College counseling · Saudi Arabia & the Gulf
Ivy League and Oxbridge college counseling for Gulf students.
US and UK admissions strategy, SAT and ACT prep, essays, and leadership for students across the Gulf, from counselors who went to the Ivy League themselves. Everything in-house, on one plan, with a way in for every family.
One team, one plan, first meeting to final decision
- 0%
- College acceptance track record
- 0%
- Ivy League–credentialed advisors
- 0th+
- Median SAT/ACT percentile attained
- 2020
- Founded by Harvard and UPenn graduates
Our students have been admitted to
01Our approach
One strategy, not a patchwork of tutors.
Most families put together test prep from one place, essay help from another, and advice from whoever they know. Nobody owns the whole plan. At Himmah Prep, everything stays in-house: your counselor sets the strategy, and our own specialist tutors handle testing, essays, activities, and summers, so every decision supports the same goal.
Pick the student's grade to see what the plan looks like from there.
The student is in
2 years until applications
The ideal start. Enough history for a real diagnostic, and two full years to act on it.
- Diagnostic SAT/ACT and a testing calendar
- Shape two or three activities into a clear spike
- Apply to selective summer programs for the summer after Grade 10
- First draft of the school list by spring
02What we do
Four services. One team.
01 / 04
US and UK admissions strategy
One-on-one guidance from advisors who went to the Ivy League themselves and know what selective universities look for. A school list across both systems, Common App and UCAS applications, essays and the UCAS personal statement, admissions tests, and interviews, all coordinated by your Himmah Prep counselor.
- School list across the US and UK
- Common App and UCAS
- Oxbridge tests and interviews
- Essay coaching on every draft
03Where our students go
Every Ivy League school, every top-20 US university, Oxford, and Cambridge.
Widener Library, Harvard Yard.
Nassau Hall, the oldest building on campus.
The arcades of the Main Quad.
Sterling Memorial Library.
The Radcliffe Camera, Radcliffe Square.
King's College Chapel.
04Two systems
The US and the UK ask for different things. We prepare for both.
Most Gulf students apply to both, and the two systems reward different strengths. Your counselor plans one timeline so the October UCAS deadline, the November early rounds in the US, admissions tests, and interviews all fit together.
Common App
United States
- Up to 20 universities on one application, each with its own supplements
- Personal statement plus school-specific essays
- SAT or ACT, with test-optional policies varying by school
- Early Action and Early Decision by 1 November; Regular Decision in January
- Activities list, recommendations, and interviews for some schools
UCAS
United Kingdom
- Five course choices on one application, judged mainly on academics
- One personal statement focused on the subject, not the student's life story
- Admissions tests for competitive courses, such as the TSA, LNAT, UCAT, and ESAT
- 15 October deadline for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, and dentistry
- Interviews at Oxford and Cambridge, and predicted grades that matter
05Results
What students and parents say.
Six of the families we've worked with, in their own words.
Himmah didn't just get me into Berkeley — they reframed how I thought about myself as a student. The leadership coaching changed me before college did.
06How it works
Three stages, one plan.
It starts with a free consultation, and it doesn't end until the last decision comes in. Everything lives in the Himmah portal, where the student, the family, and the advisor see the same plan, drafts, and deadlines.
- 01
Stage one · Free consultation
Diagnose
A one-hour conversation about the student's academic profile, goals, and constraints, and a realistic first school list.
- 02
Stage two · 12–24 months
Build
A roadmap inside the portal covering tests, summer programs, leadership work, and essays, sequenced so nothing collides.
- 03
Stage three · Application year
Submit
Every essay, form, and supplement is reviewed before it is submitted, through to the final decision.
07Ways to work with us
Options for every family, at every stage.
Not every family needs the full programme, and not every family needs it yet. Whether you want a single review, a self-paced course, or a counselor beside you for three years, there is a way to work with us that fits.
Start here
Free consultation
Thirty minutes with a senior counselor: a candid read on the profile, a realistic first school list, and a clear next step.
Book a call →Self-guided
The Application Guide
Everything our counselors wish every Gulf student knew, with four accepted essays. For families who want to do it themselves, well.
Get the guide →One-off
Essay & activities review
Your drafts, read the way an admissions officer reads them, with line-by-line comments back within days.
See the packages →Self-paced
Digital SAT bootcamp
Eight weeks on your own schedule: the full curriculum, weekly lessons and practice sets, and full-length mocks.
Start the bootcamp →One-on-one
Live test prep
SAT, ACT, IELTS, or TOEFL sessions with a Himmah tutor, built around the student's diagnostic.
How it works →Full programme
Foundation, Signature, Elite
Strategy, testing, essays, activities, summers, and applications for the US and the UK, over one to three years. Three plans, scaled to what the family needs.
Talk to us →
08The application guide
The U.S. Application Guide.
Fifty-eight pages on what our advisors wish every Gulf student knew before junior year: SAT/ACT strategy, school research, essay frameworks, the activities list, and four full essays from students admitted to Stanford, Harvard, Emory, and UIUC.
09Where we work
Across the Gulf, and online.
Families in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Test prep is live and one-on-one in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam & Khobar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait City, Manama, and Muscat, or self-paced through the eight-week Digital SAT bootcamp.
10Questions
Where does Himmah Prep work with students?
Across the Gulf — Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar in Saudi Arabia; Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE; Doha, Kuwait City, Manama, and Muscat. Everything runs online, so the experience is identical wherever the student lives.
What does the program include?
College advising and application strategy, 1-on-1 SAT/ACT (and IELTS/TOEFL) prep, essay coaching on every draft, leadership workshops, and summer program planning — in one package, with a Himmah Prep team of counselors and tutors working from a single plan.
Who are the advisors?
Every Himmah Prep advisor holds a degree from an Ivy League university. The company was founded in 2020 by Harvard and University of Pennsylvania graduates.
Which universities have your students been admitted to?
Every Ivy League institution and every top-20 US university — including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Duke, UC Berkeley, and UCLA — plus Oxford, Cambridge, and other top UK schools.
When should a student start?
10th grade is ideal: enough academic history for a real diagnostic, and two full years to raise test scores, build extracurriculars, and plan summers. 9th and 11th grade both work, with different timelines.
Is there an option for every budget?
Yes. Families can start with the free consultation, the self-guided Application Guide, a one-off essay or activities review, or the self-paced Digital SAT bootcamp, and move to live one-on-one test prep or the full programme when it makes sense. The full programme comes in three plans (Foundation, Signature, and Elite), scaled to what the family needs, which we go through on the consultation call.
How do we start?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. You will leave with a candid read on the student's profile, a realistic school list, and a clear next step — whether or not you work with us.
11Free consultation
Tell us where the student is today.
A thirty-minute call with a senior advisor. You'll get a candid read on the student's profile, a realistic school list, and a clear next step, whether or not you work with us.
Campus photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Yale by Christian David (CC BY-SA 4.0), Harvard by Kenneth C. Zirkel (CC BY 4.0), Princeton by Smallbones (CC0), Stanford by Jawed (CC BY-SA 4.0), Hoover Tower by King of Hearts (CC BY-SA 3.0), Oxford by Julian Herzog (CC BY 4.0), Cambridge by Michael Dibb (CC BY-SA 2.0).