We also never heard about these services until after our kids applied to college. They filled out their applications and wrote their essays without anyone’s help or guidance. They had a few proofreaders, but no one commented on their choice of content. It really was a reflection of who they were.
I have no business weighing in on others and how they choose to do things, but I find it disheartening that there are those that ‘package with a theme’, choose extracurriculars and courses for given theme, and then ‘sell’ the theme as if the kid is a product. Isn’t it best to see where the kid naturally lands based on who they are, without the need for marketing?
For those consultants that guide without the marketing aspect, such as general info, test prep, or colleges best suited for the student, that seems genuinely helpful if you have no other resource or an unhelpful high school college counselor.
I don’t see anything wrong with using a college consultant. However, with the a,out this family has allocated, they are not going to get full service beginning to end college counseling from a top consultant…which easily can cost $20,000 or more (because it is for multiple years…not just the summer prior to senior year).
For the amount this family has allocated, perhaps someone to help with writing might be beneficial…not the actual writing of the essay, but working with the student so that the essay is grammatically correct, makes sense, flows nicely from paragraph to paragraph, etc.
If this kid is a rising HS senior…it’s a little late for a high profile college consultant to have an impact on things like course selections, ECs, etc.
After reading this thread again, it would seem that the basic issue for the OP is that the parents are immigrants without knowledge of how it all works. I am not sure at all that this situation requires a consultant, and it certainly doesn’t require “packaging” but the anxiety of the OP is understandable. As an older sibling, perhaps you are feeling the responsibility a little too heavily and want a consultant to relieve you a bit.
Two of my kids (unexpectedly) went to Ivies and it is hard to imagine that their friends used consultants: I really doubt it. Mine didn’t prep, didn’t have the best scores or grades in the class, wrote their own essays without any help whatsoever. I do think they benefited from “holistic” admissions because they each brought a particular talent to the mix schools want for the class. I personally think they would have done great at a state flagship, but financial aid was great at the Ivy.
So it really is not about the individual but about the whole class. Assembling a class of perfect scores and GPA would mean a terrible mix in a given class and on the campus as a whole. I think it is more important to understand admissions than to use a consultant. Read some books.
But more importantly, perhaps your family values certain schools above others. Broadening the list of desired schools will mean a less stressful year, less expense, and a better outcome. No consultant would be needed unless you really need help with the list. But CC can help with that too. And books/websites (Colleges that Change Lives especially).
@OP, I think you are better off trying to find the info you Are seeking locally, relying on word of mouth references. I’ve heard of a consultant in my area (didn’t use him personally) who charges a reasonable fee and helps his clients make college list, decide on early application strategies and read their essays etc. its said that he has produced good results. Thi s forum is national/international and you are not suppose to make yourself identifiable, making that type of reference difficult.
^^
The biggest problem is not to find the true specialists. Google should be your friend. The biggest problem is to avoid listening to poor advice and end up paying attention to someone who is neither qualified nor very astute about the college application process. Unfortunately, that is a proxy for most people at your high school or in your group of friends and family members.
Bring up the issue of college to a group of people and the results would baffle just about everyone who visits this forum.
I think your brother is very lucky to have you in his life. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone in their life like you. Good luck to you both.
I work very, very part time as a consultant, mostly by word of mouth. I have had a number of clients that just wanted a few hours of consulting. It seemed to help in a number of ways:
-essay editing (and other document editing such as resumes and homeschool documents such as transcripts)
-making sure college list is sufficient (reach, match, safety-schools that are affordable) and deadlines and requirements are understood; looking at the fit of colleges and sharing information is helpful (Had a client who had no idea what Vanderbilt was about, and had no plans to apply. I felt it was a good fit and encouraged student to apply. Student was waitlisted; I encouraged student to visit while on waitlist. Student was admitted off of waitlist and is thrilled to be attending in the fall)
-helping students and parents (in the case of homeschoolers) learn to communicate well with admissions (some students and parents don’t realize they can actually email or call admissions and ask questions); I help students feel empowered to communicate. Not all students are born “leaders” and are naturally comfortable contacting admissions. (And we also talk about the fact that, yes, some colleges like to see demonstrated interest)
-to be a sounding board for doubts, questions, concerns
I also do talk about finances up front so that families will run NPCs. Mostly, I refer clients to a friend who’s very familiar with financial aid, and she spends a fair amount of time helping families understand the realities of their finances as it pertains to college costs. This step is critical, IMO. I learned a bunch of new info this year from her that I didn’t know with my first son (having to do with Cal Grants and Pell Grants).
I think the allotted dollar amount you mentioned would be sufficient to help support your brother through the process, and who knows, with the knowledge you gain, perhaps you’ll end up being a consultant in the future.
Yes, College Confidential is helpful, and I have certainly taken advantage of the collective wisdom here. However, not everyone has the time to sift through the massive amount of information, nor does everyone want to do it. A consultant can do research, saving a family many hours they might not want to spend.
Also, sometimes a student butts heads with a parent, and a consultant can be a “go between” so the parent can take themselves totally out of the equation. I worked with one student like that last year, a public school student. Parents were in a difficult situation, and could not help student, but did have a little extra money to get help.
I had a friend who paid $250 for a consulting service, but I’m not sure how valuable it was. It was more of a group type situation, and didn’t help her son with the smaller details that he really needed. She ended up calling me and asking me for help (for free). I was able to suggest an essay topic and get him started on this one essay that he was refusing to write, and to a school that it was clear was going to fall off the radar screen. Lo and behold, he did write that essay, did get into that school, and will be attending said school with some decent scholarships.
Sometimes, a little outside help is worth its weight in gold.
We just completed the college process for our first child. I would say that she had one of the best high school college counseling departments on the planet, and even with that excellent support it was a somewhat stressful process.
With regard to essays one of things that always stuck with me was the advice on the MIT admissions website:
Think the above is good advice, so be careful not to “over market” your brother. With his stats alone he will be fine.
So many applicants get help with essays these days, I am surprised they are still part of the process. I think authenticity is highly valued. And “character.”
But that is a lot of responsibility for a sibling in early years of college herself (himself?). With parents who are not savvy, the onus mght be falling on the sibling and a consultant would seem to be the only relief for that.
I think getting help, either through the school (our school’s guidance was not useful at all) or an outside, private consultant might make sense in this context, but only for the basics. The “packaging” and “marketing” aspect of the original post’s request was what was off-putting, but with more information on the famlly, I can see there might be some justification for help with assembling a list, deadlines, making sure everything is sent, feedback on essay (not help writing it!), financial aid and scholarship applications, and so on.
The forum here could also be a big help. The brother could log on himself. I think this is a lot for the older sibling.
Your brother looks very good based on what you wrote - almost too good.
Whenever I read stats like that, I immediately envision a kid who was put on a “treadmill of opportunities” at an early age and rode it through high school. These opportunities include strong family support, top schools, encouragement and support in academics, sports, arts, travel, extra curricular activities. All the kid has to do is ride it to look good n the other end. And an admissions consultant is one more opportunity to help carry the kid.
I don’t know if this is your brother. But you may want to ask yourself is it is.
If your goal is to “check the box” for getting him to a selective school, then by all means, hire a consultant.
If your goal is have your brother grow and learn from researching the admissions process on his own, then maybe you want to rethink a consultant.
I am going to disagree with you here. That ‘ride’ you speak of involves a lot of hard work, commitment and often sacrificing downtown or social activities to meet those commitments. Save the very few students that have the 160+ IQ’s to whom it just comes “naturally”, no one is simply “riding it” with today’s AP driven curriculums and coming out with stats similar to those of OP’s brother. Not saying I agree with the uber-competitive academic environment that exists today, but that’s the reality for our children. You deal with it best you can.
Both of my own children were (are) 4 year varsity athletes who were involved in other significant EC’s. They were also high stat academic achievers who attempted to balance all those commitments with a social life and some family time. I didn’t see them or their friends “riding” anything, they were working hard – really hard.
Maybe or maybe not. Depends. There is a lot of academic support in those communities if you seek it out. There are also many outreach programs to assist these kids in getting them on an academic, college bound track. I think there is opportunity in those communities as well and the colleges are very attuned to looking at the environment that each applicant has come from.
I just don’t think in either case, whether you come from a family representing the 1% or from a low income community, that anyone is really “carrying” (and that was your word) these high achieving students. They are either willing to do the work and make the sacrifices or they are not.
It takes both talent and support to be a good student, no different than a top athlete. A talented athlete with great coach is going to go a lot further than someone with just raw talent. A good coach is only going to be able to swing the pendulum so far.
Individual’s willingness to work hard is also a major factor.
Op,
You are being a great sibling by helping your brother out. Contrary to others on this site, I agree with you that packaging can help the process. I read apps in medical related applications and every candidate is so stellar in many ways…so how does one pick?. Definitely some come better packaged that others and it helps them. Also, unfortunately, sometimes it’s just luck. Certain things speak to me more than may speak to other readers of the app.
As for consultants, unfortunately it will have to either be by word of mouth locally or by an Internet search, Also, there are some college consultants who post in these forums. I would assume that they will find you based on your post and PM you.
The notion that a top tier student needs a particular “level” of counselor is also baffling.
I work in the business. A lot of the people who advertise themselves heavily as “top” are not that. The typical example is the person or group who claims that having worked in admissions makes them by that fact alone superior: that is a myth. The reason I know is that I helped a student get off the waitlist of a top-10 school after a so-called admissions insider was unable to. And I know many other examples in the field (much more than my own).
Also, any competent independent counselor does not restrict himself or herself only to “top” colleges, and for lots of reasons which should be evident to most people on this board. A good counselor may have additional specialties/u, but anybody in the business should have breadth of experience and breadth of knowledge as the most essential qualification, because understanding the entire field is what’s most important.
One needs meat-and-potatoes knowledge, experience, ingenuity, creativity, flexibility, and a great way with words.
