Like many parents navigating the college admissions process, we wanted to give our daughter every possible advantage. With strong grades, a solid resume, and big aspirations, we thought supplementing her efforts with professional college counseling would help her land at a school that truly reflected her capabilities. So, three years ago, we made the decision to invest in a premium college counseling service—Zenith—3-year commitment costing $10s of thousands. What followed was a frustrating and ultimately disappointing experience that other families should be aware of.
Big Promises, Bigger Price Tag
Zenith came highly advertised, with a flashy pitch promising superior outcomes, strategic guidance, and a proactive approach that would go beyond the typical defensive, checklist-style counseling. We were told this would be different. More hands-on. More strategic. More personal. There was even a mention of a financial guarantee.
Unfortunately, the experience never lived up to the promise.
Counselor Roulette
Over the course of three years, our daughter worked with three different counselors. One left the company. Another was simply too young and inexperienced to offer meaningful guidance. The third—her current counselor—was more consistent, but not as strong as the first. The frequent changes led to a lack of continuity and trust, which is critical during such a personal and high-stakes process.
Essay Editing—More Box-Checking Than Brainstorming
Essay editing was handled by a different person. The quality of the essays, especially early on, was disappointing—generic, uninspired, and lacking the push to develop the personal voice that can make an application stand out. After raising concerns, the quality improved slightly, but the overall approach still felt like a checkbox exercise, not a sustained creative effort.
Outcomes Matter—and They Weren’t There
Perhaps the most frustrating part of all: our daughter was not accepted into a single school that Zenith actively worked with her on. The highest ranked school she was accepted to— a well-regarded university she ultimately committed to—was one she applied to completely independently.
In the end, we can’t help but feel that the outcome would have been the same, or better, without Zenith’s support. And that’s a tough pill to swallow after such a significant financial and emotional investment.
Reaching Out—And Being Met With Silence
After the disappointing results, we reached out to Zenith to request a conversation. Not once, but repeatedly. For several days, we heard nothing. No acknowledgment. No scheduling link. No sign that our messages were being taken seriously.
Finally, we received a response. The explanation? The leader is “overseas”. Instead of an apology or a meaningful response to the concerns we raised, the email simply name-dropped a new Managing Consultant with a glamorous resume, 10 years of education experience and a Harvard undergraduate degree, who apparently “oversees [our] family directly”.
There was no reference to our dissatisfaction. No acknowledgment of the poor outcomes. No offer to meet or even a suggested time to talk.
What Other Families Should Know
If you’re considering a college counseling service, especially one that charges a premium, ask the hard questions:
- Who will my child actually be working with, and for how long?
- What happens if the counselor leaves or doesn’t turn out to be a good fit?
- Who is editing the essays, and what does that process look like?
- How do you measure success, and what happens if those outcomes aren’t delivered?
College admissions are already stressful enough. Adding an expensive, underwhelming service to the mix only made it harder for us.
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