For all the debate about the value of college in the U.S.—and the Ivy League in particular—the wealthiest families in the U.S. are still intent that their children attend. And as Adam Nguyen can attest, they will pay an awful lot to get them in. A former admissions reader and interviewer at Columbia University’s office of undergraduate admissions, Nguyen now runs Ivy Link, a prep firm that advises high-net-worth and ultrahigh-net-worth families around the world on elite college admissions, working with their children as early as fifth grade, and sometimes through graduate school.
These families can pay anywhere from $100,000 to $750,000—and sometimes more—for the expertise of Nguyen and the tutors he employs. Specialized services such as SAT or ACT prep come at an additional cost of $50,000 and sometimes as much as $200,000; some families also pay for their tutors to travel with them to and from their second homes and vacation destinations, or for additional tutors in specific subject areas.
