Are Private College Counselors Worth the Price Tag?

Hello all, rising senior here. Cutting to the chase, are private college counselors worth it? What is their role in the college application process? I can afford one but I am just wondering if it is absolutely necessary. Do you fare better with one, without one, or does it matter? For perspective: I have no siblings and both of my parents did their undergrad in a different country. So I’m quite new to this. Please share your experiences with a college counselor as well.

We liked ours. Helped with essay review and analysis of schools for fit and likelihood of admission. Kept daughter on track with deadlines and submissions. We didn’t read one word of any essays supplements and prompts. She had the ability to maintain privacy and also have a critique of an experienced eye. Also she had a bunch of her students at a workshop to discuss ideas and schools.

It’s s like teaching someone you love to play golf. Not a great idea. We were able to focus on moral support, finances and our occasional directional guidance. It was worth every penny for us. Did it change the schools she chose and was accepted at - I don’t think so.

@privatebanker wow sounds way less stressful!

That’s for sure. But in reality the admissions cycle will be a roller coaster of emotions for you. I hope all are positive but our student was a star. Val 13aps with nearly all 5s. 4.0uw varsity sports capt hospital volunteering 1520 sat and 35 act. And it was 50 percent good 50 percent miserable.

Not saying any of this applies to you. Just our experience this year and it altered everything I thought I knew about college admissions

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/2089069-college-consultants.html#latest

Here is a conversation on this very topic from the Parents Forum.

@Aneem00 How good is the college counseling at your school? Are the counselors overburdened or will you get some personalized attention? Are your parents fixated on top 20 schools to the exclusion of matches and safeties? Are they willing/unwilling to discuss budget constraints with you frankly? Are you a self starter about things like SAT/ACT prep and writing essays or do you need more direction?

Depending on the answers, I think a paid consultant could be helpful. However, if you have strong support at school, if your parents are openminded about where you might apply, and if you are proactive, it might not be necessary.

If your parents do decide to employ a consultant, as mentioned above thread, seek local recommendations based on experience from people you trust.

FWIW, when my daughter was applying, CC provided as good or better information than her college counseling office, which was a very good one at a small private school.

@mamaedefamilia the high school counselors are okay, we have many because my school is highly overpopulated. I heard my counselor is understanding of slip ups in grades and writes good LORs. I’m open to all colleges not just T20s and my parents are supportive in the process, so I’m not alone in this by any means. However, I am not yet finding any difficulties so I’m not sure if a college counselor is necessary.

Depends on the price tag, the schools you are targeting, your academic profile and how much you already know about the process. There is a ton of information to be had here on CC if you are early enough in the process and can wade through it all. In general, I would say for the typical HS student, probably not necessary.

IMO, invaluable if it can afford it. I would ask families you know for good recommendations and attend the intitial meeting with 1 or 2 to gauge best fit. Our preference was to use a consultant on an hourly basis as needed instead of a fixed cost for the year or two. While CC is a great resource, it helps to work with a private consultant who really knows your kid and can give you a roadmap for application success and “package” you.

Well, i always say it depends upon what your getting out the process. for me i am glad that i did take the step to going to a private college and not public. it’s way better, but in the end results, you gotta still have to work through a lot of other things as well, i would say it depends upon what your getting out of it for prices

I don’t think there is a counselor at my school i just have a dean that i reach out to if i have problems, but not a counselor when i think of that word I think of high school

@msheinie I don’t understand this statement and what it has to do with hiring a college counselor

Are you saying that you need a college counselor in order to go to a private college instead of a public? Are you saying that a private college is actually better than any public college? If so, I’m sorry to say that’s simply not true.

@Joblue doesn’t private vs. public depend on affordability and personal preference? I don’t think either is better but personally I would like to go to a public school. But I guess what @mshienie meant is that the counselor can help you expand your search? Not sure.

Plenty of good information and guidance is available for free, including on this site.
If you’re curious, willing to ask many questions and provide appropriate information, you may be able to get the help you need here.

@tk21769 I agree. I have found a great amount of help here. Even though it’s not professional, I really appreciate every helpful soul on this forum.

We used a private counselor for a while, but our S18 wasn’t really keeping up with the counselor’s deadlines, so we eventually stopped working with the counselor. We mostly relied on CC and he ended up with lots of great admission options, as well as merit aid offers. I’m not planning on using a private counselor with my younger son, but many of our friends have found them to be helpful.