<p>Just wondering b/c it seems like a lot of CC people had their lives literally directed for them and everything planned out for the perfect app. Could just be me I dunno.</p>
<p>I don't. CC fulfills that commandeering role for me. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I definitely don't. I didn't even know they existed until I got onto CC. Seems like a royal waste of money to me.</p>
<p>seems like a scam to drop so much money for information that you can find just as readily on the internet these days.</p>
<p>This is my advisor. I knew someone who did (Yes, he did get into an Ivy League) but basically they talked for half an hour and she gave him some advice. Which is basically CC.</p>
<p>I used one for two sessions (maybe another 1 or 2), but only to get a different perspective than the one my school guidance counselor did. Also, I wanted hints on what classes I should take.</p>
<p>Get a session or two in with a college counselor if you're still trying to eliminate schools from your list or trying to figure out what to do/take/visit etc.</p>
<p>er no? what's the use</p>
<p>Are you referring to "educational consultants" when you write "admissions counselors"? An admissions counselor typically works full-time for either a high school or college/university; an educational consultant is usually an independent advisor hired by a student's family to assist in school selection, guidance & application.</p>
<p>Oh psshhh
They're useless unless you hire the ones at the very top, the ones that cost 10,000+
And who has that much money to waste? :P</p>
<p>^lol..why don't u just donate that $10,000 to the school</p>
<p>and i bet lots of students and parents here can be counselors! tho i doubt the ppl who pay for counseling like to hear "do what you like, be passionate"</p>
<p>I guess I meant "educational consultant" if you want to get technical. Yeah, I wish I'd known about this site earlier...might have made a big difference in how I went about HS :). I know that quite a few people in my area are using educational consultants; it feels so odd that some people would want to plan their lives out though. I just chose to do whatever interested me (which was mostly science, speech, and such), never thought I'd need to win awards or balance a bajillion ECs at a time as many others seem to have done. W/e, here's to hoping colleges take a truly holistic approach to assessing candidates (their personality and passion) rather than just sucking in people who OD'd on ECs b/c they could morph time or turn themselves into sleepless zombies...<end rant=""></end></p>
<p>Stop the madness. Save your money for college visits and tuition! Good luck.</p>
<p>I heard about them the first time on CC. I wouldn't have enough money for one... If I had that much, then maybe I would hire someone to organize all this college stuff for me (I've been screwing up)...</p>
<p>my school has some great people in the counseling office and career center so yeah thats all i need</p>
<p>No, that's what this forum is for. XD</p>
<p>I know two people who used consultants. From what I could make out, the consultants did a good job of managing down expectations and made the kids apply ED to schools that I felt they could have managed to get into on their own without any consultants. </p>
<p>There are two issues that bother me:
First, the consultants might have conflict of interest if they are positioning other (better paying?) candidates of their own.
Second, they have a rote formula that they try to squeeze all kids into and crush all personality and individuality out of the applications.</p>
<p>I think parents are the best consultants/spokespersons for a kid, and unless the parents do not have time/energy/access to resources such as the internet and various guide books (in which case they probably cant afford the consultants) there seems to be no point to hiring these consultants. </p>
<p>So in summary, azn&proud, I dont think they matter one whit.</p>
<p>No consultants, no preps classes, I didn't even give my admissions essays to family or friends to improve. It is all my damn effort, but at least if I get into a good college, I know it is all my own work despite the averageness the amateur quality of it all :)</p>
<p>Seriously, getting the $ for application fees was hard enough- there's no way there were reserves left over for an application consultant. I can't imagine what they'd tell me anyway. My English teacher showed me how to put together a resume and looked over my essay, and my guidance counselor helped me narrow down the list of schools, and I managed the rest on my own. What is an admissions counselor going to charge me hundreds of dollars for that my public school teachers couldn't tell me for free?</p>
<p>i feel the same way. and that monopolistic college board and application fees left me with no $. public schools have all the resources neccisary</p>