<p>I don’t understand why people put “ivy” in all capital letters. Do they think it’s an abbreviation? Is it for emphasis?</p>
<p>Are people serious about spending $40,000 just so they can get into college? I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re so rich, but if you need to spend so much money to get in there, I think it’s a complete waste of an admission spot for you.</p>
<p>I’d just like to point out that the “IvyWise” website is riddled with typos, to a frightening extent. Just one small reason why I’m shocked that they collect up to $40,000 out of anyone’s pocket…</p>
<p>oh my god, i know what you mean about the “IVY” thing. I can understand capitalizing the I alone, but jesus…</p>
<p>Dr. Hernandez comparing herself to a neurosurgeon? A bit excessive, IMHO. A neurosurgeon helps improve a serious, potentially life-threatening problem a patient has, and the treatment is measurable. College admissions is not life-threatening, and there is no way to measure how the applicant would have fared without Dr. Hernandez’s sage advice.</p>
<p>I cringe when I see consultants who brag about their success with their students and suggest that they were responsible for it. There are so many other contributing factors-- most notably, the applicant’s financial wealth, plus the family’s obvious emphasis on education and elite college admissions-- that also contribute to these students’ overall profiles. The consultant cannot (should not) claim success when academically resourced and talented students get into highly selective schools.</p>
<p>At the same time, there is definitely a need for a more personalized kind of consulting than what goes on at most public high schools. One of my best friends was told by his gc that he wouldn’t get into Super Selective School, because one student from their high school applied over five years ago and didn’t get in. He’s in-- and with a full scholarship to boot.</p>
<p>However, with all the information that is freely (both financially and informationally) traded on CC, I think that most hs students and parents, if they give us a synopsis of their academic, personal, and financial situation, can get an excellent diagnosis from CC. </p>
<p>Go us!!</p>
<p>
The buzzword for our wisdom: crowdsourcing</p>
<p>oooooooooo…aaaaaaa…</p>
<p>The neurosurgeon analogy is over the top. I do, however, believe there is a place for these private counselors and my kids were greatly helped by using them. They did not get into schools they were not fully qualified for, but the counselor helped them be one of the qualified who got through the gates when kids with equal stats did not.</p>
<p>Like a good accountant, financial planner or home decorator, people who do these things day in and day out simply know things we don’t.</p>
<p>Would I spend $40K? No. But there are all sorts of people out there providing helpful services at reasonable prices. The stats evaluation College Confidential does for I believe $89 is thought to have been a good investment by all I know who used it. And there’s a group of ivy students and grads who review essays for $100 that my friends say are excellent. </p>
<p>I also think there’s nothing wrong with spending $40K if it’s no sweat, but the bottom line is that this is a valid service every bit as much as H and R Block.</p>