Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:59     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:No to Sara Haberson. Thankfully my DS did not take her advice on a number of issues - did the opposite. Ended up at a HYPSM.


Thus, us too
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:52     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:Honestly I really like college essay guy. He seems like a good, non-predatory person. My friend works in this space and knows him and confirms this. He gives away tons of content for free. When it comes to what you want to message to the admissions committee, not just in your essays but the app in general, I think his advice is super helpful. If someone asked me how not to get overwhelmed, I would say if you are just going to follow one creator, he's the guy.


I just don't his stuff very good. The sample essays, the exercises. I thought they were really mediocre. But - I only looked at the free stuff. Agree he has a ton available.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:46     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Honestly I really like college essay guy. He seems like a good, non-predatory person. My friend works in this space and knows him and confirms this. He gives away tons of content for free. When it comes to what you want to message to the admissions committee, not just in your essays but the app in general, I think his advice is super helpful. If someone asked me how not to get overwhelmed, I would say if you are just going to follow one creator, he's the guy.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:38     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:none of them as they're all just peddling on parental anxiety and control.

we are passing on complexes to our kids. lots of mental health issues affecting them right now.


+1000000

They are practically predatory. So gross.


agree.

I feel like their new thing - or maybe not new - just since when I've been following - is to get a message out that T10s are impossible, no question, and places like BC are pretty much off the table without them. Which is 100% not true. Look at your school's naviance. Grades and test scores carry plenty of weight. With a 'story', sure. But you can do that on your own. But hire a tutor and avoid those Bs.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:29     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:none of them as they're all just peddling on parental anxiety and control.

we are passing on complexes to our kids. lots of mental health issues affecting them right now.


+1000000

They are practically predatory. So gross.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 09:01     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:Another one for the Game.

DC in ED to Northwestern.

Agree he can be annoying. Much better results than with my first student, who was as good or a better student but I just did not understand how to think about how admissions officers look at applications.

Older student doing very well where they are.


Did you hire the game?
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 08:57     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On the Podcast front, I enjoy College Beat (Dartmouth Head of Admissions) and College Admissions with Mark and Anna.

The Game, which many have mentioned, is excellent but aimed at a very specific audience, and I’ve sometimes found it a little bit sobering as a result.

One I stumbled across and enjoyed - same audience as for The Game but with a bit softer edge - is College with Mattie. Haven’t seen that one mentioned on DCUM.

Hi Mattie!


LOL - I'm the one who posted this and I *swear* not Mattie. I'm a junkie for information/strategy around the process and found his podcasts insightful. (If you're reading this Mattie, you're welcome for the plug!)
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 08:54     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:On the Podcast front, I enjoy College Beat (Dartmouth Head of Admissions) and College Admissions with Mark and Anna.

The Game, which many have mentioned, is excellent but aimed at a very specific audience, and I’ve sometimes found it a little bit sobering as a result.

One I stumbled across and enjoyed - same audience as for The Game but with a bit softer edge - is College with Mattie. Haven’t seen that one mentioned on DCUM.

Hi Mattie!
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 08:51     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Instagram: @admittedlyco, @katestoneprep, @collegexpert, @tineocollegeprep, @saraharberson


Do not give @katestoneprep a dime. She is a big MAGA + Trump fan.


of course she is
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 08:27     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Another one for the Game.

DC in ED to Northwestern.

Agree he can be annoying. Much better results than with my first student, who was as good or a better student but I just did not understand how to think about how admissions officers look at applications.

Older student doing very well where they are.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 08:14     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:On the Podcast front, I enjoy College Beat (Dartmouth Head of Admissions) and College Admissions with Mark and Anna.

The Game, which many have mentioned, is excellent but aimed at a very specific audience, and I’ve sometimes found it a little bit sobering as a result.

One I stumbled across and enjoyed - same audience as for The Game but with a bit softer edge - is College with Mattie. Haven’t seen that one mentioned on DCUM.


Mattie talks about this site in one episode
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 07:50     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:Would love recommendations (from instagram, YouTube, podcasts etc) when it comes to staying on top of best practices, updates, and trends in college admissions. Thanks!

Didnt realize this was a thing. Just did our own research via rankings, reports, tours etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 07:45     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
So many of them are really negative -- sometimes overtly. If they have Ivy in their name or only talk about the T20, I don't think they're good advisors.

If they have an adversarial relationship (or no relationship at all) with AOs and school counselors, I don't trust them.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 07:37     Subject: Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
On the Podcast front, I enjoy College Beat (Dartmouth Head of Admissions) and College Admissions with Mark and Anna.

The Game, which many have mentioned, is excellent but aimed at a very specific audience, and I’ve sometimes found it a little bit sobering as a result.

One I stumbled across and enjoyed - same audience as for The Game but with a bit softer edge - is College with Mattie. Haven’t seen that one mentioned on DCUM.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 07:37     Subject: Re:Recommend your favorite college admissions content creators
Anonymous wrote:We have found @tineocollegeprep on TikTok to be the best. He has a lot of reported student data from the current admissions cycle and posts videos analyzing trends. He also offers a lot of great (and free!) advice in his videos about supplemental essays, commonapp, extracurriculars, and frequently makes instagram story posts highlighting activities, awards, and ECs for students to get involved in. I also personally love how he works with a small cohort of students and is big on FGLI support.


He talks as if he has a huge client list (I'm seeing...), but I think he's scouring reddit forums.