Founded by former Ivy League admissions officers, AcceptU improves applicants’ chances of getting accepted by connecting them with former admissions officers at the colleges and universities they are interested in attending.

Counselors provide 1-on-1 virtual support (by phone, Skype video and email) that empowers applicants with the inside knowledge, actionable advice and support needed for a competitive advantage in the admissions process.

AcceptU has delivered thousands of counseling hours to hundreds of applicants around the world, helping them get admitted to more than 225 colleges and universities, including all of the top 100 in various rankings. More than 90% of past AcceptU clients have been accepted to one of their top three choices.

The company’s co-founders, Marc Zawel and Stephen Friedfeld, met in the admissions office at Cornell University and are widely recognized as admissions experts.

Why should you choose AcceptU?

We are one of the only admissions counseling providers comprised entirely of former admissions officers with extensive experience evaluating college and/or graduate applications.
We hand pick each of our counselors, provide extensive training and then continual monitoring to ensure consistency and deliver results.
We provide flexible counseling plan options designed to meet our clients’ needs, whether they are looking for comprehensive or more specialized support in the admissions process.
We only provide our counseling virtually (by phone, Skype video and email) – this is more convenient than in-person counseling and allows us to connect our clients with the most qualified counselor, regardless of location.

Our Management Team

Marc Zawel, CEO

Marc Zawel is the co-founder and CEO of AcceptU. As author of Untangling the Ivy League, he literally wrote the book on gaining admission to highly selective colleges. Marc received a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he chaired the admissions advisory board and evaluated application essays. He has also conducted alumni interviews for Cornell for nearly ten years.

Stephen Friedfeld, COO

Stephen Friedfeld is the co-founder and COO of AcceptU. He received a BA from Cornell University, an MA from Columbia University Teachers College, and a PhD from Rice University. Prior to founding AcceptU, Stephen was an Assistant Dean of admissions at Cornell for four years and an Associate Dean of graduate admissions at Princeton University for six years. He also worked as an independent admissions consultant for four years.

Sophie Gray, Managing Director

Sophie Gray is the managing director of AcceptU. Her career spans a variety of roles in admissions and higher education at several institutions, including Columbia University and the City College of New York. Previously, Sophie was a college counselor for AcceptU, supporting both domestic and international applicants. She received a BA from University of Vermont and an MA from Columbia University Teachers College.

Our Admissions Counselors

Our team of counselors at AcceptU is comprised entirely of former college and graduate admissions officers from nearly 40 selective colleges and universities. Collectively, they have more than 200 years of admissions experience and have evaluated tens of thousands of applications at the undergraduate and graduate level. We invite you to learn more about our college, MBA and graduate admissions counselors.

Past Client Testimonials

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The AcceptU counselor was wonderful at focusing my son on writing meaningful essays.

—AL Scarsdale, NY

Thank you so much for all of your support as well as all of your time and attention to everything related to the college process.

—KF Highland Park, IL

I have read more than 20,000 applications in my career as an Ivy League admissions officer, but when it was time for my daughter to apply to college, I turned to AcceptU. They are the best, no question.

—WP Cambridge, MA

Thank you again for your brilliant editing, your insightfulness, your responsiveness, your patience and your incredible kindness.

—WB New York, NY

I will be attending Princeton for graduate school. I don't think I could have done it without your guidance and help.

—AH Dubai, UAE

My son's AcceptU counselor was terrific throughout the entire process -- she pushed him to dig deeper on his essays and she let him know when he was going down the wrong path.

—LC Cincinnati, OH

I can't imagine what this process would've been like without you. I cringe just thinking about it.

—IC Santa Monica, CA

You made sure his essays had his voice but at the same time helped organize his thoughts.

—AG Bloomfield Hills, MI

University of Chicago! Thank you so much for all of your patience, understanding and assistance.

—HK Princeton, NJ