OUR CODE OF ETHICS
We represent only your interests. We will not steer you to certain schools to improve our "success" rates.
An independent counselor is not a substitute for you doing your own work, just as getting a Math tutor doesn't mean you skip Math class or stop doing your Math homework. And if you are still in school, an independent counselor is a supplement to — not a substitute for — your school-based counselor.
We respect the confidentiality of what you share with us and do not discuss it with third parties (unless you are a minor and your parents or guardians are involved in the working relationship).
We'll tell it to you straight. You're not paying us to massage your ego or tell you what you want to hear. We try to manage your expectations to the greatest extent possible.
If what you're looking for is outside our area of expertise, we'll refer you to someone who would be a better fit.
We take a holistic approach to admissions, career, and academic counseling. We always think about how a particular degree or school or job or activity fits within your larger goals.
We respect the integrity of your written work. We help brainstorm ideas; prompt you to think through what you want to say; ask the hard questions so you can clarify your own ideas; give feedback; and do light editing. Essays should be in your words and your voice. Not ours; not your parents'; not your former English teacher's; not another applicant's. We all learn from expert critiques of our writing and that is part of the service we can offer you. But we do not help applicants misrepresent their level of skill or any other aspect of what they have to offer in their applications. When you work on an application with us, you can submit it with the full confidence that it's your best work.
We adhere to the strictest standards when it comes to application ethics. Your applications will be your own, and we don't and won't do anything that I would have considered unethical when I was Dean of Admissions.
- Anna Ivey, Founder