College Consulting

Planning and Applications,
Matched to Your Year

Strategy calls, workshop sessions, and essay editing for students from 7th grade through transfer. Counselors and editors are Harvard students or Coca-Cola Scholars.

Book a Free 15-Min Intro Call Explore Services

No commitment required. À la carte pricing. You are never locked into an expensive package.

Why Crimson Compass

You're Never Locked Into the Wrong Package

We built this practice around à la carte pricing because we've seen what happens when families pay for a big bundled program upfront that doesn't fit. You might need three strategy calls and nothing else. You might need workshop support for six weeks in the fall. You might want essay editing on two supplements and never book another hour.

Book a free 15-minute intro call. We will tell you what you need and what you can skip.

  • No long-term contracts
  • Pay only for the services you use
  • Switch between strategy and workshop as your needs change
  • Transparent à la carte rates, all listed on the Services page
How We Help

Where to Start

Pick the page that matches your question: intro call, grade level, pricing, packages, essays, or contact.

Getting Started

About & Intro Call

Free 15-minute call with a Harvard student or Coca-Cola Scholar. Learn what to expect.

Learn more → By Grade

Support by Grade

Strategy for freshmen through seniors, timed to where you are now.

View by grade → À La Carte

Services & Pricing

Essay editing, strategy calls, workshop sessions, and transfer consulting.

See services → Multi-Year

Consulting Packages

Same counselor from early high school through submit, if you want that scope.

Explore packages → Essay Support

Essay Review

Async document review or live sessions during workshop calls.

Review options → Stay Connected

Contact & Resources

Newsletter, ask-a-question, financial aid guidance, and more.

Get in touch →
Our Approach

Two Kinds of Calls, One Clear Purpose

Most consultants blur planning and execution. We don't. Crimson Compass separates Strategy Calls from Workshop Calls because they solve different problems at different times.

Strategy covers planning: course selection, SAT timelines, extracurricular direction, essay themes, and how your profile reads to colleges. Workshop covers execution: Common App activities and honors sections, recommendation letters, alumni interviews, FAFSA, and scholarship forms.

A freshman needs strategy. A senior in October needs workshop. A junior needs both, in that order.

Strategy

"Where should I be six months from now, and what's the plan to get there?"

Workshop

"Let's open the doc and build this section together right now."

Essay Editing

Send a draft. Get line-by-line comments on structure, clarity, and word choice.

Who We Work With

From 7th Grade Through Transfer

7th–8th Graders

Early course planning and activity choices before high school habits solidify. Starting in 7th or 8th grade leaves room to adjust before applications matter.

9th–10th Graders

Structure, timelines, and activity choices while you still have semesters to change direction.

11th Graders

The pivot year. Strategy first semester, then workshop second semester and summer when the Common App opens and essays need to exist.

12th Graders

Supplements, recommendation letters, interviews, and financial aid forms. Less planning, more completed applications.

Transfer Students

Different deadlines and essay prompts. We help you identify schools that fit and present your college record clearly.

Typical Starting Points

Where Most Families Begin

"My kid is a sophomore and has no idea what to do outside of school."

Start with a Strategy Call to audit current activities, identify gaps, and build a two-year plan. One hour often produces more clarity than six months of guessing.

"It's July before senior year and we haven't touched essays."

Workshop calls through the summer: personal statement first, then school list and supplements. Essay editing on drafts between sessions.

"We're at a community college and want to transfer to a four-year."

Transfer Consulting covers school research, transfer essays, and timeline management for rolling and deadline-based programs.

Book a Free Intro Call