Aristo Scholars vs. Crimson Education
By Leo Cao, CEO of Aristo Scholars · Updated
Crimson Education is a large global firm that quotes its full packages after a consultation; Fortune reported in December 2024 that its undergraduate admissions services start at roughly thirty thousand dollars. Aristo Scholars charges about a quarter of that, the same for every counselor, and you choose your counselor by name before the free first call.
Crimson offers more under one roof, including test prep, research projects and UK applications. If you mainly want one-on-one help with essays, the college list and deadlines Aristo Scholars is the simpler and far less expensive choice.
Book a free call and compare for yourself
Aristo Scholars and Crimson Education, side by side
| Crimson Education | Aristo Scholars | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Full packages are not published; they are quoted after a free consultation. Fortune (December 2024) reported undergraduate admissions services start at roughly $30,000, with research projects and test prep often extra. Single essay reviews are sold separately. | About a quarter of Crimson's price. Pricing is shared on the free first call, set by grade and how often you meet, and the same for every counselor. |
| Who your student works with | A team: former clients describe a strategist plus mentors for activities and essays. PrepScholar's review notes it is not clear whether students keep one dedicated counselor. | One counselor you choose by name from the roster. That counselor takes the free first call, and you can switch if the fit is wrong. |
| Credentials | Strategists and mentors from selective universities. A separate review by former admissions officers is sold as its own program. | Current students and recent graduates of selective universities, each verified against an offer letter or registrar's letter. There are no former admissions officers on the roster. |
| Services | Counseling for US and UK admissions, test prep, research and capstone projects, middle-school programs. | College application counseling: the list, essays, activities and deadlines. No test prep or tutoring. |
| Cancellation | PrepScholar's review reports no risk-free trial or refunds. | Three business days to cancel in writing, stated in the agreement. Work does not start inside that window. |
| What families report | Threads on r/ApplyingToCollege describe experiences that vary a lot with the assigned strategist, and some describe a sales-focused consultation. | A young firm with few public reviews so far. Our results are on the past results page. |
When Crimson Education may be the better fit
Crimson can be the better fit if you want test prep, research programs and counseling from one firm, are also applying to UK universities, and cost is not the deciding factor.
Sources
- Fortune, Dec 21, 2024: Crimson Education and the cost of admissions consulting
- PrepScholar: PrepScholar vs Crimson Education Admissions Consulting 2026
- r/ApplyingToCollege: Has anyone used Crimson Education, Empowerly or similar? (2026)
- r/ApplyingToCollege: Anyone used Crimson Consulting before? (2025)
Last checked October 2026. Details about Crimson Education come from the sources above and may have changed; Crimson Education is not affiliated with Aristo Scholars. Spot an error? Email us and we will correct it.
Questions families ask
- Does Crimson Education publish its prices?
- Not for its full counseling packages, which are quoted after a free consultation. Fortune reported in December 2024 that undergraduate services start at roughly thirty thousand dollars. Aristo Scholars shares its pricing on the free first call, and it is about a quarter of that.
- Is Aristo Scholars cheaper than Crimson Education?
- Yes, about a quarter of Crimson's reported starting price. Crimson includes services Aristo does not offer, such as test prep and research programs.
Talk it through for free
The first call is a free one-on-one video call with the counselor you choose. You leave knowing what the work covers, what it does not and the price. How it works.
Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with any college named on this page and does not guarantee admission.