College counseling that brings ease, purpose, and joy

For over 20 years, we’ve been helping students get into the best colleges and universities in the US and around the world.

 
Book a Free 30-Min Call with a Counselor
 

With CEG, you get vibes AND results
As lifelong educators and former admissions officers, we're experts in going beyond test scores and grades, helping students discover themselves AND what it takes to stand out in the college admissions process.
Video Block
Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more
 
A few schools we've helped students get accepted to...
Book a Free 30-Min Call with a Counselor
 
"Working with your team was one of the best things I have experienced. For me, it was much more than essay writing — it was about self-reflection, authenticity, discovering what truly matters to me and what my values are. My brothers and I are beyond lucky to have had the opportunity to work with your team. Thank you, from all of us. We truly appreciate the time we had to work with you and what you taught us both in essay-writing and in life."”

— Former student Jamie, Stanford University, Class of 2025

 

Our college counseling services

ACADEMIC PLANNING

Focus on structure and alignment with goals
  • Course selection and academic goal-setting
  • Summer and extracurricular planning
  • Guidance on current trends in higher education
  • Support on standardized testing (SAT/ACT) and test-optional advice
 
Mindset, ownership, and execution.
  • Instilling agency and ownership in students
  • Project management and goal-setting
  • Building relationships, trust, and care
  • Résumé building and interview preparation
 

STRATEGY & APPLICATIONS

 
Focus on collaboration and care throughout the process.
  • Parent education and partnership
  • A counselor who leads with deep care
  • Education about college costs and financial aid
  • Specialized guidance for BS/MD, athletics, neurodiversity, gap years, transfers, and more
  • A trusted partner for all application questions

PERSONAL GROWTH & SKILLS

Focus on the admissions process itself.
  • College list development and positioning strategy
  • Major selection and narrative framing
  • Selecting teachers for recommendation letters
  • Complete application review and submission support
  • Help navigating deferrals or waitlists
 

PARTNERSHIP & SUPPORT

And...
We also offer industry leading essay coaching as an add-on, including support on the personal statement, supplemental essays, activities list, and additional information.
Book a Free 30-Min Call with a Counselor

What makes us different?
Unparalleled Counseling Experience
We're a team of educators and former admissions officers with decades of experience. We take great pride in knowing schools around the world, and work with students considering a wide range of majors.
Our Transformational Process
Our proven approach, developed over 20 years in the college admissions space, guides students to explore their values in ways that lead not only to better outcomes, but becoming better humans.
Trusted
by
Colleges
Our processes are so well-regarded by admissions officers that some highly selective colleges (the ones you've heard of) use our materials in their own essay writing workshops. Yup, really.
Great counseling is relational, not transactional, ensuring students feel truly seen and supported.

Less stress. More purpose.

Our approach is built to reduce anxiety and reveal strengths. We focus on who your student is and who they’re becoming.


We're a certified B Corp

Unlike traditional corporations, B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders: customers, workers, communities, and the environment. As a B Corp, we demonstrate our active commitment to providing college application support to every student, everywhere, by offering hundreds of free resources, and pay-what-you-can spots for our online courses.
Book a Free 30-Min Call with a Counselor

Why families love working with us
Improved College Admissions Outcomes
Students with a strong understanding of their values choose colleges that truly fit, leading to stronger demonstrated interest and more compelling essays. This results in greater admissions success, not just to selective schools, but to right-fit schools where students thrive.
Greater College Retention and Satisfaction
Students who reflect on their identity and purpose often develop a stronger sense of direction. Self-aware students are often more likely to engage meaningfully on campus, leading to higher persistence and graduation rates.
Deeper Emotional Resilience and Confidence
Reflecting on values and challenges helps students develop emotional vocabulary and resilience. When students feel seen and heard, they’re often more emotionally prepared for college, less anxious, and more adaptable.
Better Long-Term Decision-Making
Guided self-reflection helps students make decisions aligned with their core values, not external pressure. This leads to greater clarity and a sense of purpose in college and beyond, resulting in better life satisfaction and fewer mid-course corrections.
A Shift from Compliance to Ownership
We teach students to ask not only "What do colleges want?” but also "What do I want to say, and where will I be able to grow?" This orientation builds leadership capacity, creative courage, and lifelong self-advocacy, making students authors of their own story.

Meet our College Counselors
The College Essay Guy Team is made up of veteran counselors with experience across the profession—from admissions offices at colleges and universities, to public and private high schools, and independent consulting.
Morgan
College Counselor
Core Values: Helping Others, Authenticity, Practicality
Morgan

Morgan is in her third year as the Director of College Counseling at College Essay Guy after spending her entire 20+ year career in college admissions and counseling. During her eight-year tenure in college admissions, she oversaw admission to an AACSB accredited Business School as a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions and application reader. She also spent 13 years supporting domestic and international students through the admissions process at two independent day and boarding schools in Massachusetts and North Carolina. At CEG, she prioritizes helping students be as successful as possible in the competitive landscape of highly selective admissions, while building rapport and trust with her students and families.

Recognized as a ‘Counselor That Changes Lives’ by the Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) organization, Morgan promotes “a college search that focuses on the individual student and finding a college that will cultivate the student's lifelong love of learning.” She also cares deeply about her students feeling successful in the application process and has had students accepted at a wide range of colleges, including most of the Top 50 (US News Rankings) and many highly selective liberal arts colleges. Here are just a handful of the colleges she’s had students admitted to recently: NYU, USC, Tufts, Georgia Tech, CMU, UNC-Chapel Hill, all UC campuses, UVA, MIT, Emory, Princeton, Columbia, Duke, Villanova, Wisconsin, Lehigh, Middlebury, Northeastern, University of Florida, University of Rochester, Boston College, McGill, Purdue, RPI, Case Western, Loyola Marymount, George Washington, UC Boulder, TCU, UGA, University of Washington, and many more.

Not only is Morgan competitive with her approach to college admissions, but she also loves playing cards and board games, having fun with her spunky 9-year-old daughter, and traveling with her family. She’s a New England transplant based in the amazing college town of Chapel Hill, NC.

Education:

  • B.A. Philosophy and Political Science
  • M.Ed. Interdisciplinary Education
  • Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education

 
College Counselor
Core Values: Laughter, Adventure, Creativity
Renee

Renee has spent the last 25 years supporting students with the college application process, including the last 4 years as one of the original College Essay Guy college counselors. She has worked with students applying to colleges across the United States (and abroad) and loves diving into research to support students’ niche interests and high-achieving goals. She has advised students pursuing college athletics, performing arts programs, and military academies, as well as most academic disciplines. She helps students understand what their college priorities are and infuses fun and laughter along the way. She uses the knowledge she’s gained from touring over 200+ college campuses in the US, Canada, and the UK to guide students toward colleges that best fit their aspirations.

Renee’s experience working in both public and private schools, coupled with her roles on the Common App Advisory Board, NACAC’s advocacy work on Capitol Hill, and Co-Chairing SACAC’s NC State and Area Initiatives Committee, position her to advise students to maximize their potential. Her students have been accepted at a wide range of colleges, including many of the most highly selective colleges in the country (T50 USNWR), the Ivy League, HBCU’s, and top ranked liberal arts colleges. In recent years, her students have gotten admitted to Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, MIT, NYU, Wellesley, Northeastern, Barnard, all UC campuses, University of Michigan, Davidson, Brown, USC, Smith, Swarthmore, U Chicago, UGA, Ga Tech, Vanderbilt, UIUC, University of Washington, Scripps, Carnegie Mellon, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wash U, UT Austin, UVA, Wake Forest, Duke, Northeastern and countless others. Renee has supported students to get into almost every top ranked college during her long career as a college counselor.

When she’s not making plans for her next college visit tour, she tends her garden, dotes on her favorite dog, Pretzel, and travels the world-most recently to Antarctica and her new favorite city, Prague!

Education:

  • B.A. Psychology
  • M.A. School Counseling
  • Ed.S. Educational Leadership & Administration

College Counselor
Core Values: Authenticity, Fun, Vulnerability
Scott

Scott brings extensive experience in university admissions and high school college counseling. He was an admission officer at Middlebury College in Vermont for eight years, handling all facets of both domestic and international admissions. Eager to experience the high school side of admissions and to live abroad, Scott moved overseas in 2014 and spent the following nine years working as a university counselor at independent schools in Hong Kong (five years) and Vancouver, Canada (four years). Scott has worked closely with American and international students and families, and has extensive knowledge of the admissions processes of the US, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Europe. He believes strongly in the philosophy of "best fit" in university admission, and loves getting to know his students and their families to help make the university admissions process as positive, comfortable, and stress-free as possible for all involved. The father of two (now adult) children, Scott has an understanding of the process from both the parent and counselor perspective.

Born and raised in Maine, Scott earned a BA in social anthropology from Harvard University, and spent most of his adult life in Vermont before moving abroad. Scott’s interests include cycling, Nordic skiing, travel, food/wine/cooking, music, and good conversation. He currently splits time between Hong Kong and New England.

Susan
College Counselor
Core Values: Practicality, Deep Caring, Grace
Susan T.

Susan is a native New Yorker whose career in college admissions has spanned decades. Following her graduation from St. Lawrence University with a BS in Psychology, Susan moved to New England where she worked at Bates College as Associate Dean of Admissions. She completed her Master’s degree in School Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. For the next 20+ years, Susan served as the Director of College Counseling at a college prep day and boarding school near Philadelphia where she worked with students from around the world. Since stepping out of that role, Susan has evaluated applications for a selective research university and is working as a consultant to schools, professional organizations, and families. A counselor at heart who loves helping students and parents launch their college searches, Susan finds time to be a writer, sports enthusiast, and mother of college sophomore twins.

Susan also:

Has years of experience working with American and international students applying to selective research universities and liberal arts colleges, fine and performing arts programs, test-optional institutions, and disability support programs.

Has evaluated thousands of university applications to liberal arts college and research universities.

Has served as a founding board member of the Character Collaborative, the Independent Curriculum Group, and the college access organization GoToCollege NYC.

Served on the Counselor Advisory committees of the College Board, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the Common Application.

Volunteered with the National Association for College Admission Counseling as chair of the Commission on Standardized Testing, and the regional Admission Practices Committee.

College Counselor
Core Values: Authenticity, Balance, Compassion
Jay Z.

Jay brings over a decade of dedicated experience in college admissions consulting, specializing in University of California (UC) admissions and guiding students aspiring to STEM majors such as pre-med, engineering, and computer science. As a former application reader and interviewer for UCLA’s Alumni Scholarships Program, Jay has a sharp eye for what makes applicants stand out at top institutions. With a strength-based counseling style, Jay collaborates closely with both students and parents to craft comprehensive, tailored college plans. He values and encourages parental involvement, creating a team approach that supports students at every stage. Holding a PPS credential, Jay goes beyond academics to help students with time management, stress management, and character development, recognizing that a well-rounded approach is key to success. As a certified Strong Interest Inventory counselor, Jay helps students identify and align their unique strengths with potential majors and career paths. His students have achieved admission to all Ivy League schools, every UC campus, and top private colleges such as Stanford, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, USC and more. Jay’s mission is not just to help students reach their dream schools but also to empower them with confidence and skills for a bright future. As a Southern California native, Jay loves spending his free time at the beach or taking long afternoon hikes. Some of his favorite spots include Newport Beach and Crystal Cove. He’s got a lot of interests, from watching anime and sports to traveling and discovering the latest food trends on TikTok.


Here’s what some of our students and families have to say
 
 
“Our counselor was EXTRAORDINARY!! So knowledgeable, supportive, engaging, and ready to respond at the drop of an email. She felt like the most valuable ally possible. I trusted her feedback implicitly.”
“Our counselor was extremely kind and helpful, but also honest…she created a calm and positive environment and was also very responsive to me when I had questions.”
“Out of every company I've ever communicated with, there's something undeniably SUPERIOR about CEG: you are extremely knowledgeable, thorough, easy to work with, affordable (let's not minimize that), but also EXTREMELY PERSONABLE! This process gets really tedious and stressful after a certain point, and the CEG team always makes every procedure engaging and even FUN! I reached a point early on in the school year, where after working with CEG over the summer, I decided to delete emails from every other college service trying to connect with me. Not only was it severe overload, but I knew I would get the best possible advice on every front from CEG, and wanted to expend my energy where it counted the most.”
“Our counselor was transparent; always said what she thought and brought a lot of "know how" expertise and value-added perspective to the table. She was always willing to communicate with me as a parent on a number of subjects, and that was hugely appreciated and helped me gain confidence in our investment.”
“My son finally believed what I'd been telling him since a professional counselor was now also telling him the same. If we'd started sooner I probably could have gotten him to visit more schools.”
“Our counselor was a wealth of deep knowledge and very thoughtful when considering what the best options for our son were. Her care was evident and she was so helpful. She was quick to answer any questions, even at the very last minute. She helped to set realistic expectations. Her advice was clear and she clearly is an expert in the field. We are so thankful to have had her help in the process.”
“I only wish we had started the process earlier (but that's our mistake, not CEG).”


 Schedule a free 30-min call
with a counselor

Frequently Asked Questions
 
  • Does your team help with….?

    Yep! Our team has 150+ years of combined college admissions and college counseling experience. So if there’s a question or confusion you have, we’ve likely covered it many times over the past 30 years.

  • Who would we be working with? How do you determine which counselor is right? Can I meet my counselor before signing up?

    Working with the right counselor that you connect with is key to feeling great about the college admissions process, especially since this might be a multi-year process. So we recommend that all prospective students and families schedule a Get to Know You call with our recommended counselor to see if it's a great fit before getting started.

  • When is the best time to get started?

    As we like to say with most college admissions questions, it depends on each student’s needs. Students that plan to apply to the most selective universities or are the first in their family to attend college in the US often start working with us as early as 9th grade. Not sure? Schedule a call with our team so we can learn more and provide guidance.

  • How are parents involved in the process?

    Parents are crucial to the college admissions planning process. We invite parents to offer input at various stages of the college planning process, with often a bit heavier involvement at the start to provide input on family finances and college selection. We also often invite parents to join select meetings throughout the process.

  • How often do I meet with a counselor? What if I have questions in between meetings?

    Every student’s needs are a bit different, and we cater our scheduling times and frequency based on the needs of families. On average, 9th and 10th graders may meet with us a couple of times a semester, with possibly more meetings if you’re looking for more hands-on summer application, college visit planning or extracurricular coaching.

    Once 11th and 12th grade arrive, we recommend meeting closer to monthly during the school year. Counselors are typically in communication with students and parents in between meetings to answer questions or address emergent needs. We are here for you from the moment you sign up through the end of your senior year of high school!

  • When are counselors available to meet? Where do meetings take place?

    Our counselors work with students to schedule meetings at mutually convenient times. We know that students are usually available on the weekends, after school, and in the evenings during the school year, so we don’t have issues accommodating most student’s schedules and this is something that can be discussed during your Get to Know You call. Meetings take place on Zoom.

  • Do you work with transfer, gap year or graduate students?

    We do! We work with a number of transfer and gap year students every year. Ask us for more info about how we tailor our college counseling and essay coaching support for these students.

    Applying to graduate school? Schedule a call with the head of our Graduate Admissions team here.

  • What types of students do you work with?

    We work with students at all stages of the college admissions process, from high-achieving Ivy-bound students, those targeting liberal arts colleges, or even students targeting awesome in-state options close to home. We work with athletes, visual and performing artists, students applying to direct entry medical programs, selective business or STEM programs, and lots more. Share with us your unique goals and needs, and we can share how we might be able to help.

    We also have experience working with non-traditional students, whether you’re returning after a decade plus long break from college, homeschooled, or embarking on a gap year before applying to college.

  • How many counselors do I work with?

    Students typically work with one college counselor through the college admissions process, though you’ll have your profile and work reviewed regularly by our full team of college counselors throughout your time with us.

    Once senior year starts to roll around, students can elect to sign up to work with a dedicated college essay specialist during the summer and fall to help you craft a compelling narrative in your essays, activities list, or other supplemental writing requirements.

  • How will my CEG college counselor help me get through the application process?

    Our counselors love diving into the heart of the application process with students. We begin by preparing students for applications ensuring they understand what the application options are and how they function. Later in the fall of senior year, we play an active role by guiding and providing specific feedback for upleveling application content. We are typically the last set of eyes on your application before it’s ready to hit submit!

  • Does the counseling support end once my applications are submitted?

    While we often find that students don’t need to meet on a regular basis after applications are submitted, our support is in place through senior year. This means that we are here to help with any unexpected needs through the application process to help you navigate college decisions. While it’s impossible to anticipate receiving a deferral or wait list decision ahead of time, we’ll be ready to provide guidance should you need to strategize around outcomes or prepare a letter of continued interest.

  • Do you guarantee admission? What’s your success rate?

    Here’s the short version:

    We don’t guarantee admission to any particular college (and if someone promises you they do, you might want to run the other direction.)

    We work with students to plan ahead, think intentionally about their extracurricular involvement to have maximum impact, challenge themselves with a rigorous course load, and work hard to craft compelling college applications and essays. Students that we work with who have put in the effort have had gratifying success and go on to amazing colleges around the world.

    Each year, we have half a dozen or more acceptances to each of the Ivy+ colleges, as well as top liberal arts colleges and public universities, selective specialized STEM, business, pre-med, and arts programs. But we don’t just base our success on where students get in.

    Beyond getting into their top-choice colleges, we help students to move through the process with more ease and less stress, put thoughtful intention behind each choice they make, and to have some fun along the way. (Yep, this is gonna’ be fun.)