When should we start working with a college counselor?
There is no single right time, but earlier gives a student more options. We work with students as early as 7th grade, when the focus is course selection, high school choice, and study habits rather than college itself. Most families begin in 9th or 10th grade, which leaves enough runway to build a coherent academic and extracurricular profile before applications open. We also take on 12th graders during application season for essay coaching, school list work, and application review.
How much does college counseling cost in Orange County?
We offer both comprehensive multi-year packages and focused application-season support, so cost depends on how long the engagement runs and how much of the process it covers. We don't publish fixed prices because the right package differs by student and grade level. Every engagement begins with a consultation, and we discuss pricing and package options on that call before any commitment.
What's the difference between a private college counselor and my high school counselor?
A high school counselor typically supports several hundred students at once and spends much of that time on course scheduling, transcripts, graduation requirements, and student support issues. A private college counselor works with a small number of students and focuses specifically on admissions strategy: building the applicant profile over several years, curating a reach, match, and safety school list, and coaching personal statements and supplemental essays through multiple drafts. The two roles are complementary rather than interchangeable.
Should my student take the SAT or the ACT?
The two exams reward different strengths, so the practical answer is to sit a diagnostic version of each and compare. The ACT includes a science reasoning section and moves faster, which suits students who read and process quickly. The SAT allows more time per question and leans harder on reasoning through fewer, denser problems. Our test preparation begins with a diagnostic assessment for exactly this reason, then builds a targeted study plan and timeline around whichever test the student scores better on.
Do you help with the UC Application and Cal State Apply, or only the Common App?
All three. They are genuinely different applications, and most California families end up submitting all of them. The Common App carries one personal statement of up to 650 words plus school-specific supplemental essays. The UC Application is separate: it does not use letters of recommendation, and it asks for four Personal Insight Questions of up to 350 words each, chosen from a set of eight. Cal State Apply is separate again, and for most campuses freshman admission is driven by coursework and GPA rather than essays. We work through whatever combination a student's school list requires.
Do you support U.S. service academy applications?
Yes, and our students have earned appointments to the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and West Point. Academy admission runs on a separate track from civilian applications: a candidate file with the academy itself, a congressional or vice-presidential nomination with its own essays and interviews, the Candidate Fitness Assessment, and a DoDMERB medical qualification — most of it on a timeline that starts earlier than regular applications. We help students map that timeline, prepare nomination materials, and rehearse for both academy and nomination-board interviews.
Do you work with students applying to U.S. colleges from overseas?
Yes. We have supported students applying to U.S. universities from abroad, including students pursuing pre-med tracks who faced the added difficulty of applying from overseas. International applicants deal with different transcript formats, testing logistics, and deadlines than domestic students, and the school list strategy changes as well, because financial aid policies for international applicants vary widely by institution.
Do you offer counseling in Korean?
Yes. Sarah Lee, our founder and director, is fluent in both English and Korean and works with families in either language. This matters most in parent-facing conversations about admissions strategy, financial aid, and realistic expectations, where precise understanding is more important than conversational fluency.
What colleges have your students been admitted to?
Our students have been admitted to Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Rice, Wellesley, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, New York University, Boston University, Northeastern, and Amherst, among others. Students have also earned appointments to three U.S. service academies, including the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and West Point, alongside placements across the University of California system. The full list is on our admissions results page.
Where are you located, and what are your hours?
Our office is at 1440 N Harbor Blvd, Suite 906, Fullerton, CA 92835, and we serve families across Southern California and, remotely, students throughout the U.S. and overseas. Hours are Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 8:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed Sunday. Additional Saturday hours are available on request. You can reach us at 714-350-4812 or ivymasteracademy@gmail.com.