About us

top college specialists

Great Minds Advising specializes in helping high-achieving students become the applicants top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused passion, or "hook."

Combining strategic expertise with hands-on mentorship, our mission is to provide industry-leading support to a limited group of bright, enthusiastic students driven to maximize their potential and gain admission to a top college.

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2025-26 Acceptances

Percentage of students accepted to top-choice college

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Accepted to Ivy

Percentage of Ivy applicants accepted to at least one Ivy

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Ivy Early Round

Percentage of Ivy applicants accepted early

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Ivy Advantage

Our Ivy acceptance rate vs. average

Services

Unrivaled support

Our fully comprehensive program leaves no stone unturned in achieving the best possible admissions outcome.

Hook-Building

We help students craft compelling admissions themes rooted in their passions—then bring them to life through research, leadership, independent projects, and more. Every element supports a unified, differentiated narrative that stands out at elite colleges.

Academics & Testing

From course selection to SAT/ACT strategy, we aid students in maximizing their individual academic profiles, ensuring alignment with their admissions narratives and college goals.

Recommendations

We guide students in cultivating strong classroom personas and providing their teachers and school counselors with tailored materials to write standout recommendations that reinforce the traits top colleges seek.

School Strategy

One of a student’s greatest strategic edges is applying early. Using a high-precision analysis, we not only customize school lists but also help our students leverage ED and other early plans to gain admission to the best school possible.

Strategic Positioning

Based on strengths, demographics, and major-specific competitiveness, we optimize how students present their academic interests and major selections to create the greatest possible advantage in each college applicant pool.

Applications

From cliché essays to activities lists with no through-line, students often cause admissions officers to glaze over and deny their applications. In contrast, we help our students craft applications that centerpiece their unique admissions hooks and stand out from the crowd.

Hook-Building

We help students craft compelling admissions themes rooted in their passions—then bring them to life through research, leadership, independent projects, and more. Every element supports a unified, differentiated narrative that stands out at elite colleges.

Academics & Testing

From course selection to SAT/ACT strategy, we aid students in maximizing their individual academic profiles, ensuring alignment with their admissions narratives and college goals.

Recommendations

We guide students in cultivating strong classroom personas and providing their teachers and school counselors with tailored materials to write standout recommendations that reinforce the traits top colleges seek.

School Strategy

One of a student’s greatest strategic edges is applying early. Using a high-precision analysis, we not only customize school lists but also help our students leverage ED and other early plans to gain admission to the best school possible.

Strategic Positioning

Based on strengths, demographics, and major-specific competitiveness, we optimize how students present their academic interests and major selections to create the greatest possible advantage in each college applicant pool.

Applications

From cliché essays to activities lists with no through-line, students often cause admissions officers to glaze over and deny their applications. In contrast, we help our students craft applications that centerpiece their unique admissions hooks and stand out from the crowd.

Testimonials

What our families say

See what students and parents say about working with our team.

  • Best decision we have ever made (apart from my marriage :-)) was to engage your help. Not only did you help her realize her dream, but you helped her discover herself.

    Penn | Class of 2027

  • I just wanted to say we are truly grateful and so glad we found you! I feel bad for those who don't have you guys!! lol

    Duke | Class of 2027

  • We really appreciate all your guidance, advice, effort and input. The end result is so much better than we ever could have imagined.

    Stanford | Class of 2025

  • We are still shaking. Thank you for your role in bringing to parents the happiness of seeing their son receive the educational opportunity and recognition he worked so hard to earn.

    Penn | Class of 2028

  • I wanted to say thank you for your help over the last few years—I appreciate all of the guidance and support and couldn't have gotten where I am now without you.

    Cornell | Class of 2029

  • I cannot say enough great things about Great Minds Advising. They gave me the tools to get into my dream school, Dartmouth College. They are truly the best!

    Dartmouth | Class of 2025

  • I cannot say enough great things about Great Minds Advising. They gave me the tools to get into my dream school, Dartmouth College. They are truly the best!

    Dartmouth | Class of 2025

  • I wanted to say thank you for your help over the last few years—I appreciate all of the guidance and support and couldn't have gotten where I am now without you.

    Cornell | Class of 2029

  • We are still shaking. Thank you for your role in bringing to parents the happiness of seeing their son receive the educational opportunity and recognition he worked so hard to earn.

    Penn | Class of 2028

  • We really appreciate all your guidance, advice, effort and input. The end result is so much better than we ever could have imagined.

    Stanford | Class of 2025

  • I just wanted to say we are truly grateful and so glad we found you! I feel bad for those who don't have you guys!! lol

    Duke | Class of 2027

  • Best decision we have ever made (apart from my marriage :-)) was to engage your help. Not only did you help her realize her dream, but you helped her discover herself.

    Penn | Class of 2027

Podcast

Follow our admissions podcast

Hear our in-depth strategic commentary on winning admission to America's top colleges.

10 Ways To Ruin Your Admission Odds

From staying “well-rounded” and avoiding commitment to a hook to messing up your ED school and falling for trap essay questions, we flip the script and walk through the ten fastest ways to sabotage your college admissions chances—so you can do the opposite.

Season 2

Episode 3

By staying well-rounded and allocating your time toward a wide variety of disjointed activities, you ensure your candidacy has no particular theme, the admissions officers see no through-line, and your application blends in with those of countless other students.

Listen now

10 Ways To Ruin Your Admission Odds

From staying “well-rounded” and avoiding commitment to a hook to messing up your ED school and falling for trap essay questions, we flip the script and walk through the ten fastest ways to sabotage your college admissions chances—so you can do the opposite.

Season 2

Episode 3

By staying well-rounded and allocating your time toward a wide variety of disjointed activities, you ensure your candidacy has no particular theme, the admissions officers see no through-line, and your application blends in with those of countless other students.

Listen now

10 Ways To Ruin Your Admission Odds

From staying “well-rounded” and avoiding commitment to a hook to messing up your ED school and falling for trap essay questions, we flip the script and walk through the ten fastest ways to sabotage your college admissions chances—so you can do the opposite.

Season 2

Episode 3

By staying well-rounded and allocating your time toward a wide variety of disjointed activities, you ensure your candidacy has no particular theme, the admissions officers see no through-line, and your application blends in with those of countless other students.

Listen now

3 Lies Admissions Officers Love To Tell

In this episode, we reveal several forms of false reassurance that admissions officers often provide to applicants and their families, from the notion of “holistic” review to the great myth of “test optional,” breeding complacency and a dangerously naïve view of how admissions actually works at top colleges.

Season 2

Episode 1

For the top schools, even if you have a great SAT score—say a 1480, which is nearing a 99th percentile score—if that score falls below the college’s range, it is very possible the rest of your application will not even be reviewed.

Listen now

3 Lies Admissions Officers Love To Tell

In this episode, we reveal several forms of false reassurance that admissions officers often provide to applicants and their families, from the notion of “holistic” review to the great myth of “test optional,” breeding complacency and a dangerously naïve view of how admissions actually works at top colleges.

Season 2

Episode 1

For the top schools, even if you have a great SAT score—say a 1480, which is nearing a 99th percentile score—if that score falls below the college’s range, it is very possible the rest of your application will not even be reviewed.

Listen now

3 Lies Admissions Officers Love To Tell

In this episode, we reveal several forms of false reassurance that admissions officers often provide to applicants and their families, from the notion of “holistic” review to the great myth of “test optional,” breeding complacency and a dangerously naïve view of how admissions actually works at top colleges.

Season 2

Episode 1

For the top schools, even if you have a great SAT score—say a 1480, which is nearing a 99th percentile score—if that score falls below the college’s range, it is very possible the rest of your application will not even be reviewed.

Listen now

The Truth About Summer Programs

Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission? Think again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to impress top colleges.

Season 1

Episode 13

There are a lot of issues with college summer programs, from the unimpressive value they provide to students' candidacies to making an applicant less likable by signaling privilege or their preference toward one college over others.

Listen now

The Truth About Summer Programs

Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission? Think again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to impress top colleges.

Season 1

Episode 13

There are a lot of issues with college summer programs, from the unimpressive value they provide to students' candidacies to making an applicant less likable by signaling privilege or their preference toward one college over others.

Listen now

The Truth About Summer Programs

Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission? Think again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to impress top colleges.

Season 1

Episode 13

There are a lot of issues with college summer programs, from the unimpressive value they provide to students' candidacies to making an applicant less likable by signaling privilege or their preference toward one college over others.

Listen now

FAQs

Answering your questions

Answering your questions

Want to learn more about our program? Send us a message below.

Want to learn more about our program? Send us a message below.

Get in touch

What do top colleges look for?

Top colleges no longer look to admit well-rounded students but rather students with clear, academically-focused passions, or “hooks.” High-achieving students with strong grades and test scores but without a unique focus to sell to top colleges are a dime-a-dozen and will often find themselves rejected.

How is Great Minds Advising different from other advisors and services?

Unlike other advisors, we specialize in elite college admissions, work with a highly limited number of students, and offer the most comprehensive and tailored long-term advising in the industry. Along with a relentless culture of excellence, these unique features drive our track record of top-college results.

How are students selected for your program?

Parents are typically offered a Zoom call with our director, Sam Hassell, to gather more insight into the student and our advising process. If it seems like a possible fit, students then partake in a separate 1:1 meeting before being admitted to our program.

Where are your students typically located and how do they work with you?

Our program is 100% remote and advises students from schools in the U.S. and other countries around the world.

When is the best time to start?

Given the time needed to build an effective hook and résumé, admissions favors early starters. Most students begin our program by early high school, but late starters are also considered.

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Contact

Get in touch

To find out if your student is a good fit for our program and how we can help, send us a message.

Email

info@greatmindsadvising.com

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