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Command Education

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Command Education provides a personalized, white-glove approach to the college admissions process. Below are answers to all of your questions about what you can expect from working with our expert team. If your question is not answered here, schedule a free consultation today to receive more information!

COMMAND EDUCATION

What makes Command Education different from other college consulting agencies?

While stellar grades and test scores are necessary for admission to top schools, they are just the foundation of a successful application. Harvard can fill their incoming class five times over with students with perfect grades and test scores, but they are looking for more—top schools want to admit students with distinct passions who have made a positive impact on their communities. Our mentoring approach places incredible emphasis on students exploring their passions through participation in extracurriculars and the development of individual passion projects. We help students not only demonstrate academic excellence, but also develop leadership skills and the drive to be self-starters and go-getters.

Through an emotionally intelligent approach, we help our students identify leadership opportunities in their schools and communities and provide guidance in taking those opportunities to the next level. Not only do our students focus on giving back, these projects help them stand out among the thousands of other applicants to top schools.

Where are you located?

New York City. However, all of our services are offered remotely.

How do I get into contact with the team if I have any other questions?

Please reach out to us via email at [email protected] or telephone at +1 (212) 368-1000 or 1 (800) 887-0393. If you’d like to schedule a free consultation, please fill out this form and we will get back to you within 12 hours.

How does billing work?

Payments may be made by wire transfer, and personal debit or credit card linked to a US financial institution. All billing is managed internally.

College Consulting Services

Do you offer SAT and ACT tutoring?

Yes, we offer standardized test tutoring in addition to our college consulting services. All of our SAT/ACT tutors are full time employees of Command Education. Students begin the tutoring process by taking SAT and ACT diagnostic exams. Our tutors then assess students’ academic strengths and weaknesses based on diagnostic test results and create personalized learning plans designed to help students reach their standardized testing score goals.

Do you help with admissions to international institutions?

Yes, we offer guidance to students applying to universities in both the US, UK, and Canada.

Do you offer in-person mentoring?

No. All services are offered exclusively in a remote format.

Does Command Education work with students outside of the U.S.?

Command Education works with students from all over the world—from Hong Kong to Saudi Arabia to India to Indonesia to the United Kingdom. Our mentoring sessions take place over Zoom, providing students and families with flexibility and access to fit their needs.

What do students complete with their Senior Mentors?

Top colleges want to see students who have had an impact in their communities, discovered their unique interests, and demonstrated their distinct perspective through an innovative passion project.

At Command Education, we help students with everything from extracurricular development to volunteer opportunity search, non-profit project development, scholarship and award applications, interview prep, course selection, testing timeline strategy, general coaching, and the college application process during their junior and senior years. Our main specialty, however, is helping students differentiate themselves from their classmates by honing their “hook.” Top schools can fill an entire class three times over with students who have perfect scores and GPAs —what they are looking for is students who can add value to the student body and positively impact their campus community.

Why should I sign my child up for Application Booster® Camp?

At our College Application Booster® camps, rising seniors get five days of individual attention and accomplish in a week what would normally take months during senior fall. College Application Booster® camps allow students to perfect their Common Application activities list, write their Common Application personal statement (something many students have difficulty writing), and time-allowing, prepare a collection of adaptable supplemental essays. Students meet 1:1 with our mentors, all of whom have graduated from Ivy League and top-tier schools. Each day, students receive several rounds of feedback from their mentor, as well as input from other mentors on our team, allowing them to accomplish a significant amount of writing. Learn more about our College Application Booster® camps here.

Can I afford Command Education?

Our packages are fully customized based on your student’s specific needs and goals, so rates are discussed during the consultation. We offer a select number of pro bono spots every year.

Enrolling with Command Education

What grade levels do you work with?

Command Education works with middle and high school students, as well as current college students seeking to transfer schools.

My student is a rising senior, is it too late to benefit from your consulting services?

While students who come to us during their senior year will receive a more truncated version of our services due to time constraints, we work with students in every stage of the process to level up their applications and help them stand out to top schools. We have even started working with students 2 weeks before deadlines (and the last student we worked with last-minute, gained admission to University of Pennsylvania, her dream school!).

When should my child start working with a college admissions consultant?

We encourage our clients to start working with us at the end of middle school or at the beginning of their high school careers as it’s never too early to gain a head start in the college admissions process.

Do you only work with high-achieving students? Does a student who is currently struggling in school stand a chance in the competitive college admissions process?

A popular myth surrounding the college admissions process is that only valedictorians who have perfect test scores can hope to gain admission to their dream schools. While good grades and competitive test scores are indeed important to elite universities, these schools are looking for more—they want to admit applicants who demonstrate a defining passion and a desire to use their skills to better the communities around them. Command Education helps students find their passions and guides them in developing a cohesive narrative through their applications. We have helped students of all GPAs and academic backgrounds gain acceptance to colleges where they thrive.

Do students need approval before enrolling in Command Education’s service?

No; we work with students on a first-come, first-serve basis. In order to provide our clients with high-level individualized attention, all of our programs and packages, including our College Application Booster®, typically sell out months in advance. Please call us at 1 (212) 368-1000 or email us at [email protected] to inquire about availability or to be added to the waitlist.

Will our communications be confidential?

Please find our complete privacy policy here.

Mentoring at Command Education

Is a Senior Mentor the same as a college consultant?

Yes and no! Our college consultants are more than just college counselors—they’re near-peer mentors who guide students through every step of the process, helping them find the best approach for standing out. Many families describe their Senior Mentor as an extension of their family—our Senior Mentors are typically in many family group chats! Command Education Senior Mentors provide comprehensive mentorship; they incubate student’s passions and take their interests to the next level. As a result, our students aren’t just class presidents—they are award-winning nonprofit founders, community organizers, political activists, and entrepreneurs whose applications wow college admissions officers.

Who are your Senior Mentors?

Our Senior Mentors are recent Ivy League and top college graduates. Unlike many college consultants and tutors, Command Education only hires full time Senior Mentors. Each of them is trained in our specialized near-peer approach and have an incredible ability to relate to their students. Our college consultants focus on helping students choose unique extracurricular endeavors beyond the classroom and help them to craft successful college applications when the time comes.

Do your Senior Mentors and Senior Tutors work full-time?

While other firms may hire part-time or contracted mentors, each and every one of our mentors and SAT/ACT tutors work full time, ensuring fast response rates and flexible meeting times.

How will you match my student with a Senior Mentor?

Each student is matched with a college consultant who is uniquely equipped to help them explore their individual interests and develop their strengths. We begin our process by asking students and parents to complete an extensive questionnaire to better understand their aspirations, interests, and background. We pair each student with their mentor based on their goals, interests, and personality, as personality fit is a critical component of a meaningful and productive mentoring relationship.

Will my student work with more than one college consultant?

Each student works 1:1 with a dedicated college consultant on an unlimited basis from start to finish. While your student receives cohesive, personalized guidance from one of our Senior Mentors, they will also benefit from the collective expertise of our entire team—all of our Senior Mentors work collaboratively to develop personalized strategies designed to help each student gain admission to top colleges. One or more additional college consultants with specialized skill sets and knowledge bases may occasionally join a meeting to help a student develop certain aspects of their passion project. Students also have access to our in-house marketing team as they develop stand-out passion projects.

How often will my student meet with his or her college admissions expert?

Students have unlimited access to their full-time Senior Mentor. Mentors and students meet via video chat and communicate frequently over email and phone call. Students typically meet with their Senior Mentors once weekly, though meeting frequency increases periodically depending on what the student is working on.

Are parents allowed to join calls?

Parents are always welcome to join the first introductory meeting and any following meeting. However, we find that when we are able to meet with students 1:1, we get to know them and their goals better, make more accurate evaluations of their progress, and achieve more as we work together. We are happy to communicate with parents about any questions, updates, or concerns directly via email, or 1:1 on a phone call.