D24 is a sophomore at a very competitive high school. She is very very fast with everything but a bit sloppy. She takes the most challenging math and physics classes and gets top grades, but gets less than top grades in classes that she doesn’t feel challenged. It’s clear that she won’t be one of those very well rounded kids who get top grades in everything (unless she suddenly wakes up and change). But knowing her, I think she will blossom if she can get into one of those colleges where she will be challenged and surrounded by smart kids.
I am thinking of hiring a private college consultant to help her build up her profile, and maybe guide her in her course selections and extracurricular activities, etc to help her getting into a competitive college when the time comes.
The problem is, there are so many private college consultants out there! And there is just no way of knowing whether someone is actually good or just hyped. And parents who used private consultants tend to keep it to themselves so it’s hard to get advice on this.
Would really appreciate it if anyone can share their experience here and help me making a selection.
Thanks in advance!
Anyone can be a college consultant - so with that says it is important to find someone that has years of experience and involved in at least one of the professional college consultant associations. IECA is one and I think the other is called HECA ? Check their references, do your homework and it could be money well spent.
We had strong advising through our child’s school and even though we had opinions and “some” knowledge - it was helpful for our kids to hear feedback, class guidance etc from the counselor. Friends without that school resource were happy to have an outside professional and either bought 3-4 years packages ($) or were able to work on just select pieces.
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I suppose it depends on your means, interests and how much free time you have.
I’d ask to talk to a couple of past clients before signing a contract.
Many high schools have solid counselors to help with course selection and in my experience, the Most of the info is available on various websites or from the colleges directly. (you really can call/visit and ask point-blank, what does it take to get into your school? most of them give you a recipe you can understand) At a high level, if your target is a relatively completive school, At most of them GPA is the first gate so take the hardest classes she can get straight As in. And get involved in a couple of ECs she’s interested in.
Two big advantages expressed my my friends who have worked with them - First, the good ones know about colleges you have never heard of. Second, they play the task-master role when it comes to test prep, essays, deadlines.
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My perspective is limited, and I don’t want to make sweeping statements about the entire industry of college consultants but let me share my experience, starting with the happy end: my D is a freshman in her first choice LAC with a single-digit admission rate. She thrives there so far, “challenged and surrounded by smart kids,” to use your words.
She was in a very competitive public HS in a big city, sky-high in USNWR ranking but not offering too much college guidance so we were anxious. The reason why we decided against a private consultant (other than the prices, very high for an ill-defined scope of services)
were opinions of other parents who were dismayed by the cookie-cutter approach of these professionals, often pushing kids into directions that had more to do with their own previous experience than the unique qualities of the kid.
We did hire a tutor because we knew some parts of her SAT/ACT were way below her potential, and it worked out extremely well but otherwise, College Confidential proved an excellent source of information. And the best advice here? Don’t follow the tired list of ECs everyone somehow feels compelled to do, and instead, show some seriousness pursuing something that really interests you.
By the way, GPA does matter a lot so perhaps this is a perfect moment to discuss it with your D.
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Thanks so much for sharing your experience!