Top Tier Admissions
Top Tier Admissions is a boutique college admissions consulting firm founded in 2002 that provides one-on-one counseling, essay guidance, and trademarked Application Boot Camp® programs to affluent families seeking admission to selective colleges and graduate schools. The firm leverages former Ivy League admissions officers to deliver premium, high-touch services priced from $6,000 to $15,000+ per engagement.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersConcord, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Top Tier Admissions does
Top Tier Admissions is a privately held, boutique college admissions consulting firm founded in 2002 by Dr. Michele Hernandez (former Dartmouth admissions officer and author of 'A is for Admission') and Mimi Doe. The firm serves affluent families seeking admission to highly selective colleges and graduate programs, offering one-on-one private counseling from grade 4 through graduate school, intensive multi-day Application Boot Camp® programs, essay guidance, standardized test preparation, and graduate school admissions consulting. Its core differentiator is its team of former Ivy League admissions officers and deans, including Maria Laskaris (former Dartmouth Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid), combined with a deliberately small team size that preserves a high-touch, personalized service model.
The business operates as a professional services firm with no proprietary technology platform and no software product. Revenue is generated through premium hourly-based and package-based engagements, with essay guidance packages ranging from $6,000 (5 hours) to $15,000 (15-hour bundle with Common App Intensive) and graduate essay guidance starting at $4,800. Services are delivered in-person (Boot Camps in NYC and LA) and virtually via Zoom to clients globally. The Application Boot Camp® is a trademarked 4-day intensive program that has become the firm's flagship product and customer acquisition vehicle, supported by extensive content marketing, PR, and social media presence.
Over 20+ years, the firm has built a strong brand presence through featured media coverage in Forbes, The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, and Oprah, and reports strong outcomes including a 72% Early Ivy+ admit rate for the Class of 2026 and $7.5M+ in merit aid awarded to students. The company has no external funding, operates independently under its two co-founders, and has expanded its product portfolio incrementally to include graduate school admissions, transfer admissions, career planning, and research mentorship. Top Tier Admissions is a founder-led, lifestyle-scale professional services firm with a defensible talent moat but constrained growth ambition by design.
Top Tier Admissions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Top Tier Admissions
- Legal name
- Top Tier Admissions
- Website
- https://toptieradmissions.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Top Tier Admissions is a boutique college admissions consulting firm founded in 2002 that provides one-on-one counseling, essay guidance, and trademarked Application Boot Camp® programs to affluent families seeking admission to selective colleges and graduate schools. The firm leverages former Ivy League admissions officers to deliver premium, high-touch services priced from $6,000 to $15,000+ per engagement.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Top Tier Admissions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- College Admissions Consulting
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College Application, Admissions & Essay Coaching (EDAMAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling (EDANAEAA), Graduate & Professional School Admissions Counseling (MBA/MD/JD/MS) (EDANAEAD), Graduate & Professional School Admissions Exams (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) Prep (EDANABAB)
Keywords
Where Top Tier Admissions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Concord
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Top Tier Admissions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Private Counseling Program: Ongoing personalized college admissions counseling from grade 4 through graduate school, delivered one-on-one with senior admissions experts.
- Application Boot Camp: Intensive multi-day boot camp program (in-person and virtual) for college application preparation, including essay guidance and strategic application review.
- Essay Guidance Program: Hourly-based essay coaching program with 5, 10, or 15 hour packages for college essay guidance. Also includes bundles with Common App Intensive.
- Test Preparation Tutoring: Standardized test prep for SAT, ACT, AP Exams, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, SSAT. Also includes academic tutoring and executive functioning support.
- Grad School Analysis & Guidance: Comprehensive graduate school admissions strategy consulting including personalized 10+ page strategic report and 10 hours of guidance for Master's, MBA, PhD, Medical School, or Law School applications.
- Career Planning & Academic Advising: Academic and career counseling for college students and young professionals, including course selection, research opportunities, and professional development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay Guidance - 5 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay Guidance - 10 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay Guidance - 15 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay + Common App Intensive Bundle (5-hr) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay + Common App Intensive Bundle (10-hr) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | College Essay + Common App Intensive Bundle (15-hr) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Graduate Essay Guidance - 5 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Graduate Essay Guidance - 10 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Planning - 5 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Planning - 10 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Planning - 15 hours |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Grad School Analysis & Guidance Program - 10 hours |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Top Tier Admissions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Top Tier Admissions is a private college admissions consulting firm that sells one-on-one counseling services, intensive multi-day Application Boot Camp® programs, essay guidance packages, and standardized test preparation tutoring. Founded in 2002 by former Dartmouth admissions officer Dr. Michele Hernandez and author Mimi Doe, the firm leverages a team of former Ivy League admissions officers to help individual students and families gain admission to selective undergraduate and graduate programs.
Product overview
Top Tier Admissions is a college admissions counseling company offering a portfolio of services spanning private counseling, intensive boot camp programs, essay guidance, standardized test prep tutoring, academic coaching, and graduate school advisory services. The core offerings include the Application Boot Camp® (available in-person and virtual formats), the Private Counseling Program for individualized guidance from grade 4 through graduate school, and various add-on modules such as essay guidance packages, career planning, and research mentorship. The company employs former Ivy League admissions officers and expert educators to deliver personalized, high-touch support to students and families navigating the college admissions process.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Application Boot Camp®: A trademarked intensive program that streamlines the college essay writing process and Common Application in four intensive days of admissions-committee style essay review and strategic guidance.
Products and services
- Application Boot Camp® Intensive multi-day program (offered in-person and virtually) that streamlines the college essay writing process and Common Application through admissions-committee-style essay review and strategic guidance for high school students applying to college.
- Personal Application Boot Camp® Personalized virtual version of the Application Boot Camp® program tailored to individual student needs and delivered remotely.
- Private Counseling Program One-on-one college admissions counseling with senior admissions experts providing personalized strategy from grade 4 through graduate school, delivered in-person and virtually.
- Top Tier Futures Long-horizon college admissions preparation program for middle school students in grades 4-6, focused on early profile-building and academic planning.
- Standardized Test Prep Tutoring One-on-one and group test preparation tutoring covering SAT, ACT, AP Exams, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, and SSAT.
- College Essay Guidance Program One-on-one essay coaching with a counselor to brainstorm topics, provide draft feedback, and polish final essays for college applications; available in 5-hour, 10-hour, and 15-hour packages.
- College Essay Guidance + Common App Intensive Bundle Combined package offering the College Essay Guidance Program bundled with Common App Intensive support for complete college application preparation, sold in 5-, 10-, and 15-hour variants.
- Graduate Essay Guidance Essay coaching for graduate school applications covering personal statements, statements of purpose, research statements, and supplemental graduate essays; available in 5- and 10-hour packages.
- Grad School Analysis & Guidance Program Comprehensive strategic report (10+ pages) plus 10 hours of personalized guidance for Master's, MBA, PhD, Medical School, or Law School applications; pricing available on contact.
- Career Planning & Academic Advising Academic and career guidance for college students, graduate students, and young professionals covering course selection, leadership opportunities, and career path planning; available in 5-, 10-, and 15-hour packages.
- Transfer Admissions Counseling Specialized counseling for students seeking to transfer between colleges, including strategy and application support.
- Academic Tutoring & Executive Functioning Academic tutoring combined with executive functioning coaching and ADHD support for students.
- Research Immersion Program Research mentorship program connecting students with research opportunities and guidance to strengthen college and graduate school applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of Top Tier students get into one or more of their top 2 colleges
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Top Tier Admissions
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Top Tier Admissions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Top Tier Admissions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Verto EducationminorVanderbilt partnership with Verto Education allowing select applicants to spend first year abroad with guaranteed transfer admission to Vanderbilt as sophomores. Related to Vanderbilt's broader strategy of building alternative pathways.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Top Tier Admissions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Accepted.com: Graduate school admissions consulting firm specializing in MBA, medical school, law school, and other professional program applications. Directly comparable to Top Tier's Grad School Analysis & Guidance and Graduate Essay Guidance offerings.
- PrepScholar: Online test prep and admissions platform that combines standardized test tutoring with admissions strategy content. Comparable to Top Tier's tutoring and admissions strategy offerings, though positioned at a lower price point with greater self-service / technology-led delivery.
- IvyWise: Premier private college admissions consulting firm offering 1:1 counseling, test prep, and graduate school advising. Closely comparable to Top Tier on positioning (premium, boutique, former admissions officers on staff) and target customer (affluent Ivy-aspirational families).
- Admissionado: Boutique admissions consulting firm offering private counseling, application review, and essay coaching for college and graduate school applicants. Directly comparable service mix and premium boutique positioning, though typically priced somewhat below Top Tier.
- mbaMission: MBA admissions consulting firm providing comprehensive application strategy, essay editing, and interview preparation. Directly comparable to Top Tier's graduate admissions consulting portfolio, especially for the MBA segment.
- CollegeVine: College admissions platform combining AI-driven school matching, essay review, and 1:1 counselor access. Overlaps with Top Tier's essay guidance and counseling offerings but with a more technology- and platform-led, lower-price delivery model.
- Stacy Blackman Consulting: Boutique MBA admissions consulting firm offering 1:1 application strategy, essay coaching, and interview prep. Closely comparable to Top Tier's graduate/MBA consulting line in service model and premium positioning.
- Cambridge Coaching: Private 1:1 tutoring and test prep firm covering standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT) and academic subjects. Overlaps meaningfully with Top Tier's test preparation tutoring line on both product and target customer.
- Veritas Prep: Admissions consulting and test prep firm providing private tutoring, college admissions counseling, and MBA/grad school advising. Comparable across the test prep + admissions strategy stack that overlaps with Top Tier's tutoring and graduate consulting lines.
Broad incumbents
- Princeton Review: Large, established test prep and admissions services company offering courses, tutoring, and admissions counseling across SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT and college admissions. Overlaps with Top Tier's tutoring and admissions lines, but at much broader scale, lower price points, and a portfolio-brand positioning rather than boutique.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Top Tier Admissions social profiles
Digital presenceTop Tier Admissions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Top Tier Admissions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Top Tier Admissions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Top Tier Admissions 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 Top Tier Admissions
What does Top Tier Admissions do?
Top Tier Admissions is a private college admissions consulting firm that sells one-on-one counseling services, intensive multi-day Application Boot Camp® programs, essay guidance packages, and standardized test preparation tutoring. Founded in 2002 by former Dartmouth admissions officer Dr. Michele Hernandez and author Mimi Doe, the firm leverages a team of former Ivy League admissions officers to help individual students and families gain admission to selective undergraduate and graduate programs.
Is Top Tier Admissions a public or private company?
Top Tier Admissions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Top Tier Admissions founded?
Top Tier Admissions was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Top Tier Admissions based?
Top Tier Admissions is headquartered in Concord, United States, in the North America region.
How does Top Tier Admissions make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Private Counseling Program is the primary driver. The others are application Boot Camp, essay Guidance Program, test Preparation Tutoring, grad School Analysis & Guidance and career Planning & Academic Advising.
Who are Top Tier Admissions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Accepted.com, PrepScholar, IvyWise, Admissionado, mbaMission, CollegeVine, Stacy Blackman Consulting, Cambridge Coaching and Veritas Prep. Princeton Review is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Top Tier Admissions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Top Tier Admissions.
What industry is Top Tier Admissions in?
Top Tier Admissions's product category is College Admissions Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAKAE, College Application, Admissions & Essay Coaching, with a secondary code of EDANAEAA, Undergraduate (First-Year) Admissions Counseling. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.