International College Counselors was born out of the frustration that friends and family of Mandee Heller Adler, the Founder and Partner, experienced while trying to help their children navigate the often-confusing college admissions process.
As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Business School, recipient of a fellowship from the Rotary International to study at ICADE, a premier business school in Madrid, Spain, and recipient of approximately $60,000 in scholarship aid, Adler was the go-to person for assistance with reviewing college and scholarship applications, essay and resume writing, and targeting the best colleges to attend. As friends told their friends about their students’ college acceptances, Adler decided to use her personal expertise and knowledge to start a business that helped students with the stressful process.
In 2004, Adler founded International College Counselors to provide expert strategies for admission to undergraduate colleges, graduate programs, business schools, law schools, medical schools, dental schools and other postgraduate schools. Adler’s first client gained acceptance into Dartmouth; since then, Adler brought on partner, Barry N. Liebowitz, and a team of expert college advisors around the world who have helped over 1,000 students get into the schools of their dreams.
International College Counselors has set a new standard in the college advising business through a personal, one-on-one approach. With competition for acceptance to colleges and universities at an all-time high, International College Counselors advisors have found this to be the most effective way of maximizing a student’s potential. A one-on-one approach also allows the counselors to get to know each student; his or her strengths, weaknesses and passions; and his or her family. This holistic evaluation gives the college advisors the insight they need to match individuals with the best possible schools. Advisors at International College Counselors have collectively visited over 200 colleges and universities. They have expertise working with students of all backgrounds including Ivy League-bound students, student-athletes, fine art majors, international students, students with special needs and students who are the first one in their family to go to college.
Services for students include creating detailed plans for coursework and extracurricular activities; identifying colleges to which the student will consider applying and visiting; establishing test schedules and exploring test preparation strategies; preparing for interviews and campus visits; advising on essay and resume writing; reviewing, providing feedback and strengthening college applications; and exploring financial aid goals, strategies and options. Students typically start working with International College Counselors around 9th or 10th grade, but other students have started as early as 7th grade.
International College Counselors constantly receives high marks from consumers, schools, and educators for expertise in meeting the needs of students who might not otherwise get into the best school for them. For five years, the company served as the Official College Advisor of Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton. They have been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, CBS News, FOX Business News, WSVN News, USA Today, Fortune, Barrons, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Education, The Miami Herald, The Sun Sentinel, and Newsday. International College Counselors has won numerous awards and recognition for their work including: Florida Companies to Watch Finalist (2018, 2017), Favorite College Prep Place from Broward Family Life Magazine (2017), Favorite Academic Enrichment from Broward Family Life Magazine (2015 & 2014), South Florida Top 100 Small Business from South Florida Business Leader (2012 & 2011), finalist for the Best Customer Service in Hollywood from the Hollywood Gazette (2012), Make Mine a Million $ Business Winner from American Express (2008) and named the Best College Advisor from The Sun Post (2006). Additionally, Mandee Heller Adler authored the books “From Public School to the Ivy League: How to get into a top school without top dollar resources” and “International Admissions: How to get accepted to a U.S. college.”
Headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, International College Counselors has satellite offices in Boca Raton, Miami Beach, Palm Beach, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Weston and Coral Gables, Florida; New York, New York; Westport, Connecticut; Charlotte, North Carolina; Lima, Peru; Medellin, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Beijing, China. Counselors work with students from over 20 states and 30 countries via phone, Skype and domestic and international visits. Counselors communicate with students and their families in English and in Spanish, depending on the client’s preference. International College Counselors’ future plans are to expand its advising business into other markets so that students all over the world can have face-to-face access to an International College Counselor expert.
