How do you address competitor claims about guaranteed results or insider influence?

With healthy skepticism — and a few questions worth asking. If a firm claims a 100% success rate, it’s worth understanding how they define “success” and how many clients they take per year. You’ll usually find one of two things: either they’re defining success as “got into at least one school on a list that included several near-certainties,” or they’re quietly declining anyone who isn’t already highly competitive. Both approaches inflate the number without reflecting the actual quality of the consulting.

As for “insider influence” — the idea that a former admissions officer on staff means your application gets special treatment — that’s not how admissions works. Readers rotate, committees change, and no consultant has a direct line to the dean’s office. What actually helps is a smart strategy, a well-crafted application, and a genuine narrative. If a firm is selling access instead of craft, they’re selling something that doesn’t exist. We’d rather compete on the work itself.