What Peer Advisors Can Do That Counselors Can’t

When Maya met with her high school counselor about applying to college, the conversation lasted 15 minutes. Her counselor was well-meaning and professional—but she had 480 students on her roster and limited time for nuance.

She reminded Maya to finalize her Common App, told her to consider a safety school in-state, and flagged a deadline Maya had already bookmarked. Helpful? Yes. Game-changing? Not exactly.

Maya needed more than timelines. She needed clarity.

What Maya didn’t need (or couldn’t afford) was a $5,000 private admissions package. She wasn’t looking for someone to craft her essays or build a portfolio. She just needed a real person who had gone through this process recently and could answer: “What actually matters when applying to Barnard?”

So Maya logged onto Pathways and connected with Nia—a current Barnard sophomore, first-generation college student, and former IB candidate, just like her.

That one 30-minute conversation changed the course of her application.

Counselors Know the Process. Peer Advisors Know the Playbook.

There’s no denying that school counselors and private consultants know the admissions process. They’re trained professionals. They understand how to build a balanced school list, interpret testing policies, and guide students toward strong applications.

But there’s a critical layer they usually can’t provide: real-time, experience-based, school-specific nuance.

Here’s what Nia told Maya that no counselor ever had:

“Barnard really values intellectual curiosity—but that doesn’t mean academic perfection. I wrote about my side blog and a poetry contest I lost, and it still resonated.”
“In my interview, they asked about a book I’d never finished. I was honest—and that actually helped.”
“You don’t have to be polished. You have to be authentically engaged.”

That level of specificity doesn’t show up in guidebooks or counselor PDFs. It comes from living the process.

Five Things Peer Advisors Can Offer That Counselors Often Can’t

Recent, First-Person Insight
A peer advisor applied last year or the year before. They remember how decisions felt, what strategies worked, and what deadlines actually mattered.
School-Specific Context
Most counselors have a macro view of admissions. Peer advisors offer a micro perspective: “Here’s what stood out in my Brown application,” or “Here’s what you need to show for Berkeley EECS.”
Personalized, Cultural Relevance
Students can choose peer advisors who match their background, language, or experience—first-gen, LGBTQ+, South Asian, STEM, test-optional. It’s not just about information; it’s about belonging.
Authentic Vulnerability
Peer advisors will tell you what they messed up. What they wish they’d done differently. Which schools ghosted them. This transparency is invaluable—and rarely found in professional guidance.
Actionable Answers to Un-Googleable Questions
“Is the optional Caltech essay really optional?” “Did you include non-traditional ECs?” “How did you prep for the UPenn alumni interview?”
These aren’t strategic queries. They’re tactical ones. And peer advisors have real answers.

Peer Advising Doesn’t Replace Counselors. It Complements Them.

Pathways isn’t saying counselors aren’t important. They are. So are consultants—for the families who choose and can afford them.

But insight from someone who’s just done what you’re about to do? That’s not a luxury. That’s essential infrastructure.

It’s the layered model:

Counselor: helps you organize and navigate the application timeline
Consultant: (if you have one) polishes your materials and strategy
Peer Advisor: gives you truth from the trenches

Whether you’re crafting your Common App, choosing between Early Decision options, or deciding how to frame your story—it helps to speak to someone who remembers what that felt like, and succeeded at the very place you’re aiming for.

This Is the Era of Real-Time, Real-People Guidance

Students no longer want general advice. They want targeted guidance that reflects who they are and where they want to go. That’s what Pathways delivers.

What peer advisors can do that counselors can’t is simple: they can show you how they won the game you’re trying to play.