We offer strategic advisory and essay-writing support for students applying to colleges across the US, UK, Canada and Europe. We also provide portfolio development sessions for students applying to Art & Design programs, as well as a Interview Preparation for students invited to interview at Oxbridge or Ivy Leagues.

All our counselors are graduates of top universities around the world, including Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, Chicago, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and more. They are all talented writers and specialize in helping you stand out through your college essays.

You can check out our application timeline here for a detailed outline of your three final years in school.
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‍You should start reaching out to us as early as May in the summer before your final year in school. Don't worry if you're coming later than that–depending on where you are applying, your timeline may differ.

If you are applying to Art & Design programs (including Architecture in some cases), we recommend you start working on your portfolio as of the year before in order to have your art pieces ready. Portfolio development has specific requirements and we recommend working with someone who can help you meet those requirements. You can reach out to us for portfolio development sessions.
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Overall, you can start preparing for college admissions by strengthening your profile as early as Grade 9 (Year 10 for those with a Year 13).

Your grades are the first thing that universities check. As such, it's important that you maintain grades that will make you competitive for the colleges you're applying to; or conversely, that you apply to colleges where your grades are competitive.

Nevertheless, US universities have a 'holistic application review' process, which means that grades are but one part of their evaluation process, alongside your extra-curricular activities, college essays and recommendation letter. Applicants with exceptional applications can still stand a chance at some competitive colleges even if their grades are slightly lower than the average.

UK universities have strict grade requirements: this means that students must meet a minimum grade requirement to be considered for the program. Meeting the minimum grade is only sufficient for consideration but does not guarantee entry, which is why having a strong personal statement is important.

Some Canadian universities have strict grade requirements, while other provide grade benchmarks. Similarly, European universities vary.

We provide our students with all the relevant information to determine if they're eligible to apply to their list of target colleges.

We do not write essays on behalf of students under any circumstances. This is considered academic plagiarism. Students are responsible for the originality of their own work and we offer them support throughout their writing process. Students that purchase one of our packages and refuse to write their own essays will be turned away and only offered a partial refund, due to retained fees for the reservation of a counselor for them, which reduces counselor availability for other students.

We are unable to help with student accommodation or visa processing as these fall outside of our scope of work.

However, we have long-standing partners whom we trust and who have helped our students in the past with the visa process . If you are one of our students and would like visa assistance, please let us know and we will put you in touch.

Most universities share information about student accommodation once the student is admitted and has confirmed their attendance by paying the enrolment deposit. Students can then decide which type of accommodation they want, and communicate with the university or accommodation provider to book.

We are experts in the college admissions field and provide you with highly tailored packages that are designed to make you stand out in the admissions process. This means that your application strategy is personalized to you and highlights your unique strengths as an applicant. Our counselors work with you one-on-one to draft and refine your college essays to the highest standard while helping you find your personal voice and narrative.

Your school's college counselor is vital throughout your application process as they will need to provide universities with your transcripts and recommendation letter by the designated deadlines. Working with Apex alongside your school counselor allows you to benefit from highly individualized attention to your college essays and application strategy as you get assigned your own personal Apex counselor.

You can check out our application timeline here for a detailed outline of all the important deadlines.

US early deadlines fall between October 15 and November 1. Regular deadlines mostly fall on January 1.

UK deadlines fall on January 31, except for Oxbridge and Medicine applications which are due by October 16. Some Foundation programs are open until April.

Canada deadlines fall between February and April, except for Toronto's Early Consideration deadline (November 7) as well as McGill and University of British Columbia (January 15).

Dutch universities have Numerus Fixus programmes which close on January 15, while other programs are open until April.

Please note that some universities and programs have their own independent deadlines so it is important to check. Students that work with Apex get a list of deadlines tailored to them.

Your college essays are the one chance for the admissions officers (or professors) to get to know you outside of your grades and extra-curricular activities. Unlike the rest of the application, your essays allow you to express yourself and show the unique aspects of your personality, experiences, and perspective. This can help you stand out from other applicants, and even compensate for other weaknesses in your application in some cases.

The first thing is to make sure that you are choosing the right subjects in school and working as hard as you can. You don't have to be the best in your year, but make sure that you are doing the best that you can, so that you don't feel any regrets when it's time to apply to college.

The second thing is to map out your extra-curricular activities. Don't just think of it as a checklist—consider what you actually enjoy spending your time on, and what issues you feel passionate about. Building an extra-curricular profile that is unique to your own interests is much better than simply following what everyone else is doing.

The third thing is to start thinking of what you might want to study in college. It's normal to be undecided at this point and this is your chance to explore. We have put together a list of resources for you to narrow down and determine which fields you could be interested in.

Students that are targeting Ivy League universities and are graduating in 2-3 years should contact us if they wish to start preparing early.