Campus Bound
Campus Bound is a privately held college admissions and financial aid counseling firm founded in 2003, serving high school students and families nationwide with personalized counseling, the proprietary Custom College Plan portal, and flat-fee service packages delivered primarily remotely.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersHingham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Campus Bound does
Campus Bound is a privately held college admissions counseling and financial aid advisory firm founded in 2003 by Gregg Cohen and headquartered in the Greater-Boston Metrowest area of Hingham, Massachusetts. The company provides individualized college search, application, essay writing, and financial aid guidance to high school students (9th-12th grade) and their families, with a sales-led go-to-market that begins with a complimentary video conference consultation and culminates in flat-fee or hourly professional services packages spanning multi-year engagements. Service delivery is primarily remote, with in-person support available across Massachusetts and Rhode Island and active client families located nationwide and internationally. Customer outcomes cited include close to 5,000 students supported over the firm's 20+ year history and average student-counselor ratios of 5-20 — materially lower than typical high school counselor caseloads.
The firm's core technology stack consists of the Custom College Plan (CCP) portal — a centralized student planning platform featuring to-do tracking, school list management, deadline organization, customizable reports, and a communication hub for counselor-student interaction — and Editate, an essay management tool with Google Docs integration that supports brainstorming, prompt/word count tracking, and draft history management. A proprietary database of college admissions results, financial aid grants, and scholarships is layered on top, supplemented by career and aptitude assessment tools. Campus Bound also maintains a substantial content ecosystem including the College Candids video interview series featuring admissions officers from 25+ institutions, an active blog, and a webinar program delivered in partnership with Open Door Education for testing strategy. In 2023, founder Gregg Cohen spun off a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, College Affordable, which provides free financial aid education through partnerships with 35+ Massachusetts high schools and community organizations and has helped students secure over $1 million in grants and scholarships.
The business model is professional services revenue with two principal streams: college admissions counseling (including early high school planning, core admission services, and athletic recruiting) and college cost consulting (financial aid advisory, FAFSA/CSS Profile/IDOC completion, appeals, and loan guidance). Pricing is quote-based flat-fee or hourly depending on service intensity, with multi-year engagement horizons. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer remote sales, in-person consultations in New England, and a partnership channel through high schools and community organizations. The firm has no disclosed institutional funding, operates as a founder-led private company, and reports no M&A, venture, or private equity activity.
Campus Bound firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Campus Bound
- Legal name
- Campus Bound
- Website
- https://campusbound.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Campus Bound is a privately held college admissions and financial aid counseling firm founded in 2003, serving high school students and families nationwide with personalized counseling, the proprietary Custom College Plan portal, and flat-fee service packages delivered primarily remotely.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Campus Bound industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Admissions and Financial Aid Counseling Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling (EDANAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Aid, Scholarships & FAFSA/CSS Profile Support (EDANAEAI), Application Strategy & School List Building (EDANAEAE), College & Career Counseling (Admissions, Scholarships, Pathways) (EDAJALAE)
Keywords
Where Campus Bound is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Campus Bound business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- College Admissions Counseling Services: Professional college counseling services with various service packages and flat-fee options. Services include admission services for 9th-10th graders, core admission services, and athletic recruiting support. Revenue is generated through fixed-price (flat fee) or hourly options depending on service level selected.
- College Cost Consulting / Financial Aid Services: Financial aid advisory services including comprehensive financial reviews, aid eligibility assessments, form completion (FAFSA, CSS Profile, IDOC), appeals support, and loan guidance. Offered as fixed-price flat fee or hourly options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Various service packages available |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Campus Bound product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Campus Bound provides individualized college admissions counseling and college cost/financial aid consulting to high school students and their families. Services include college search, application management, essay coaching, athletic recruiting guidance, and financial aid optimization, delivered by former admissions officers, high school counselors, and essay specialists with a low 5–20 student-to-counselor ratio, supported by the proprietary Custom College Plan (CCP) portal and Editate essay management platform.
Product overview
Campus Bound offers a comprehensive suite of college counseling services built around a core advisory practice augmented by technology platforms. The primary offering is personalized college admissions counseling, which pairs students with experienced counselors who guide them through search, applications, essays, and financial aid. This is supported by the Custom College Plan (CCP) Portal—a centralized planning platform that organizes to-do items, school lists, deadlines, and counselor communications in one place. Within the CCP, students access Editate, Campus Bound's essay management tool that integrates with Google Docs for draft organization. College Cost Consulting provides financial planning and aid optimization services. The company also maintains a content and community platform (College Candids videos, Blog, webinars) and offers Partnership Programs for schools and organizations. College Affordable is a separate non-profit initiative focused on free financial aid education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Custom College Plan (CCP): An online portal helping students and families stay organized while providing access to valuable college data, tracking student work, deadlines, and offering college essay management, career assessments, and financial aid predictions.
- College Affordable
Products and services
- College Admissions Counseling Services Comprehensive individualized college counseling services for high school students, including college search guidance, application support, school list building, and application management, delivered by experienced counselors with backgrounds in college admissions, high school counseling, and essay writing.
- College Cost Consulting Financial planning and advisory services to help families evaluate and optimize college paying plans, identify merit-scholarship opportunities, pursue need-based grants, and complete financial aid forms (FAFSA, CSS Profile, IDOC). Includes comprehensive financial reviews, aid eligibility assessments, appeals support, and loan guidance, offered as flat-fee or hourly packages.
- Admission Services for 9th & 10th Graders Early college planning services for underclassmen, focusing on course selection, activity planning, and building the foundation for a competitive college application profile, tailored to each student's unique starting point.
- Athletic Recruiting Guidance Specialized guidance for high school student athletes navigating the college athletic recruiting process, including NCAA compliance, recruiting timeline management, and showcasing athletic abilities within college applications, delivered in partnership with Mass Athlete Performance (M.A.P.).
- Partnership Programs for Schools and Community Organizations Customized college planning services delivered to high schools and community organizations, including workshops, webinars, one-on-one family consultations, and skill-building sessions on the college admissions process and financial aid. Designed for partner organizations lacking internal college counseling capacity or financial aid expertise.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully supported close to 5000 students over 20+ years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Campus Bound
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Campus Bound 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
Campus Bound partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- WoodwardminorPartnership organization that works with Campus Bound to provide college planning support to their community members.
- Saul EwingminorPartnership organization that works with Campus Bound to provide college planning support to their community members.
- NCE AdultminorPartnership organization that works with Campus Bound to provide college planning support to their community members.
- Mass Athlete Performance (M.A.P.)minorPartnership with athletic performance organization to provide specialized college recruiting guidance for student athletes.
- Jewish Big Brothers Big SisterscoreLong-standing partnership with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Inspired by founder Gregg Cohen's goal to keep his mother's legacy of philanthropy alive, Campus Bound began helping students from JBBBS starting in 2017, continuing a meaningful community support relationship.
- CodmanminorPartnership organization that works with Campus Bound to provide college planning support to their community members.
- 35 Public and Private High Schools and Community Organizations (MA)coreCollege Affordable non-profit initiative has partnered with 35 public and private high schools and community organizations across Massachusetts, from North Shore to South Shore, Boston to Northampton, and throughout Worcester County. Partners include Beacon Academy in Boston, Squashbusters, Camp Harborview, and more.
- EditatecoreEssay management platform integrated with the Custom College Plan portal. Provides single sign-on access, essay brainstorming tools, prompt organization, Google Docs integration, and draft history management. Integrated into Campus Bound's technology stack for essay support.
- Open Door EducationcorePartnership for standardized testing guidance. Open Door Education provides expert tutoring and test preparation services. Campus Bound partners with them for webinars on Digital SAT, ACT, and college admissions testing strategy. CEO Travis Minor contributes testing guidance content.
- Baystate FinancialminorWealth advisor Nicholas Ferbert from Baystate Financial provides financial planning insights for college financing. Contributes content on 529 plans, investment timing, and cash flow planning for college expenses.
- Dr. Risa WeisbergminorClinical psychologist who contributes content on managing the transition to college, including strategies for parents dealing with anxiety during the college process.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Campus Bound competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CollegeAdvisor.com (by Accepted): Online college admissions counseling marketplace connecting students with admissions experts on hourly or package plans. Direct peer to Campus Bound in the same college counseling category, with broader geographic reach and tech-enabled delivery model.
- IvyWise: Premier college admissions and graduate school counseling firm offering one-on-one counseling, test prep, and essay support. Direct peer to Campus Bound in premium, counselor-led admissions services with comparable target market of affluent, outcomes-focused families.
- AcceptU: Boutique college admissions counseling firm offering one-on-one admissions and transfer admissions coaching. Direct peer to Campus Bound in premium, individualized college admissions services targeting families seeking expert guidance.
- TopTier Admissions: College admissions consulting firm with former admissions officers providing comprehensive admissions coaching and application strategy. Direct peer to Campus Bound in the high-touch, counselor-led admissions services category.
- Empowerly: AI-powered college admissions counseling platform pairing students with experienced counselors and using data/algorithms to inform school list building. Direct peer to Campus Bound in admissions counseling with a tech-forward, scalable model.
- PrepScholar: Large-scale online test prep and admissions prep platform combining adaptive learning technology with admissions counseling. Direct peer operating in the same admissions prep category as Campus Bound but at much larger scale and with a primarily digital delivery model.
- College Essay Guy: College application and essay coaching provider offering one-on-one essay mentoring, courses, and resources. Direct peer focused on the essay-writing sub-domain that Campus Bound's Editate platform also addresses.
Emerging players
- College Confidential: Long-standing online community and information platform for college admissions with forums, articles, and school data. Adjacent peer that competes indirectly by offering free information resources that overlap with Campus Bound's blog, CCP portal, and College Candids content offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Campus Bound social profiles
Digital presenceCampus Bound financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Campus Bound leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Campus Bound funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Campus Bound 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 Campus Bound
What does Campus Bound do?
Campus Bound provides individualized college admissions counseling and college cost/financial aid consulting to high school students and their families. Services include college search, application management, essay coaching, athletic recruiting guidance, and financial aid optimization, delivered by former admissions officers, high school counselors, and essay specialists with a low 5–20 student-to-counselor ratio, supported by the proprietary Custom College Plan (CCP) portal and Editate essay management platform.
Is Campus Bound a public or private company?
Campus Bound is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Campus Bound founded?
Campus Bound was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Campus Bound based?
Campus Bound is headquartered in Hingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Campus Bound make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. College Admissions Counseling Services are the primary driver. The others are college Cost Consulting / Financial Aid Services.
Who are Campus Bound's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CollegeAdvisor.com (by Accepted), IvyWise, AcceptU, TopTier Admissions, Empowerly, PrepScholar and College Essay Guy. College Confidential is listed as an emerging player.
Does Campus Bound have an API?
No public API is recorded for Campus Bound.
What industry is Campus Bound in?
Campus Bound's product category is College Admissions and Financial Aid Counseling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAEAA, Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling, with a secondary code of EDANAEAI, Financial Aid, Scholarships & FAFSA/CSS Profile Support. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.