Popp & Associates was founded by Wendy Popp, a former college admissions officer at Brandeis University. The company is based in the Boston area and focuses on customized, one-on-one guidance for high school students. Popp & Associates offers both all-in-one consulting packages (although they don’t offer test prep), or you can pay for a certain number of hours of consultation to focus on a specific area of the college application process.

Unlike some larger companies, Popp & Associates takes on a limited number of students per year to ensure each one gets individualized attention. They focus on helping teens become more confident, identify their strengths, and find schools that are a genuine fit, not just schools that have high name recognition. They have deeper knowledge of smaller liberal arts schools than many of their competitors that focus heavily on Ivy League schools.

Popp & Associates also specializes in student athletes. If your child wants to pursue college athletics, Popp & Associates offers a variety of services in their Athletic Consulting Package, including an evaluation of candidacy for athletic scholarships, assistance in attracting college recruiters, NCAA recruitment procedures, recommendations for athletic camps, and creation of athletic resumes. Note that the Athletic Consulting Package can only be purchased in addition to a college counseling package; it can’t be purchased on its own.