Think Grads is free for students. We earn money in three ways, and none of them changes your results or the facts on a college page.
1. Labelled sponsored listings
Colleges can pay for a sponsored card in two fixed slots on a results page (positions 4 and 12). The card is labelled “Sponsored”, has a “Why am I seeing this?” link to this page, and is never counted in your Safe, Moderate or Reach totals. Paying never moves a college up in your ranking and never changes its cutoffs, fees or placement numbers.
2. Enquiries you choose to send
Every form shows one tick for the one thing you are asking for. “Talk to the college” asks only for your name and mobile, and its tick lets us share them with that one college and help you with that admission. Round alerts and “WhatsApp my shortlist” ask only for your mobile. Nothing is pre-ticked and there is no OTP. Anything else, such as alerts after you contact a college, is offered afterwards as its own single tick, and your email is always optional. We share your details only with the college you named, and a partner college may pay us for that enquiry. You can withdraw consent at any time on My shortlist, and we stop from then on.
3. Counselling
Our counsellors are salaried, not paid per admission. The first call is free. If a college they mention is a paid partner, they tell you.
What we never do
- Sell rankings, badges or “top college” positions.
- Put your rank or score in a link, or send it to a college without your tick.
- Show a sponsored card without the word “Sponsored”.
- Load third-party advertising or tracking scripts on college pages.