Crimson Education College Admissions Counseling Review

A student’s chances to earn an Ivy League acceptance letter is around 5%. That number can feel crushing. It’s your dream. So, how do you improve your chances? How do you make that lifelong dream of Harvard, Yale, or Princeton a reality?

The easiest way is to become marketable—become downright irresistible to college admissions officers. Crimson Education says they can help you do exactly that. But admissions aren’t certain, and it’s a gamble.

The question becomes: is Crimson worth the investment?

In this Crimson Education Review, I’ll guide you through Crimson’s services, statistics, and success rates. By the end, you’ll know with 100% certainty whether Crimson can get you into your dream school—and if their promises are worth the price tag.

Is Crimson Education a Good Fit For You?

• If you’re aiming for the Ivy League or other top-tier universities, Crimson’s personalized approach and expert team can significantly boost your chances.
• If you value individualized attention, Crimson’s team of mentors, strategists, and former admissions officers offers unmatched, tailored guidance.
• If you’re ready to invest in your future, Crimson’s premium services are a worthwhile option for students seeking elite academic opportunities.
• If you want to stand out in a competitive applicant pool, Crimson’s holistic approach ensures every part of your application shines, from essays to extracurriculars.
• If you expect guaranteed results, Crimson might not be right for you, as no admissions service can promise acceptance to a specific school.

What Does Crimson Education Do?

Crimson Education is one of the best college consulting services in the world. In fact, in late 2024, the organization achieved a valuation of over $1 billion. They provide a wide variety of college admissions and candidate preparation services. Still, they’re best known for their personalized packages that elevate every element of a student’s appeal to prospective universities.

But does it work? Is Crimson worth it? I’ll let the statistics speak for themselves:

• 98% of Crimson students get into one or more of their top five schools
• 25% of Crimson students who apply to an Ivy League school get in (6x more than average)
• 1,500+ offers to Ivy League/Top 10 schools for Crimson customers
• 4.8-star average rating on Trustpilot
• 4-star average rating on Glassdoor from Crimson Education employees

Personalized Packages and Standalone Services

If you go to the Crimson website looking for specifics on pricing and packages, you’ll be pressed to find specifics. This is because every Crimson Education package is as unique as your fingerprint. However, these packages can contain a wide variety of services.

You can also buy essay reviews on their own, from scholarship essays to personal statements to school-specific application questions. Essay reviews come in three packages:

• 5 Essay Bundle
  • Cost: $425
  • Turnaround Time: 4 Business Days
  • Total Word Limit: 2,500 Words
• 10 Essay Bundle
  • Cost: $800
  • Turnaround Time: 7 Business Days
  • Total Word Limit: 5,000 Words
• 20 Essay Bundle
  • Cost: $1,500
  • Turnaround Time: 12 Business Days
  • Total Word Limit: 10,000 Words

You can also purchase a single essay review starting at $70.

The Crimson College Admissions Process

Your journey starts with a free 1-hour consultation, which will look a little bit like this:

1. Finding the Foundation: Your advisor will get a fundamental understanding of your academic aptitude, unique circumstances, and best-fit schools
2. SWOT Analysis: Next, you’ll have your strengths and weaknesses analyzed to determine opportunity gaps—where you are compared to where you need to be to succeed
3. Covering Crimson: Your advisor will lead you through what the next steps might look like with Crimson in terms of a personalized timeline
4. Package Presentation: Finally, you’ll either be offered one package or several with some variations to best help you reach your goals within your budget

Once you’re prepped for the road ahead, Crimson will build a personalized team of experts for you, including a strategist, essay mentor, academic tutor, extracurricular activities mentor, student success team, and a former admissions officer.

The road beyond is entirely bespoke to you and your needs, but you’ll usually begin with introductory meetings with your team, especially your strategist, to plan your next steps. This is when the adventure truly begins!

Crimson Education Cost

Because Crimson’s packages are so personalized, it’s challenging to give you a range or even an average—but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try!

At the lowest, you’re paying $70 for a single essay review. However, packages tend to range between a few thousand dollars and ~$20,000 on the high end.

For an exact quote, take advantage of the free consultation. During this session, they will build you some package options and give prices for each.

Offsetting Costs

One of Crimson Education’s services, which matches students with best-fit scholarships, is one way to offset costs. After all, spending $10,000 on a package and earning a full-ride scholarship is an incredible ROI!

However, the founders at Crimson know that the cost isn’t within reach for many students. That’s where the Crimson Access Opportunity program comes in. The program allows students with financial need to work with the Crimson team.

Pros

Terrific Team: Every student gets an entire team for their application process, including mentors, tutors, and even former admissions officers from schools like Harvard and Stanford.
Unbeatable Odds: If you dream of “yeses” from prestigious universities, Crimson is the best way to help you do it, with 600% better chances of acceptance than non-Crimson students.
Rave Reviews: Crimson boasts a wealth of positive reviews from both its students and staff, proving the effectiveness of its admissions process strategy.
Countless Services and Resources: Whatever you need, Crimson is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions: essays, extracurriculars, scholarships, interview preparation, and more.
Essay Excellence: Whether you’re buying essay reviews as a standalone service or participating through your package, Crimson excels in helping students build authentic, memorable essays.

Cons

Costly Competitive Edge: Crimson Education offers a premium service, and they charge a premium price. They’re the best for Ivy League admissions, but not everyone can afford the investment.

Bottom Line

Crimson Education isn’t for everyone. It’s a significant investment in an outcome that’s impossible to promise. However, if you want the best possible chance to gain admission into your dream top-tier universities, I cannot recommend Crimson Education enough. Improving your chances to earn an Ivy League education by nearly seven times is a major opportunity for future industry leaders.

Investing in your future can be scary. Luckily, it’s also the best investment you can make to create a brighter future for you and your family.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck in your college journey!

FAQs