Cardinal College Counseling

Cardinal College Counseling is an independent educational consulting practice founded at Stanford University. Our counselors bring firsthand experience navigating highly selective admissions alongside individualized, data-informed guidance for students and families. We have a ~90% success rate for at least one top 30 college acceptance with 50+ students who worked with us for at least 3 hours on their applications. 

We draw on years of research and experience reviewing successful applications to identify patterns in competitive admissions and develop individualized strategies for each student. We know what works not only because it works for us, but because it worked for hundreds of others.

College decisions are life changing, and we aim to support students' entire academic career. We focus on building applications around a student's personhood, highlighting the intersection of their experiences, ambitions, and strengths that make them stand out amongst thousands of applicants. 

What differentiates us from traditional firms & consultants?

1) We went through the college admissions process recently when the acceptance rate for Stanford was 3.6%. The modern college admissions scenes has become very competitive, and we leverage firsthand experience to be empathetic and strategic with our students and families.

2) We can tell you HOW to accomplish things, not just what. We take advantage of our experience and research from winning these competitions and enacting impact in our extracurriculars. 

3) We've seen, revised, and crafted hundreds of applications that got into top colleges. We are surrounded by and talking to students who were accepted to Stanford and other top schools every day. We have read applications from our students' high schools and areas. 

4) We don't turn students down or ghostwrite applications. We don't pick and choose who we help to artificially increase our success rate at top schools, and your application is authentically and uniquely yours. We also don't put a cap on how many colleges we help you with or give a deadline as to when you send us your last essays—even during December break when many professionals leave their desks, because we understand what it's like to be a busy high schooler and because that break is a pivotal time for applications. 

What differentiates us from other consultants based at a top college?

1) We love what we do. We're helping because we care about our students.

2) We don't require perfection. Not all of us had perfect grades and perfect test scores with national awards, and we don't need you to, either. 

3) We don't rely on our one-time successes or luck. Our successes doesn't foretell yours, but what we do will make you a stronger student.

4) We have a track record. All of us have helped at least one cycle of students and helped students into Top 30 colleges.

Our Comittment to Ethical Counseling

Cardinal College Counseling is committed to providing individualized, ethical, student-centered, and transparent college-admission guidance. We do not guarantee admission, misrepresent student accomplishments, or ghostwrite application materials. We respect student confidentiality, disclose potential conflicts of interest, and provide recommendations based on each student's goals, interests, and circumstances. Students retain ownership of their applications and work, and we respect student confidentiality throughout the counseling process.

Note: To ensure our current seniors receive the dedicated, high-touch guidance this critical season demands, we are currently prioritizing active clients. New student intake and response times may be limited.