams. No one loves college students more than we do, but they’re not qualified to assist with someone else’s college admissions essays. Most students, even at the graduate level, are mere years (sometimes months!) away from having written what was likely their first-ever attempt at college essay writing. Many competing firms hire college students because they are, frankly, inexpensive—especially compared to true experts with many years of professional writing, editing, and teaching experience. We don’t even consider it.
This may sound bizarre, but we’ve seen it more than we care to think about. Since the college essay advising field has been flooded with self-purported “experts,” some services employ less-than-savory promotional tactics, including fake reviews of themselves and other companies. They might even create phony blog posts or sham review sites touting themselves as the “best college essay help” or “best college essay review service” to lure you in. Lean on your media literacy and assess the validity of sources before you buy into the advice. In short: don’t believe everything you read on the internet, especially if it sounds overly self-congratulatory.
No one can guarantee a student’s admission to any given institution, unless something truly shady is going on behind the scenes. It’s just not possible. Any service that claims to be able to do so is not telling the truth and could be lying/exaggerating about other elements of their offerings. Even the best college admission essay review service on the planet can’t ensure you’ll get into Harvard. If someone promises you a sure thing, that’s a huge red flag.
We don’t have to tell you why this is a terrible idea, right? A student should be proud of the applications they submit, and the only way to ensure that is to uphold strong ethical standards and guide students in a way that best showcases their true abilities. Authenticity is key. Also, for what it’s worth, we’ve read some of these ghostwritten essays, and very few of them are detailed or unique enough to make an impression on admissions officers. Even fewer actually read like they were written by teenagers. Bottom line: hiring someone to write your college essay is unethical and likely to backfire.
In contrast to the pitfalls above, here are the positive steps to take—and qualities to seek out—when selecting a college essay consultant or service:
Connecting with a student is essential to the advising process, and not all applicants are immediate open books. Consultants with teaching experience have an ace up their sleeve because they often know how to coax students out of their shells. Our essay advising services are also not just geared toward the drafting of a winning final product. We offer extensive guidance on ideation, content generation, narrative flow, story structure, and so much more. We’ve taught these skills to teenagers in various contexts, from the classroom to private tutoring, so we know how to meet students where they are.
We here at College Essay Advisors started mentoring students on how to write the college essay before this industry even palpably existed. Truly. CEA’s Founder and Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, has worked with students on thousands upon thousands of college essays and has spent two decades forging relationships with related experts in the field. You don’t want someone guessing how to help you stand out to admissions or hypothesizing about what admissions might respond to. Our team has rigorous hiring qualifications, and everyone who works for us has at least 5+ years of experience in college essay advising. In short, the best college essay consultants have years of varied experience and success stories to back them up.
It’s impossible to hone your essay advising and editing chops without being aware of overarching trends in the industry—and Harvard isn’t the only school that sets the tone for application essay requirements and objectives. Experience with advising students on applications across the spectrum provides deep insight into what different admissions committees value. This breadth of experience means they won’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
How did a supposed essay expert acquire their expertise? Does everyone at the company you’re considering employ the same methodology? Is their training legitimate and comprehensive? Do they have a training program or rubric of standards at all? Don’t be afraid to ask these questions. You want to know that your advisor is vetted, trained, and experienced.
Is a consultant offering one-on-one help? Are the number of calls or sessions restricted? What about rounds of editing and feedback? Do they provide in-depth guidance during the writing process or do they leave students to struggle with an empty page after a quick once-over? Make sure the company you’re entrusting with this process has clear, standardized practices that feel supportive and attainable within the given time frame. And be mindful about how experts label themselves: a “college essay editor” who corrects grammatical inaccuracies is not the same as an advisor, consultant, or expert who helps a student think through strategy, content, and messaging. For truly comprehensive support, you’ll want more than just a basic proofread—you’ll want guidance from brainstorming to final polish.
Call the service in question and talk to the people who work there. Do you enjoy speaking to them? Will your kid like them? College essay advising—at least the way we do it at CEA—is an in-depth process that involves building a trusting relationship and often requires a generous amount of back-and-forth communication (depending on student needs, of course). Find college essay tutors you warm to and who you believe a student will connect with as well. In the end, even the most impressive credentials won’t matter if the personal connection isn’t there.
An important note: We here at CEA pride ourselves on honest assessments of a student’s needs and goals. If potential clients don’t need our services or would be better served elsewhere, we will always tell them the truth. We care about what’s best for all students. What’s best for you also happens to be best for us, because it means we can reliably meet your expectations and ensure you are satisfied with our services.
We hope the above information was helpful and wish you the best of luck in your search for the best college essay advising service. If, after reading the tips above, you believe that service is CEA, feel free to contact us!
College essay assistance refers to any professional help you receive with planning, writing, or polishing your college application essays. This assistance can take many forms—from one-on-one coaching and brainstorming sessions with a qualified advisor to editing and feedback services that help you to refine your drafts. The goal of college essay assistance is to strengthen your writing and ensure your personal statement and supplemental essays are as compelling and authentic as possible. It’s all about helping you submit the best applications you can.
College essay consulting is a service where an expert consultant works closely with a student throughout the essay-writing process. It typically involves personalized guidance on everything from choosing essay topics to structuring the narrative and refining final drafts. In short, it’s like having an experienced coach dedicated to helping you present your best self in your college essays. (Many organizations, including CEA, use terms like “consulting” and “advising” interchangeably with a focus on providing high-touch, one-on-one support for your essay journey.)
A college essay consultant (also known as an essay advisor or coach) provides individualized help to improve your college application essays. They might assist you in brainstorming unique story ideas, developing an outline or structure, giving detailed feedback on drafts, and editing for clarity and impact. A good consultant will ask you questions and give suggestions that make you think and draw out your own voice, rather than simply telling you what to write. Unlike hiring someone to write your essay (which you should never do), working with a consultant means you’re still doing the writing, but with expert guidance to elevate the quality of your essay and make sure it highlights your strengths and avoids common clichés.
Finding the best college essay help starts with doing a bit of research and due diligence. Look for services or independent consultants with stellar testimonials and a track record of students getting into their target schools. Pay attention to their qualifications and approach: the best essay advisors focus on authentic storytelling and substantive improvements, not just superficial edits or gimmicks. Read their online advice (if available) to get a sense of their communication style.. Ultimately, the best advice will come from an experienced, reputable advisor or service that makes you feel supported, listens to your goals, and helps bring out your very best work.
You technically can do a lot of things—like cut your own bangs or perjure yourself in a court of law—but you absolutely should not. Hiring someone to write your college essay for you is against the ethics of the admissions process and defeats the whole purpose of the essay. Admissions officers want to hear your voice and understand your experiences; if someone else writes the essay, it’s usually obvious and can jeopardize your admission (not to mention your integrity). Colleges may even rescind an acceptance if they discover an applicant didn’t write their own essay. Instead of paying someone to fabricate a personal statement, invest in help that teaches you how to write your own best essay. You’ll end up with a piece you’re proud of and develop valuable writing skills in the process.
AI tools can spit out sentences (some of which are not even grammatically correct) and even mimic the structure of a personal essay, but that doesn’t mean they can write an effective or believable college application essay. The best college essays are deeply personal, filled with small details, specific memories, and a voice that sounds undeniably like you. AI can’t ask the right follow-up questions, challenge your ideas, or help you make sense of your experiences in a way that feels authentic. That’s what a great advisor does; they help you uncover meaning behind stories you didn’t even realize were important. At CEA, we’re not just editing words on a page. We’re helping students figure out what they actually want to say and how to say it in a way that resonates with admissions officers. AI can’t do that. Not even close.
Not all essay services are created equal, and it can be hard to tell which ones are actually worth the price. The best college essay advising services offer more than just surface-level edits; they help students figure out what to write about in the first place, how to structure their story, and how to make their voice stand out from other similarly qualified candidates. A good service will have a successful track record, experienced consultants (not current college students or random freelancers), and a clear process for working with clients. You’re not just paying for someone to fix your commas—you’re investing in guidance that can reduce stress, increase confidence, and improve the quality of your application overall. If the service you’re considering doesn’t provide strategic insight or feels like a one-size-fits-all setup, it might not be worth your time (or money).
A college essay advisor (or consultant) provides comprehensive, personalized guidance through the entire process of crafting your essay, whereas a college essay review service often refers to a more limited offering that focuses mainly on giving feedback or corrections on a draft you’ve already written. In other words, an advisor might work with you from start to finish—helping you brainstorm ideas, develop an outline, improve multiple drafts, and ensure your story and voice shine through—acting like a coach and mentor throughout. A college admission essay review service, on the other hand, might be a one-time or light-touch service: you submit your completed essay, and an editor sends back feedback and line edits. Both can be useful in different ways, but they’re not the same level of support. If you want in-depth help and someone to walk you through each step, go with an advisor/consultant. If you only need a final polish or a second opinion on an essay you’ve nearly finished, a review service can be a handy option.
