Rao Advisors - We Help You Aim Higher!

We are a Google 5-star small business-rated, full-service, low-cost Texas firm that uses advanced online tools to counsel students and families about all things college, including graduate school. Our webinars have won praise for their innovation. Our outcome-based college selection methods are unique and structured SOP/essay reviews help you stand apart. Join hundreds of satisfied clients who have won admission to the most elite U.S. institutions.

Rao Advisors - Home

Do you have an 8th - 12th grader at home? Do you feel that they can use some advice to improve their high school preparedness? Are you confused about how to plan for their college?

We hope that your child can join the hundreds of our student clients in the United States and from around the world who have won admission to top colleges and universities in the U.S.

For the Class of 2026, several clients reported getting interview calls from the very best schools, including MIT, Caltech, Yale, Columbia, CMU, Princeton, Penn, Brown, Cornell, CMU, and Johns Hopkins. Several students got confirmed admissions to Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Yale, Brown, Princeton, Rice, NYU, Vanderbilt, Wash U and CMU. A few got admissions to direct MD programs.

Many clients reported getting into some of the best public Ivys. UT Austin, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, UCLA, the University of Michigan, Purdue, the University of Virginia, and the College of William and Mary repeatedly made the list. Clients also got into Texas A&M, Arizona State, the University of Washington, the University of Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech.

Read our open letter to parents of the high school class of 2026.

Our lead counselor is Rajkamal Rao, the founding Managing Director of the firm. We're proud to be a Google 5-Star Business, a prestigious recognition we first earned in May 2018 and continue to maintain. Check out our public reviews on Google or feel free to ask the 1,300 people who like or follow our Facebook page.

Scan the QR codes below to access key pages of our site.

About us

Book an appointment

Essay primer including our two-pass approach

Our fees

Should You Consider Texas A&M's PSA Option?

The Texas A&M University Program for System Admission (PSA) is an alternative pathway to eventually enroll at Texas A&M’s College Station campus. It is similar to UT Austin's Coordinated Admissions Program (CAP).

Students who are offered PSA start at another Texas A&M System university for one year and can transfer to College Station after meeting specific requirements.

How the PSA Program Works

Apply to Texas A&M College Station
Receive PSA offer instead of full admission
Enroll at a participating A&M System school (freshman year)
Complete required coursework and maintain threshold GPA
Transfer automatically to College Station in sophomore year (if requirements met)

Pros of the PSA Program

Guaranteed transfer pathway
If requirements are met exactly, admission to College Station is guaranteed for approved majors.

Stay within the A&M system
Students remain Aggies and transition smoothly.

Smaller freshman environment
System campuses often have smaller classes and more support.

Cost savings
Some system schools have lower tuition and housing costs.

Second chance at College Station
Strong option for students who narrowly missed freshman admission.

Cons of the PSA Program

Limited major options
Not all majors at Texas A&M participate.

Strict GPA and course requirements
Missing even one requirement can void the guarantee.

Must leave College Station freshman experience
Students spend first year at another campus.

Engineering is NOT included
Students interested in engineering should look at Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn (TEAB) instead.

Campus transition adjustment
Students must relocate after freshman year.

Majors Commonly Available Through PSA

(Exact list changes slightly each year, but typically includes:)

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Economics
Political Science
Sociology
Psychology
Communication
English

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Agricultural Economics
Animal Science
Horticulture
Poultry Science
Rangeland Ecology

Some Science Majors

Mathematics
Environmental Geosciences
Geography

Majors Typically NOT Available via PSA

Engineering
Business (Mays Business School)
Computer Science
Biomedical Sciences
Most competitive STEM tracks

Who Should Consider PSA

PSA is a good fit if the student:

Strongly wants Texas A&M College Station
Is comfortable starting at another campus
Can maintain disciplined GPA performance
Is interested in PSA eligible majors
Just missed full admission

Strategic Advice (Important)

PSA works best when the major goal is realistic. Many families make the mistake of accepting PSA while hoping to switch later into:

Business
Engineering
Computer Science

That path is extremely difficult and often unsuccessful.

Bottom Line

PSA is a solid back door into Texas A&M but only for students who:

Are okay with the available majors
Will strictly follow the transfer requirements
Understand the freshman year will be elsewhere

A Note About Rao Advisors Premium Services
Our promise is to empower you with high-quality, ethical and free advice via this website. But parents and students often ask us if they can engage with us for individual counseling sessions.

Individual counseling is part of the Premium Offering of Rao Advisors and involves a fee. Please contact us for more information.

Counseling Fees

Counseling Fees (U.S. High School Families)

Fees

All one-on-one sessions and off-line work are billable. We remind clients who book an appointment online that there will be a fee based on the fee tier and the session duration.

With us, you pay by the hour (drink). Our rate card is simple.

If you have any questions about our services or fees, please contact us before booking the appointment. We appreciate your understanding!

Our rate card

Information on this page is the only relevant source for fees. Please ignore any fees information present anywhere else including our website (such as the letter to parents or essay primer post), WhatsApp group chats, or Facebook Page.

Tier A. 12th graders and rising 12th graders: Our rate is $199/hour. If you hire us on demand (and for a one-off task), our rate is $199/hour. 1 hour-minimum. Calls longer than 1 hour will be prorated to the nearest 5 minutes.

All of our essay reviews can now be ordered from a simple menu-driven product list resembling an online store. You prepay for our service using a fixed-price model and get full buyer protection from PayPal.

Tier B. 11th graders and younger: Our rate is $179/hour. 1 hour-minimum. Calls longer than 1 hour will be prorated to the nearest 5 minutes.

As your student moves from Tier B to Tier A, they will move to the respective pricing tier, and we will invoice you accordingly.

If you're an international student applying to U.S. graduate school, we offer a package fee. Please check out our international student page for details.
College counseling generally requires both online sessions (in-person, video, phone and chat conversations - any medium where we are engaged with you to address questions specific to your case), and off-line sessions (such as during essay/resume reviews or course planning).
Questions asked on public boards (like our Facebook page or on our WhatsApp group) are not billable because these are deemed general questions.

Our business model is to provide you with as much public information as you want for free - via our popular posts on this website, Facebook page, and public seminars. We only charge when you engage with us for one-on-one help, either online or offline. But you control how much you want to engage, down to the hour. This allows you to better budget your spend. It is one reason we are popular with our clients.

We have developed new tools that will likely lower your overall hours of engagement, such as reusing essays, distributing detailed notes with action items, or self-managing your task plan. Our college selection sheet instantly predicts your chance of admission to 542 colleges based on your admission test scores. Our library of over 50 original posts dedicated to the 11th and 12th grader is loaded with information. Our Facebook Business Page, operational since 2013, contains a treasure-trove of information about every aspect of college readiness. Our model of encouraging you to limit engagement with us to only those elements for which you need one-on-one assistance may be counter-intuitive. But it is the reason for our growth and positioning in this industry.

We work hard to win your trust. We are responsive, often getting back to you in a matter of minutes. Our workday begins at 7 AM and ends at 11 PM. We're open on weekends and holidays. We counsel by Zoom.

Fees for Essay Reviews

Please check out our Essay Shopping Cart page. Our essay review process is among the best in the industry - check out our 5-Star Google reviews.

Fees for Test Prep and Tutoring Services

Please check out our Test Prep Shopping Cart page.

What counseling services do we provide high school families?

What counseling services do we provide 12th grade students?

What services do we provide international graduate students?

Check out our Google Reviews

Book an Appointment

Contact us

Are Private Counselors Necessary? How Much Do They Charge?

Hiring a counselor is a private decision but increasingly, a lot of US families are doing just this.

We remain a bargain. We charge only by the hour. And because we don't require contracts and offer plenty of do-it-yourself tools, you could further lower costs by engaging with us less. With us, you're always in control.

Why Are Our Fees Low?

Our fees are much lower because we are an online company that can pass savings on to you. We don't rent expensive office space or hire needless overhead resources. We don't advertise - all our growth is from word-of-mouth client referrals for which we are forever grateful.

We conduct most of our business online using cloud tools, lowering our costs of delivery. We reach a global audience.

Rao Advisors Test Prep: Tutoring Service

By Rajkamal Rao

Under our Test Prep organization, we offer tutoring in all core high school subjects (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies), at all levels, and all grades. We also tutor certain electives.

We recruit tutors from top institutions across the country - mentors who combine subject mastery with a supportive, student‑centered teaching style. Our current roster (January 2026) includes tutors who are students themselves at elite schools: Stanford University (Physics, Computer Science), University of Pennsylvania (Mechanical Engineering), Multiple students at UT Austin (Electrical & Computer Engineering, Math, Business Honors, Finance, Economics), Duke University (Computer Science & Statistics), Purdue University (Computer Science & Math), Villanova University (Physics).

Many of our tutors understand our commitment to quality and responsiveness. They were clients themselves, having gone through high school readiness and college admissions counseling sessions with us. We match students based on subject strengths and needs; and availability and scheduling preferences.

You’ll see how our system blends diagnostic assessments, focused learning bursts, and personalized instruction to help students. In most cases, students tend to make meaningful gains in just 2-3 sessions because of our structured approach. Also, we are often able to schedule your first session in 24-48 hours from first contact.

Each 1-hour session includes a 50-minute instructional block followed by a 10-minute wrap-up. The sessions include targeted skill practice, guided problem‑solving, homework review and next steps.

Sessions are warm. Our tutors are trained to support both academic growth and student confidence. All sessions will occur within the Rao Advisors Small Business domain, using secure Google tools, such as Google Meet which has a built-in, collaborative whiteboard feature that allows real-time brainstorming, drawing, sticky notes, and image addition.

What is the cost?

These are our minimum packages for all tutoring services.

5 hours – two students: $47/hr/student → $235/student

Both students must buy the package separately, otherwise the single student price will apply.
5 hours – single student: $79/hr → $395/student
10 hours – two students: $42/hr/student → $420/student (Recommended)

Both students must buy the package separately, otherwise the single student price will apply.
10 hours – single student: $69/hr → $690/student

For the most current fee schedule, please refer to our Test Prep Shopping Cart Page.

If you prefer to talk to us before making a purchase, please contact us.

Go back to "Rao Advisors - Home".

Rao Advisors Test Prep - Trifecta Services

By Rajkamal Rao

Families have heard us talk about taking the "Test Trifecta" in the "prior-prior" year of high school graduation.

Trifecta Services: The two-step test preparation strategy

Practicing is a two-step process: You sharpen the knowledge and skills required by practicing the content of the tests; and then, you sharpen your test skills by practicing on the tests themselves. These two are related activities but wholly different.

Step 1

You can practice content on your own by exploiting free resources: The Khan Academy, the College Board, and the ACT Academy are outstanding resources for practicing content – free, and official! Even tutor-learner online sessions are free, thanks to Schoolhouse.world, launched in Jan 2021.

Or, we can create a tailor-made one-on-one tutoring support plan for practicing content. You decide the level of our engagement.

Step 2

To practice test-taking, both the SAT and ACT offer numerous free official mock tests, tests that were previously administered. Review the Taking Practice Tests section in our How do you prepare for the SAT/ACT? post for useful links to test content.

We would start backwards from the big test day, always a Saturday for the SAT. There are seven official mock tests offered by the College Board, and nine offered by the ACT. The following schedule is assuming that you have 10-12 weeks left before the test.

How We Can Help

Our SAT/ACT/PSAT-11 product forms the bedrock of our test prep offering. Click here to understand how we are different. This link also contains a parent FAQ.

For the SAT, your first session with us would be about eight weeks before the test date, and for the ACT, it would be about ten weeks before the test date.

Week 1: You would take the first official mock test and send us the results, including the detailed answer explanation.

During the first session, you would sit with our tutor to forensically diagnose where you went wrong.

That is, when reviewing the detailed explanations for wrong answers, our tutor will help you track if you had more than one wrong answer in a topic area, such as Congruence and Similarity (Math), or Possessive Determiners (English Grammar). If yes, our tutor will take you back to the impacted section (Step 1 above) and review the content with targeted instruction to close any gaps in learning.

Many students are too eager to believe that their foundational knowledge is so strong that a remedial review is unnecessary. For well-designed tests such as the SAT/ACT, which pry on tricking students, such over-confidence could impact test-day scores.

Your tutor is trained to zero in on the problem, collaboratively work with you to detect knowledge gaps, help close them during the session, and give you additional homework and practice exercises if necessary so that you are better prepared.

Week 2: You would take the second official mock test, send us your results, and appear for the second tutoring session. The tutor will again forensically diagnose your answer responses, and apply instructional training to close knowledge gaps. You get the idea.

Week 3-7 (SAT); Week 3-9 (ACT): Repeat the above regimen.

Then, take the official test.

Example 10-week SAT Test Prep Schedule: Test Date June 6

Here is a clean 10‑week SAT plan, including 10 sessions of SAT English Prep and 10 sessions of SAT Math prep.

SAT test date: June 6
Session 10: June 3 (English) and June 4 (Math)
Session 9–3: Each week has
- Saturday AM: Practice Test
- Saturday PM: Math Review
- Sunday AM: English Review
Skip May 2–15 (AP exams)
Resume on May 16
Sessions 1–2: content practice on Sat PM + Sun AM
Work backward exactly 10 weeks

Go back to "Rao Advisors - Home".

Time Management Tips: Clunking and Interleaving

Many high school students struggle with how to manage time.

This Instagram clip features a Wellesley student coach who says that "Chunking" and "Interleaving" are two excellent time management tips.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQiY_T2kThZ/?igsh=NHVvNGhhdmRqMzNw

Signing Up As a Volunteer With the North Texas Red Cross

To become a youth volunteer with the North Texas Red Cross, you must register and create a profile in Volunteer Connection, the organization's volunteer management database.

The first step in getting started as an ARC volunteer is to complete a volunteer application by going to: redcross.org/volunteer. The process takes about 15 minutes.

Next, create an account using this link and fill out the information under "Create a Red Cross ID." A member of their onboarding team will contact you within 1-2 business weeks.

You will now be able to see all the current volunteer opportunities available and apply to any of the positions that are of interest.

If there are issues, the volunteer intake team will provide you with the required assistance.

If you have questions, please contact one of these officials:

Harika Kancharla

President of the Youth Services Executive Board

American Red Cross North Texas Region

Cell: 214-702-2377

harika.kancharla@redcross.org

Tiffany McLean

Emerging Markets Manager

American Red Cross Blood Services

North Texas Region

4925 New York Ave

Suite #121

Arlington, TX 76018

(469) 909-7768

tiffany.mclean@redcross.org

Test Prep Shopping Cart

By Rajkamal Rao

Welcome to our Test Prep Shopping Cart Page

Please review our Rao Advisors Test Prep post and/or the Rao Advisors Test Prep: Tutoring Service post before making a purchase on this page.

Ready to buy?

These are our minimum packages for all tutoring services (SAT, ACT, PSAT-11, core high school subjects including English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and electives at all levels and all grades).

For the SAT, ACT, and PSAT-11, we can't mix and match English and Math. That is, we can't take a 5-hour SAT English package and divide it into a 2-hour Math and a 3-hour English package.

5 hours – two students: $47/hr/student → $235/student

Both students must buy the package separately, otherwise the single student price will apply.
5 hours – single student: $79/hr → $395/student
10 hours – two students: $42/hr/student → $420/student (Recommended)

Both students must buy the package separately, otherwise the single student price will apply.
10 hours – single student: $69/hr → $690/student

Shopping Cart

After you buy your desired package below, please contact us to finalize sessions scheduling and tutor logistics.

Rao Advisors Test Prep

By Rajkamal Rao

We have been counseling families about how students should prepare for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT-11 since 2016 when the SAT went through a major redesign. Google tells us that our post - How do you prepare for the SAT/ACT? - has remained among our top-3 posts for years. Our Test Prep is built around our advice.

When we help families construct their students' 4-year roadmap, we remind them that the optimal test approach involves taking the SAT in August between the 10th and 11th grades, and the ACT in September, both ensuring readiness for the October PSAT-11, which qualifies students for National Merit Scholarships. Families have heard us talk about taking the "Test Trifecta" in the "prior-prior" year of high school graduation.

The SAT Math section tests your competence in 35+ areas; SAT Reading and Writing, in about 25+ areas. The ACT and PSAT-11 are similar. All three tests are measures of scholastic aptitude.

Our Test Prep model assumes that a student has decent competencies in 80%+ of the content areas simply by going to school, paying attention, completing assignments, and taking the end-of-course exams. If you have completed Algebra II/Pre-Calculus, you will already have a solid Math foundation. Your English II, AP Human Geography, and AP World History learning experiences will have given you an excellent English foundation.

In most cases, we can make meaningful test prep gains in the 20% or so areas requiring attention through a structured approach. You’ll see how our system blends diagnostic assessments, focused learning bursts, and personalized instruction to help students.

We recruit tutors from top institutions across the country - mentors who combine subject mastery with a supportive, student‑centered teaching style. An important feature will involve peer‑learning sessions, recommended, but not mandatory. Peer learning enhances accountability and motivation while simulating test pressure. Peer-learning is limited to a micro-pair, two students only

As you will see from a video when we described our offering to parents at a seminar, our model is flexible to adapt to generic test prep as well. Some families may want to engage their children in prep many months before the test to drive their curiosity levels up; others may want to have a dedicated session each week so that students are plugged into the test prep ecosystem. We can tailor a program which suits your needs by matching your student with a tutor - the only requirement is that we will have to meet first to design a program for you.

All of these essentials are built into our new offering.

Parent FAQ

1. What is the Rao Advisors Test Prep program?

Our Test Prep program is a structured, supportive system designed to help students prepare for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT through a blend of diagnostic assessments, focused learning bursts, and personalized instruction. It was built in direct response to strong parent demand for a program that is both academically rigorous and emotionally supportive.

Structured weekly learning
Personalized tutor matching
Clear progress tracking

2. What makes your program different from other tutoring services?

We combine the warmth of a small counseling practice with the precision of a well‑engineered academic system. Every part of the program is designed to reduce stress for families and increase clarity for students.

Diagnostic‑driven instruction
Peer Learning micro‑pairs (optional)
Highly qualified tutors — Our current roster (January 2026) includes tutors who are students themselves at elite schools, with excellent recent SAT scores: Stanford University (Physics, Computer Science), University of Pennsylvania (Mechanical Engineering), UT Austin (Math, Business Honors, Finance, Economics), Duke University (Computer Science & Statistics), Purdue University (Computer Science & Math), Villanova University (Physics).
Excellent communication protocols: Two WhatsApp groups, one between student(s) and tutor; the second between Rao Advisors, the student, and the parents (separate groups for peer-learning families).

3. How does Peer Learning work?

Peer Learning is a signature feature of our program. Two students prepare together in a micro‑pair — not a group class — allowing them to learn collaboratively while still receiving individualized attention.

Shared motivation and accountability
Tutor teaches both students together
Each student still receives personalized guidance

Peer Learning is recommended but optional. Families may choose one‑on‑one tutoring instead.

4. How do you match students with tutors?

We match students based on:

Subject strengths and needs
Availability and scheduling preferences

Our tutors come from top institutions and are selected for subject mastery and a supportive, student‑centered teaching style.

5. How does scheduling work?

We use a custom scheduling engine that ensures students are matched with tutors who are available consistently and reliably.

Weekly availability matching
Real‑time tutor updates
Override‑aware scheduling

What is “override‑aware scheduling”?

Tutors sometimes share real‑world updates — travel, exams, temporary conflicts. Our system now includes an Updated Tutor Unavailability layer that allows us to:

Honor temporary changes
Avoid last‑minute surprises
Automatically adjust availability for specific dates

This ensures your student is never scheduled during a time the tutor is unavailable.

6. How soon can my student begin?

Families can choose from:

Start immediately
Start next week
Start within 2–4 weeks

If your student has a peer learner, both students begin together.

7. What does a typical session look like?

Each 1-hour session includes a 50-minute instructional block followed by a 10-minute wrap-up.

Targeted skill practice
Guided problem‑solving
Mini‑lessons on strategy
Homework review and next steps

Sessions are structured but warm — tutors are trained to support both academic growth and student confidence. All sessions will occur within the Rao Advisors Small Business domain, using secure Google tools, such as Google Meet which has a built-in, collaborative whiteboard feature that allows real-time brainstorming, drawing, sticky notes, and image addition.

8. How do diagnostics work?

We begin with a diagnostic assessment to understand:

Baseline performance
Strengths and weaknesses
Recommended focus areas

This ensures instruction is targeted and efficient.

9. How do you track progress?

We use a combination of:

Tutor notes
Periodic assessments
Parent updates

Our goal is to keep families informed without overwhelming them.

10. What if my student needs to reschedule?

We understand that life happens. Families may request rescheduling with reasonable notice (currently 24 hours).

Flexible rescheduling policy
Tutor availability checks
Override system ensures accuracy

11. What if the tutor becomes unavailable temporarily?

Our override system ensures that:

Temporary conflicts are honored
Students are not scheduled during unavailable times
We can adjust quickly without disrupting learning

12. What is the cost?

These are our minimum packages. Families may purchase additional packages at any time based on the student’s needs.

5 hours – two students: $74/hr/student → $370/student
5 hours – single student: $84/hr → $420/student
10 hours – two students: $69/hr/student → $690/student (Recommended)
10 hours – single student: $79/hr → $790/student

Our recommended lowest-cost option also provides the longest, sustained engagement.

13. How to buy?

Please go to our Test Prep Shopping Cart to purchase.

14. Where can I get more information?

Here's the full recording of a seminar we conducted with parents: https://youtu.be/CpnNZ_6Gmws

If you have more questions, please contact us.

Go back to "Rao Advisors - Home".

Pages

How the PSA Program Works

Pros of the PSA Program

Cons of the PSA Program

Majors Commonly Available Through PSA

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Some Science Majors

Majors Typically NOT Available via PSA

Who Should Consider PSA

Strategic Advice (Important)

Bottom Line

Counseling Fees (U.S. High School Families)

Our rate card

Fees for Essay Reviews

Fees for Test Prep and Tutoring Services

Are Private Counselors Necessary? How Much Do They Charge?

Why Are Our Fees Low?

What is the cost?

Trifecta Services: The two-step test preparation strategy

Step 1

Step 2

How We Can Help

Example 10-week SAT Test Prep Schedule: Test Date June 6

Welcome to our Test Prep Shopping Cart Page

Parent FAQ

1. What is the Rao Advisors Test Prep program?

2. What makes your program different from other tutoring services?

3. How does Peer Learning work?

4. How do you match students with tutors?

5. How does scheduling work?

What is “override‑aware scheduling”?

6. How soon can my student begin?

7. What does a typical session look like?

8. How do diagnostics work?

9. How do you track progress?

10. What if my student needs to reschedule?

11. What if the tutor becomes unavailable temporarily?

12. What is the cost?

13. How to buy?