Simple answers to frequent questions

Have questions?
Frequently asked questions
What would you like to know?

Still have questions? We've got answers. Email us or give us a call.

  • What precautions are you taking during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    In the interest of safety, we are now assisting all students virtually via phone calls, FaceTime or Zoom.

  • What forms of payment do you accept?

    We accept most forms of payment, including all major credit cards, PayPal, and checks.

  • What's the best way to get in touch with you?

    We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out via our contact form or give us a call. We will try to get back to you in less than 24 hours.

  • When are you available?

    Check our business hours on the contact page. If you ever have a question outside of these hours, don't hesitate to reach out!

  • Where are you located?

    We are proudly located in Los Angeles.

  • What does it mean to be "underplaced"?

    According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Research suggests that many low-income students are "underplaced". They have the academic skills to gain admission to more selective colleges than the ones they attend."  We have discovered, that many highly touted high schools also "underplace" their students because the college list (produced by the college advisor) includes mostly safety schools and students are often discouraged from applying to highly selective schools because that could potentially lower the high school's college application success rates.

    EAS works with each student to maximize his/her potential and assists students in the creation of essays that get them accepted into colleges other advisory programs do not think they can get into. Not every student is a good match for a highly selective university. However, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, "The most selective institutions spend more per student, have better graduation rates, and offer better access to jobs or graduate and professional schools than less-selective institutions do."

    EAS looks at the entire package and life of students and is committed to assisting students in gaining admission into the best schools.

  • What makes EAS different from other consulting companies?

    Many college admissions companies try to get a higher success rate by allowing their clients to only apply to schools to which the student is certain to gain admission. This means that these companies are not trying to push students' potential or get their clients into colleges that are more selective unless the student has a high GPA or SAT score.

    The main thing that sets EAS apart from other college admissions counselors is that we do not pre-approve our clients' college list. Companies that pre-approve lists increase their success rate by only approving certain schools they think their students can gain admission into. Furthermore, EAS consultants know a great deal about the admissions process. EAS' founder, Mark Lewis, uses his admissions experience at both the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard University and has trained his counselors on what schools are looking for.

    Additionally, EAS uses its own proven proprietary method to ensure that our students are demonstrating their personal talents and achievements and not just their writing style, which is what many other counselors do.

    "Many well intentioned counselors make the mistake of having their students showcase their writing talents rather than demonstrate personal talents and achievements. By asking probing questions, EAS helps students expand their thought process which allows them to provide concrete examples and solid explanations rather than just providing buzz words." - Ken Gonsalves, Former Senior Assistant Director in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions - University of California, Berkeley and current EAS Northern California Director

  • Is there a minimum GPA requirement?

    EAS does not require a minimum GPA score. We have worked with students that had a GPA of 2.0 as well as 4.0 (and above). We do not discriminate against lower GPAs and are committed to assisting students get into the best colleges they can. Even when students have a lower GPA, they can still get into good colleges if they write a great essay. EAS has a proven method to help students write solid personal statements and essays that allow admission counselors at colleges to make the most and best informed decisions about the student.

  • Is there a minimum SAT/ACT requirement?

    EAS does not require a minimum SAT or ACT score. Because of our admissions experience, EAS has a solid understanding of what colleges are looking for in applicants. For example, we have assisted students with lower SATs gain admission to UC Berkeley and UCLA. If you are committed to getting into a college that is a great fit for you and that maximizes your potential, EAS will make a personalized plan for you and will assist you in creating a great essay.

  • What is your success rate?

    There are a few different ways to determine success rate for a college admissions consulting company. Many companies claim they have an 80-100% success rate but what most people do not know is that they work with pre-approved college lists. As we mentioned previously, this means that their clients have to submit a list of colleges they want to apply to and a counselor will only approve the list based on the likelihood of said student gaining admissions.

    EAS looks at students holistically, not just at GPA and SAT score, and maximizes the student's potential through their personal statement and essay. EAS also assesses which colleges and universities the student has a chance of being admitted to and bases that assessment not on increasing EAS' success rate but on the student's desires. EAS collaborates with students to make a list of schools based on fit, including the more selective ones they are interested in attending.

  • What if I'm in a different location?

    In the interest of safety, we are now assisting all students virtually via phone calls, FaceTime or Zoom.

We would love to hear from you

Give us a call or send us an email with any questions or comments you have.