About Prepory College Consulting for Irvine students
Irvine is home to some of Orange County’s most academically competitive high schools, including Irvine High School, Northwood High School, University High School, Portola High School, and Woodbridge High School. These schools cultivate high-achieving students who pursue advanced coursework, leadership roles, and selective college pathways from an early age.
Our college admissions coaches help Irvine students stand out in this highly competitive environment and gain admission to top universities.
What makes the University of California (UC) schools different from other colleges?
The University of California (UC) system includes nine undergraduate campuses, all of which use a single UC application. Instead of traditional supplemental essays, students respond to Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) to share about themselves and their goals. The UC system also has specific A–G course requirements and follows a holistic admissions process that looks beyond grades.
For students in Irvine, the UC application process is especially competitive. Applicants are reviewed alongside many high-achieving peers who are often aiming for similar coursework and opportunities. As a result, Irvine applicants must clearly differentiate themselves through leadership, personal impact, and their Personal Insight Question responses.
Comprehensive college guidance for Irvine students
Engage in one-on-one advising sessions and receive tailored guidance to best support your academic and collegiate endeavors. While school counselors are qualified to guide students to success beyond high school, their large volume of students and pressing responsibilities limit their time. This makes having a personal college coach dedicated to supporting you through the entire admissions process a game-changer.
At Prepory, we focus on a student-centric approach to college admissions counseling that equips students with the resources, knowledge, and personalized guidance they need to craft a competitive application to top schools like Harvard, Yale, Amherst College, MIT, Duke University, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, and UCLA. Our students have also received acceptance letters to other top universities in the California area including Stanford, Caltech, and all of the UC Schools.
Our comprehensive college counseling program encompasses a wide range of critical topics for each high school grade level. This includes leadership development, crafting the personal statement, supplemental essays, navigating financial aid, securing impactful letters of recommendation, strategic high school course selection, and beyond.
The American School Counselor Association reports a high student-to-counselor ratio of over 443-to-1 in California, for the 2023–2024 school year, exceeding the ASCA's recommended 250-to-1 ratio.
Success stories from our California applicants
Through tailored admissions guidance and dedicated support, we’re proud to play a part in shaping our students’ success stories across California’s most prestigious college campuses. Take a look at our case studies and see for yourself how our students’ dreams of studying in California became a reality.
Our program serves families across Irvine and nearby communities such as Newport Beach, Tustin, Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, Costa Mesa, Aliso Viejo, and other parts of South Orange County.
Why Prepory?
Prepory students from California are 3x more likely to gain admission to highly selective schools.
Trusted by families in over 70 countries for our college admission expertise.
Over 14,000 students have enrolled in Prepory’s college counseling services worldwide.
94% of Prepory students are admitted to one or more of their top 5 schools.
Thousands of families trust Prepory
From the early days of exploring his options, building his college list, to the final stages of navigating applications and personal statement, we always felt relieved that we had the benefit of Prepory's insights, advice, and encouragement. Your support had a profound impact on his journey, and we couldn't be happier that it has culminated with getting him accepted to one of the best universities in the world! More than just offering guidance on academics, your support has been a source of encouragement and reassurance during what can often be a stressful time for students and parents alike. Your willingness to listen, empathize, and offer constructive feedback has made a lasting impact not only on Shlok but also on all of us.
We had bad experiences with our older children, so we talked to many different college counselors to get it right this time. We heard about Prepory through a family friend and ultimately chose them because we felt they had total understanding of the admissions process and knew what to do and when to do it. Our son got into Stanford thanks to Prepory.
The Prepory Team was exemplary. Meghan and the rest of the team provided guidance and experience that my wife and I could never have provided. I highly recommend Prepory to any student with aspirations of attending their "dream school".
My son, William Dalton, partnered with Prepory his Junior year of High School. His goal was to attend Harvard, UPenn - Wharton, UChicago or Brown in addition to some other tier 1 colleges. He was paired his Prepory coach, Libby, who inspired and coached him in writing his personal statement + essay, developing his personal information doc/resume and completing over 75 essays required during the college application process. William was offered admittance into UPenn Wharton, Cornell (Dyson), Georgetown, Boston College, UC SanDiego and UC Santa Barbara (all amazing schools). William is excited to attend UPenn Wharton in the fall. Thanks for your partnership Prepory!
Meet our featured college admissions coaches
Our team comprises former admissions officers, faculty, researchers, advanced degree holders, and graduates of the nation’s top universities. With coaches from the California area and our extensive experience working with local families, we bring a deep understanding of the state’s academic environment.
Julia S.
Sam L.
Alice K.
Tala B.
Peter E.
The Prepory Advantage
The Prepory Advantage
| University | General Admit Rate | Prepory Admit Rate | Prepory Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles | 8.5% | 26.2% | 3.08x |
| Stanford University | 3.68% | 9.5% | 2.58x |
| California Institute of Technology | 3.17% | 10% | 3.15x |
| University of California, Berkeley | 10.7% | 23.5% | 2.20x |
| University of California, Irvine | 28.8% | 75% | 2.60x |
| University of California, San Diego | 26.8% | 59% | 2.20x |
| University of Southern California | 10.73% | 23.6% | 2.20x |
| Columbia University | 3.8% | 10.7% | 2.82x |
| Princeton University | 3.9% | 19.0% | 4.87x |
| University of Pennsylvania | 4.1% | 10.8% | 2.63x |
| Duke University | 5.1% | 16.1% | 3.16x |
| Brown University | 5.1% | 25.9% | 5.08x |
| Johns Hopkins University | 6.2% | 21.1% | 3.40x |
| Northwestern University | 7.0% | 25.0% | 3.57x |
| New York University | 8.0% | 32.0% | 4.00x | Boston University | 10.8% | 50.0% | 4.63x |
Featured acceptance rates from Prepory’s internal college admissions data.
Frequently asked questions for Irvine families
Irvine students often apply to a mix of UC campuses, private universities, and selective out-of-state schools. Many applicants have strong grades and similar coursework, which can make differentiation challenging.
We help Irvine students clarify their story and present it effectively across all applications. This includes Personal Insight Questions for UC schools, as well as personal statements and supplemental essays for private and out-of-state colleges.
Prepory's programs are hosted entirely online. This allows us to serve a wide variety of students from all over the world along with students from the Irvine area.
Our college admissions team leverages over 100 years of collective admissions experience. Our team is made up of multi-degree academics, former university faculty, former admissions officers, Ivy League writing coaches, and graduates from the nation’s most selective schools. Students are paired with a college admissions coach based on their availability, academic interests, and area of expertise. All Prepory college admissions coaches undergo a comprehensive training course before working with their students. This course is designed by our team of former admissions officers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, and Brown University. To learn more about who we are, schedule a free initial consultation.
Through one-on-one advising sessions, students meet with their college admissions coach to receive individualized counseling following their personalized syllabus and program milestones. They’ll work together to brainstorm, curate, and form their college application collateral. One-on-one advising sessions occur through Zoom video conferences and are 60 minutes long.
Our college counseling program guides students through effectively navigating the college admissions process with confidence. During our tailored coaching sessions, students explore best-fit college options, learn how to demonstrate meaningful academic and extracurricular involvement, and develop strategies to effectively tell their story on their college applications alongside their dedicated college admissions coach.
Meet with one of our college admissions experts
Meet with one of our college admissions experts
Our college admissions experts are here to help you earn admission to your dream school. Through our comprehensive curriculum and individualized coaching, you are set for success as soon as you connect with us.
Once you book your initial consultation, here’s what you can look forward to:
Profile assessment:
Assess your student’s academic profile and higher education goals with an expert from our enrollment team.
Program overview:
Our team will provide you with detailed information about our program and how it works.
Tips and resources:
Our experts will share tips and resources on how to navigate the U.S. college admissions process.
Get answers:
We’ll address your application worries and answer questions about how we can make a difference.
Please note that a parent or guardian must be on the consultation for high school students.
