HelloCollege
HelloCollege is a founder-owned, direct-to-consumer college admissions consulting firm serving U.S. high school students and families with bundled counseling, academic tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, essay coaching, and financial aid guidance, delivered across offices in Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersOak Brook, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What HelloCollege does
HelloCollege is a U.S.-based, founder-owned college admissions consulting firm that delivers end-to-end planning services to high school students (grades 9–12) and their families. Founded in 2012 by Kevin Krebs and headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois with regional offices in Frisco (TX), Denver (CO), and Minnetonka (MN), the company pairs each student with a dedicated college counselor and surrounds that relationship with integrated academic tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, essay coaching (30+ in-house coaches), and financial aid/scholarship navigation. Its underlying technology stack is modest: a digital Family Portal for student-family engagement and progress tracking, a Flexible Bundle Hours System that lets hours shift across service lines, and proprietary methodology assets such as the S.A.F.E. College Fit Method (Social, Academic, Financial, Employment) and the Stand-Out Factor Workbook. Payments are processed via Stripe, and the firm operates no public mobile application.
The business model is direct-to-consumer professional services sold through a consultative sales motion anchored by a free 45-minute consultation. Comprehensive packages range from $3,000 to $20,000 (averaging ~$8,000) on multi-year contracts, supplemented by hourly consulting at $180–$300 and à la carte services such as single essay edits. Customer acquisition is content-led through an SEO-optimized blog, free downloadable workbooks and timelines, the HelloCollege Insider email newsletter, free workshops/webinars (including a partnership with NSHSS), and PR/media appearances (Forbes 2025 and 2026, NPR 1A, Original Shark Kevin Harrington endorsement), with 350+ 5-star Google reviews providing bottom-of-funnel social proof. HelloCollege is entirely bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional funding, and reports a cumulative base of 5,000+ students guided and outcomes including 93% acceptance to top-choice schools, 96% earning scholarships (vs. a 37% national average), and average tutoring score gains of +150 SAT / +5 ACT.
HelloCollege firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HelloCollege
- Legal name
- HelloCollege
- Website
- https://sayhellocollege.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HelloCollege is a founder-owned, direct-to-consumer college admissions consulting firm serving U.S. high school students and families with bundled counseling, academic tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, essay coaching, and financial aid guidance, delivered across offices in Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HelloCollege industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Admissions Consulting
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling (EDANAEAA)
Keywords
Where HelloCollege is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Brook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
HelloCollege business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Comprehensive College Planning Packages: Full-service packages ranging from $3,000 to $20,000, with average package around $8,000. Includes counseling, tutoring hours, test prep, essay coaching, and financial aid guidance. Hours can be flexibly applied across services.
- Hourly Consulting Services: Average hourly rate of $180-$300 for consulting, tutoring, and essay services. Allows families to purchase specific services à la carte.
- Essay Coaching Services: Standalone essay editing and coaching services available as add-on or individual purchase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Entry-level comprehensive packages starting at $3,000 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Mid-tier packages averaging $8,000 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Premium comprehensive packages up to $20,000 |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly consulting at $180-$300 per hour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | À la carte services for specific needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
HelloCollege product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HelloCollege provides personalized college admissions counseling paired with in-house academic tutoring, essay coaching, and SAT/ACT test preparation. Services are sold as flexible multi-year hourly bundle packages that families can apply across counseling, tutoring, test prep, and essay support. The company also operates a Family Portal digital platform for progress tracking and provides free educational resources such as workbooks, timelines, and checklists.
Product overview
HelloCollege is a college planning company offering a comprehensive suite of services under one roof. The core offering is personalized college admissions counseling, augmented by in-house tutoring, essay coaching, and SAT/ACT test preparation. Services are delivered through flexible hourly bundle packages that can be applied across counseling, tutoring, test prep, and essay support. The company also provides a digital Family Portal for student/parent access and maintains an internal Employee Portal for operations. HelloCollege distributes free resources including the Stand-Out Factor Workbook, Ultimate College Application Timeline, Scholarship Search Directory, College Fit Guide using the S.A.F.E. method, and College Visit Checklist. Pricing ranges from $3,000 to $20,000 for comprehensive packages, with an average package around $8,000.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- College Admissions Counseling
- Academic Tutoring
- College Essay Services / Essay Coaching
- SAT and ACT Test Prep Tutoring
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Support
- Comprehensive College Planning Packages
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% of students accepted to their top choice school
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use HelloCollege
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HelloCollege technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
HelloCollege partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NSHSS (National Society of High School Scholars)minorJoint workshop partnership with NSHSS for college admissions webinars and educational events targeting high school students and families.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HelloCollege competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crimson Education: Global college admissions and tutoring platform combining counselors, tutors, and essay coaches under flexible programs. Directly comparable to HelloCollege's all-in-one bundle model and selective-college focus, with similar package pricing.
- Empowerly: College admissions counseling and tutoring company pairing students with former admissions officers and counselors. Comparable bundle-based pricing model targeting selective college aspirants.
- IvyWise: Premier private college admissions consulting firm offering comprehensive counseling, tutoring, and test prep with former admissions officers. Closely comparable to HelloCollege in service breadth, pricing tier, and target affluent family segment.
- Collegewise: Long-standing private college admissions counseling firm offering counselors, tutors, and essay coaches on package-based programs. Direct competitor in the family-purchased, comprehensive counseling space.
- Veritas Prep: Test prep and admissions consulting firm with former admissions officers on staff, offering SAT/ACT/GRE prep plus college counseling. Closely comparable to HelloCollege in talent profile and admissions-officer-driven value proposition.
- Going Ivy: Selective college admissions consulting and tutoring firm offering one-on-one packages targeting top-tier universities. Comparable premium positioning and Ivy/top-25 outcome orientation to HelloCollege.
- PrepScholar: Test prep and admissions prep provider with online and tutoring programs covering SAT/ACT plus admissions strategy. Comparable in the SAT/ACT tutoring component of HelloCollege's bundle and the broader test prep plus counseling theme.
Emerging players
- Admission Helpers: Smaller private admissions consulting practice offering counseling and application support packages. Comparable at the small-firm, services-only level to HelloCollege's hourly offerings and à la carte packages.
Broad incumbents
- Kaplan Test Prep: Large incumbent offering SAT/ACT prep, admissions consulting, and tutoring through classroom and online programs. Comparable in test prep and admissions services but more commoditized and broader reach than HelloCollege's concierge model.
- The Princeton Review: National test prep and admissions services brand with classroom courses, private tutoring, and admissions counseling. Overlaps with HelloCollege's SAT/ACT prep and counseling offerings but operates at much broader scale with different delivery mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HelloCollege social profiles
Digital presenceHelloCollege financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HelloCollege leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
HelloCollege funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HelloCollege M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HelloCollege
What does HelloCollege do?
HelloCollege provides personalized college admissions counseling paired with in-house academic tutoring, essay coaching, and SAT/ACT test preparation. Services are sold as flexible multi-year hourly bundle packages that families can apply across counseling, tutoring, test prep, and essay support. The company also operates a Family Portal digital platform for progress tracking and provides free educational resources such as workbooks, timelines, and checklists.
Is HelloCollege a public or private company?
HelloCollege is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was HelloCollege founded?
HelloCollege was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HelloCollege based?
HelloCollege is headquartered in Oak Brook, United States, in the North America region.
How does HelloCollege make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Comprehensive College Planning Packages are the primary driver. The others are hourly Consulting Services and essay Coaching Services.
Who are HelloCollege's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crimson Education, Empowerly, IvyWise, Collegewise, Veritas Prep, Going Ivy and PrepScholar. Admission Helpers is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Kaplan Test Prep and The Princeton Review.
Does HelloCollege have an API?
No public API is recorded for HelloCollege.
What industry is HelloCollege in?
HelloCollege's product category is College Admissions Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAEAA, Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.