<p>My son is currently in 6th grade at a N-8 school that is not a feeder for boarding schools. I have contacted my first consultant (recommended by a friend) and will speak with them more tomorrow. They explained that the fee structure depends on the year of matriculation of the student and that starting early makes sense. Does anyone have experience in this area? What in general are the fees to expect? If we can swing it, is it worth it?</p>
<p>I have NO experience with a BS consultant. However, we contracted an “expert” to help my older daughter with FA for college. He estimated a certain amount that, if we were lucky, would be able to get through merit. Turns out, the school had contracted a financial company to help new parents with the process and I did it through them. In the end, my D was able to get a substantial merit grant, renewable every year. </p>
<p>Also, we needed to appeal due to a special circumstance, and the consultant told me not to bother, that I was wasting my time. I went ahead and filed the appeal, with explanations and figures. The school came back with an additional 20% grant, again, renewable. So, think about if is it worth it. What added value will be given to you that you could not/ or will not do yourself? We paid 700 dollars for this “advice.”</p>
<p>My son applied 2 years ago to 7 boarding schools. We did it all ourselves, and it was a LOT of work and stress on my part to make sure all the pieces of the applications were completed on time. In my opinion, if you and your spouse are both working full-time, are thinking of applying to more than 5 schools, have no local support for this process (meaning friends or neighbors who have done this before to ask questions) THEN it’s probably a good idea to hire someone to hold your hand through the process. </p>
<p>Ditto above post - honestly it is as time consuming as the college search and app process (having just been through that one.) Even if you are intimately familiar with the BS’s you still have to visit, interview and complete the apps. It is a lot for middle schoolers to tackle as they have multiple essays to write and interviews to prep for. The parent statement also took me some time to pull together in a version that I was happy with. </p>
<p>Depending on how familiar you are with the schools, a good consultant can significantly cut down on your research time and also look at your child’s stats and advise you on where the best academic fit might be. We handled the process ourselves but we were familiar with the BS’s and D only had interest in a few. Many friends of ours used consultants and felt they were well worth it. </p>
<p>Consultant or not, here are some tips:</p>
<p>1) The SSAT is very tough if one has not come from the type of school that preps for it (there is a “part of the club” aspect to the test). Very few standardized tests have analogies any more, for example. Take a practice SSAT, take a look at the score, and consider a tutor or very thorough study process beginning at least a year ahead of the real test.<br>
2) Try to have kiddo develop something that they like, which sets them apart - crew, lacrosse, music, a language
3) Practice interviewing. It is a learned art to be humble and yet still explain why you are a good fit for school X
4) Read around the boards to get a feel for schools. Visit them during holidays, summer, etc. just to get a feel.
5) apply early, get recs before Thanksgiving, then check/call in December to make sure all complete. By January schools don’t respond as quickly. </p>
<p>We did not use a consultant but did use an SSAT tutor. </p>
<p>My guess is that a consultant could probably suggest some “hidden gems” that you have not thought of. </p>