<p>I mean one outside of your school guidance counselor who helps you choose schools to apply to, edit essays, write short answers, arrange a resume, etc.</p>
<p>I have one, but I've had him since sophomore year and it was a one time 400 dollar charge and he's there whenever I need him. I think the price reflects how good he is, (not very, ha). He is a nice old man, but I feel like he is a little out of the loop.</p>
<p>I was thinking about finding a private counselor, but they all seem SO expensive. Like up to 3500 dollars!</p>
<p>What do you guys think? Do you have private counselors? How much would you pay for a really great service that could increase your chances?</p>
<p>Yeah… probably a good idea… a real college counselor who could help me with essay editing and resume “building” or whatever is just so alluring, ha. If only it were free too! Maybe the price tag is part of the allure.</p>
<p>A qualified, experienced, up-to-date college counselor can be instrumental in gaining acceptances to BS and colleges, as they know the game, and often have adcom contacts of their own. However, a good guidance counselor, good recommendations, EC’s, grades and scores can accomplish similar goals. If you have the extra money to hire a qualified college counselor, it is definately worth the process - many students with hired counselors gain acceptance to most of the schools on their list (the counselor also helps you create a great list of possibilities, organizes your materials, “edits” your essay to fit each school, makes contacts to their contacts…you get the picture)!!!</p>
<p>Resume building isn’t hard, you just list stuff that you’ve done or won. It’s the actual DOING and WINNING of the stuff that’s difficult.</p>
<p>Editing essays isn’t hard, just time consuming. And as suggested, an English teacher is just as good.</p>
<p>Choosing colleges can be tricky, but it’s not something you necessarily need additional outside help with. Gauge where you stand by looking through statistics and accepted student profiles, read about the colleges online and visit if possible, and come up with a list. DONE.</p>
<p>So, how much would I pay for a private counselor? $0. I suggest you do the same.</p>
<p>Wow, you’re really eager to hear about our college counselors… (@ the title :P)</p>
<p>Anyway, we’re actually pretty fortunate that one of our teacher’s mom used to be a college counselor or something like that (I’m only a rising sophomore and I’ve never met the lady) and she volunteers at the school a lot… Other than that, our actual school counselors are unhelpful and actually try to dissuade people from applying to schools… For example, one girl was told she would under no circumstances get into UCSC… And she did.</p>
<p>3.5k is extremely expensive for something you could do on your own. The vast majority of kids complete their applications themselves, and I’m sure that you’re perfectly capable. I think it would be better to stick it out on your own, save the money for college itself, and seek free help for specific questions with your counselor or teachers.</p>
<p>Besides, you should write the short answers yourself :- )</p>