Latest news with #IvyWise
New York Post
07-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Inside the first-of-its-kind, ‘luxury' college campus tour — and why it costs a mind-bending $300K for four days
These high schoolers are getting a lesson in luxury. College hopefuls will soon be able to tour universities like rockstars — zipping between campuses on a private jet, crashing in five-star hotels, and wining and dining their way to a decision. For a mind-boggling, all-inclusive $300,000, the college admissions consultancy group IvyWise will whisk away seven students — each with a parent in tow — on an opulent, first-of-its-kind tour of seven elite universities this fall. The four-day jaunt costs about as much as four years of tuiton at an Ivy League college. The maiden 'Elevation Experience' begins Oct. 13 in the Big Apple, where the families will visit New York and Columbia universities, before the parents enjoy dinner at either Casa Cipriani or Zero Bond. Students, meanwhile, will be treated to Samoa Sundaes at the celebrity hotspot Corner Store, according to IvyWise's CEO and founder, Dr. Kat Cohen. 5 Families will fly on a private Gulfstream G650 jet to each campus included in IvyWise's 'Elevation Experience' tour this fall. ETA Jets But that's just the beginning. Attendees will be chauffeured to the Four Seasons in Tribeca, where they'll stay for a night before boarding a private Gulfstream G650 jet that will whisk them to Princeton University in New Jersey — followed by a skip and a jump to Yale in New Haven, CT. Before the end of Day 2, the jet will arrive in Beantown, where the families will spend the next two nights at another Four Seasons hotel between tours of Boston's Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and dinner at ritzy Deuxave. 5 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of seven university campuses the students will visit during the tour. Marcio – 5 The families will be put up in the Four Seasons Hotel Boston for two nights. Facebook/Four Seasons Hotel Boston The trip culminates with a flight to Washington, DC, for a campus tour of Georgetown University – complete with a meal at the esteemed Le Diplomate – before jetting back to Manhattan. Attendees can expect private tarmac pickups and chauffeured luxury cars every step of the way – as well as new bags to transport their belongings, courtesy of a not-yet-decided designer luggage brand that IvyWise will partner with, according to Cohen. As far as academic advice, IvyWise counselor Christine Chu – who previously worked as the assistant director of admissions at Yale and Georgetown – will be on board to ensure students are asking quality questions during campus info sessions, and that they're getting the full experience during each visit. 5 The 15-person jet will transport seven students — each with a parent — and an IvyWise counselor to each stop, complete with private tarmac pickups. ETA Jets 'So you're getting advice from an expert the entire time,' said Cohen – including before the trip, when IvyWise's staff will meet with students to create personalized reports. Post-tour, the IvyWise staff will help the students with filing college applications, writing essays and preparing for interviews with university administrators, Cohen continued. 'It's a very robust and extremely comprehensive service,' she said, adding that an international tour is already being planned for spring 2026. 5 Attendees will enjoy a ritzy dinner at Deuxave in Boston. Facebook/Deuxave 'A lot of families tell us that college visits are one of the most stressful parts of the admissions journey.' Cohen said. 'They want somebody to plan all of their travel, they don't want any hassle along the way, and they want to make sure they're going about the tours in the right way. This takes . . . all the stress out of it.' Except for the SATs.
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
IvyWise Introduces the Elevation Experience: a $300,000 Luxury College Tour Offering Expert Guidance and Exclusive Access
NEW YORK, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the college admissions landscape grows increasingly competitive, IvyWise, the world's leading educational consultancy, is launching The Elevation Experience — a curated, luxury service designed to streamline and elevate the college visit experience for families. Each college tour is led by at least one member of IvyWise's expert team of former admissions officers and supported by a dedicated tour coordinator. These personalized, high-touch experiences offer students tailored journeys to top selective universities — helping them build informed, balanced college lists and demonstrate interest in their top-choice institutions. 'We created this service in response to growing demand from families looking for a seamless, efficient, and expert-led way to explore colleges,' said Dr. Kat Cohen, founder and CEO of IvyWise. 'With our new Elevation Experience, families can visit multiple schools in a short timeframe while receiving tailored admissions insight — without having to worry about planning the logistics.' 'College visits are often one of the most stressful parts of the admissions journey — but they're also one of the best opportunities for parents and students to truly connect. Our Elevation Experience tours remove the hassle of traditional travel and the pressure of planning, allowing families to focus on what really matters: bonding and gaining expert insight that enhances every step of their college prep,' said Dr. Cohen. 'We take the stress out of the process and help families make the most of this important time together.' The four-day inaugural tour launches in October 2025 from New York City aboard a private Gulfstream G650 jet and includes selective Northeast colleges such as Columbia, NYU, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Georgetown. Additional U.S. and international tours are planned for 2026. One or more IvyWise admissions counselors — each with firsthand experience in both evaluating applicants at a top U.S. university and serving as a director of admissions at one of the schools on the tour — will accompany families throughout the trip. With personalized coaching before, during, and after each visit, families will gain maximum value from every stop on their tour. This includes preparing each student in advance with questions to ask in the information sessions. According to Dr. Cohen, 'It's like having unlimited access to an admissions counselor for the duration of the trip.' Students will receive customized research reports for every school on the itinerary, including information on academic programs, professors, research opportunities, clubs, and activities of interest — all tailored to the student's individual needs and profile. These reports prepare students to write their applications and get ready for interviews and are a critical tool in the admissions process. Follow-on services include comprehensive Application Reviews for seniors, and lower grade students will receive Strategic Planning Sessions, providing roadmaps of what they need to do between now and when they apply. Families will experience top-notch service each step of the way, traveling aboard a luxurious G650 private jet (or higher caliber) coordinated by ETA Jets, with private tarmac pickups and chauffeured luxury cars. To support sustainable travel, IvyWise will fully offset the carbon emissions associated with each tour. Accommodations will be at five-star hotels or resorts, such as the Four Seasons, complete with VIP concierge service and curated dining experiences. IvyWise is finalizing options for a designer luggage partner to streamline and elevate the college visit experience. 'Touring campuses under expert guidance empowers families to make confident, informed choices,' said Christine Chu, IvyWise counselor and former Assistant Director of Admissions at Yale and Georgetown Universities. 'The unrivaled access students will get to admissions counselors is what truly sets this experience apart. They're not just touring campuses — they're gaining a strategic edge in the admissions process with personalized insights at every stop. This kind of access is ideal when the goal is admission to the most selective institutions.' 'From flying on a G650 jet to having all hotels, meals, and travel expenses covered, along with extensive access to former admissions officers, bespoke research reports, and insider admissions strategies, and follow-on services — every detail is expertly managed,' said Dr. Cohen. 'When you consider everything included, it's a high-value investment in your student's future.' The all-inclusive rate is $300,000 per family (one student and one guardian) and covers transportation, lodging, meals, admissions counseling, tour coordination, personalized research reports, and post-tour services including Application Reviews/Strategic Planning Sessions. Anyone interested in joining the tour can contact IvyWise at (212) 262-3500 or [email protected]. About IvyWise: IvyWise is the world's premier educational consultancy, offering comprehensive services including college admissions counseling, K-12 school placement, early college prep, graduate school admissions counseling, academic advising, academic tutoring, test prep, research mentorship, and college tour services. For over 27 years, IvyWise has been dedicated to helping students apply to and get into their best-fit colleges where they will be happy and successful. The IvyWise team of expert college admissions counselors has over 440 years of collective experience in admissions at schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, UPenn, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, USC, and NYU, to name a few, as well as nearly 100 years of experience in college guidance roles at top independent and private schools, and has worked with thousands of students. While direct consulting services are available to IvyWise clients, robust resources are also available to all through the IvyWise website, blog, Just Admit It! podcast, webinars, and social media. IvyWise also offers a pro-bono Scholars program, serving 10% of their students at no cost to high-achieving, low-income students across the U.S. Media contact: Megan Zuckerman [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE IvyWise
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IvyWise Introduces the Elevation Experience: a $300,000 Luxury College Tour Offering Expert Guidance and Exclusive Access
NEW YORK, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the college admissions landscape grows increasingly competitive, IvyWise, the world's leading educational consultancy, is launching The Elevation Experience — a curated, luxury service designed to streamline and elevate the college visit experience for families. Each college tour is led by at least one member of IvyWise's expert team of former admissions officers and supported by a dedicated tour coordinator. These personalized, high-touch experiences offer students tailored journeys to top selective universities — helping them build informed, balanced college lists and demonstrate interest in their top-choice institutions. "We created this service in response to growing demand from families looking for a seamless, efficient, and expert-led way to explore colleges," said Dr. Kat Cohen, founder and CEO of IvyWise. "With our new Elevation Experience, families can visit multiple schools in a short timeframe while receiving tailored admissions insight — without having to worry about planning the logistics." "College visits are often one of the most stressful parts of the admissions journey — but they're also one of the best opportunities for parents and students to truly connect. Our Elevation Experience tours remove the hassle of traditional travel and the pressure of planning, allowing families to focus on what really matters: bonding and gaining expert insight that enhances every step of their college prep," said Dr. Cohen. "We take the stress out of the process and help families make the most of this important time together." The four-day inaugural tour launches in October 2025 from New York City aboard a private Gulfstream G650 jet and includes selective Northeast colleges such as Columbia, NYU, Princeton, Yale, Harvard, MIT, and Georgetown. Additional U.S. and international tours are planned for 2026. One or more IvyWise admissions counselors — each with firsthand experience in both evaluating applicants at a top U.S. university and serving as a director of admissions at one of the schools on the tour — will accompany families throughout the trip. With personalized coaching before, during, and after each visit, families will gain maximum value from every stop on their tour. This includes preparing each student in advance with questions to ask in the information sessions. According to Dr. Cohen, "It's like having unlimited access to an admissions counselor for the duration of the trip." Students will receive customized research reports for every school on the itinerary, including information on academic programs, professors, research opportunities, clubs, and activities of interest — all tailored to the student's individual needs and profile. These reports prepare students to write their applications and get ready for interviews and are a critical tool in the admissions process. Follow-on services include comprehensive Application Reviews for seniors, and lower grade students will receive Strategic Planning Sessions, providing roadmaps of what they need to do between now and when they apply. Families will experience top-notch service each step of the way, traveling aboard a luxurious G650 private jet (or higher caliber) coordinated by ETA Jets, with private tarmac pickups and chauffeured luxury cars. To support sustainable travel, IvyWise will fully offset the carbon emissions associated with each tour. Accommodations will be at five-star hotels or resorts, such as the Four Seasons, complete with VIP concierge service and curated dining experiences. IvyWise is finalizing options for a designer luggage partner to streamline and elevate the college visit experience. "Touring campuses under expert guidance empowers families to make confident, informed choices," said Christine Chu, IvyWise counselor and former Assistant Director of Admissions at Yale and Georgetown Universities. "The unrivaled access students will get to admissions counselors is what truly sets this experience apart. They're not just touring campuses — they're gaining a strategic edge in the admissions process with personalized insights at every stop. This kind of access is ideal when the goal is admission to the most selective institutions." "From flying on a G650 jet to having all hotels, meals, and travel expenses covered, along with extensive access to former admissions officers, bespoke research reports, and insider admissions strategies, and follow-on services — every detail is expertly managed," said Dr. Cohen. "When you consider everything included, it's a high-value investment in your student's future." The all-inclusive rate is $300,000 per family (one student and one guardian) and covers transportation, lodging, meals, admissions counseling, tour coordination, personalized research reports, and post-tour services including Application Reviews/Strategic Planning Sessions. Anyone interested in joining the tour can contact IvyWise at (212) 262-3500 or inquiries@ About IvyWise:IvyWise is the world's premier educational consultancy, offering comprehensive services including college admissions counseling, K-12 school placement, early college prep, graduate school admissions counseling, academic advising, academic tutoring, test prep, research mentorship, and college tour services. For over 27 years, IvyWise has been dedicated to helping students apply to and get into their best-fit colleges where they will be happy and successful. The IvyWise team of expert college admissions counselors has over 440 years of collective experience in admissions at schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, UPenn, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, USC, and NYU, to name a few, as well as nearly 100 years of experience in college guidance roles at top independent and private schools, and has worked with thousands of students. While direct consulting services are available to IvyWise clients, robust resources are also available to all through the IvyWise website, blog, Just Admit It! podcast, webinars, and social media. IvyWise also offers a pro-bono Scholars program, serving 10% of their students at no cost to high-achieving, low-income students across the U.S. Media contact:Megan Zuckermanpr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE IvyWise Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Student visa applicants advised to censor their social media posts
Counselors who work with foreign students eager to attend college in the U.S. are advising them to purge their social media accounts of posts that could attract the attention of U.S. State Department officials. "Any new student who comes on board — especially an international student who doesn't have a U.S. passport — we would be going through their social media with them and talk to them about what they are saying on Snapchat, in group chats," said Kat Cohen, founder and CEO of IvyWise, an educational consultancy firm for college admissions. "Because, if the information comes off as being radical or anti-American in some way, it is not going to help them." The focus on international students' online profiles follows a new push by the Trump administration to scrutinize social media accounts as part of the evaluation process for student visa applications. In a cable dated May 27 and obtained by CBS News, the State Department said it was preparing to expand social media screening and vetting. The agency did not specify exactly what type of content it would be looking for. "President Trump will always put the safety of Americans first, and it is a privilege, not a right, to study in the United States," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. "Enhanced social media vetting is a commonsense measure that will help ensure that guests in our country are not planning to harm Americans, which is a national security priority." The new vetting measures build upon an April statement from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing that the agency will be taking into account "antisemitic activity on social media" as "grounds for denying immigration benefit requests." No politics Advisers who cater to international students applying to U.S. schools told CBS Moneywatch they are reluctant to advise them to delete their social media accounts outright. But they are urging students to eliminate political-themed posts, especially if they relate to controversial topics such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. IvyWise also discourages foreign students from reposting any information they haven't verified themselves, given that it might be inaccurate. "We don't think students should delete their social media accounts completely," Cohen said. "But we do need to make sure we go through their social media accounts with them to make sure that they are presenting themselves in the best possible light." Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors, also recommends that students weed out potentially controversial posts, including any opinions or content related to politics. "I'm not saying that they have to get rid of the whole thing altogether, but certainly delete any political posts," Adler told CBS MoneyWatch. "This is kind of an easy way for kids to protect themselves." Sasha Chada, who has led Texas-based college admissions counseling group Ivy Scholars for over a decade, said that asking students to delete their social media would be a "tall order" given how deeply ingrained the platforms are in their lives. Over half of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 report using TikTok, according to Pew Research. Chilling effect? Some critics think the State Department's scrutiny of international students' social accounts will inhibit their freedom of expression. "While social media vetting of visa applicants isn't new, should the administration's 'expanded vetting' consider political viewpoints, it will certainly scare some would-be applicants into silencing themselves on any topic they feel might contradict the views of President Trump, or his successors," said Robert Shibley, special counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which promotes free speech on college campuses. The State Department did not respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment. "We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we're going to continue to do that," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters this week, when asked about student visas. Mahsa Khanbabai, an immigration attorney based in Massachusetts whose firm assists with student visas, said she has spoken to dozens of foreign students — both overseas and in the U.S. — some of whom have decided to delete their social media accounts or change them from public to private for protection. Students, she said, are not just concerned about posts on political flashpoints like Gaza, but also their personal views on topics like climate change and reproductive rights advocacy. Recent consultations Khanbabai has had with foreign students have been focused, she said, on helping them determine how strongly they feel about publicizing their views, and giving them a sense of the potential trade-offs when deciding to post or not to post. "I meet with students to ask them, 'Are you willing to pause engagement on social media to achieve longer-term goals like your career and education, knowing that in the short term you're ultimately kind of maybe sacrificing some of your ethical or moral values?'" she said. Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant alleges he threatened to kill her multiple times No word from Hamas on Israeli-backed ceasefire proposal Google, Justice Department wrap up landmark antitrust case
CBS News
30-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Student visa applicants advised to tread lightly as U.S. expands social media vetting
Counselors who work with foreign students eager to attend college in the U.S. are advising them to purge their social media accounts of posts that could attract the attention of U.S. State Department officials. "Any new student who comes on board — especially an international student who doesn't have a U.S. passport — we would be going through their social media with them and talk to them about what they are saying on Snapchat, in group chats," said Kat Cohen, founder and CEO of IvyWise, an educational consultancy firm for college admissions. "Because, if the information comes off as being radical or anti-American in some way, it is not going to help them." The focus on international students' online profiles follows a new push by the Trump administration to scrutinize social media accounts as part of the evaluation process for student visa applications. In a cable dated May 27 and obtained by CBS News, the State Department said it was preparing to expand social media screening and vetting. The agency did not specify exactly what type of content it would be looking for. "President Trump will always put the safety of Americans first, and it is a privilege, not a right, to study in the United States," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. "Enhanced social media vetting is a commonsense measure that will help ensure that guests in our country are not planning to harm Americans, which is a national security priority." The new vetting measures build upon an April statement from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing that the agency will be taking into account "antisemitic activity on social media" as "grounds for denying immigration benefit requests." No politics Advisers who cater to international students applying to U.S. schools told CBS Moneywatch they are reluctant to advise them to delete their social media accounts outright. But they are urging students to eliminate political-themed posts, especially if they relate to controversial topics such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. IvyWise also discourages foreign students from reposting any information they haven't verified themselves, given that it might be inaccurate. "We don't think students should delete their social media accounts completely," Cohen said. "But we do need to make sure we go through their social media accounts with them to make sure that they are presenting themselves in the best possible light." Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors, also recommends that students weed out potentially controversial posts, including any opinions or content related to politics. "I'm not saying that they have to get rid of the whole thing altogether, but certainly delete any political posts," Adler told CBS MoneyWatch. "This is kind of an easy way for kids to protect themselves." Sasha Chada, who has led Texas-based college admissions counseling group Ivy Scholars for over a decade, said that asking students to delete their social media would be a "tall order" given how deeply ingrained the platforms are in their lives. Over half of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 report using TikTok, according to Pew Research. Chilling effect? Some critics think the State Department's scrutiny of international students' social accounts will inhibit their freedom of expression. "While social media vetting of visa applicants isn't new, should the administration's 'expanded vetting' consider political viewpoints, it will certainly scare some would-be applicants into silencing themselves on any topic they feel might contradict the views of President Trump, or his successors," said Robert Shibley, special counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which promotes free speech on college campuses. The State Department did not respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment. "We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we're going to continue to do that," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters this week, when asked about student visas. Mahsa Khanbabai, an immigration attorney based in Massachusetts whose firm assists with student visas, said she has spoken to dozens of foreign students — both overseas and in the U.S. — some of whom have decided to delete their social media accounts or change them from public to private for protection. Students, she said, are not just concerned about posts on political flashpoints like Gaza, but also their personal views on topics like climate change and reproductive rights advocacy. Recent consultations Khanbabai has had with foreign students have been focused, she said, on helping them determine how strongly they feel about publicizing their views, and giving them a sense of the potential trade-offs when deciding to post or not to post. "I meet with students to ask them, 'Are you willing to pause engagement on social media to achieve longer-term goals like your career and education, knowing that in the short term you're ultimately kind of maybe sacrificing some of your ethical or moral values?'" she said.
