<p>We have twin sons (fraternal, and very different) who are considering going to boarding school in the fall of 2015. They are both doing the Access Exeter program this summer to have a test drive of boarding school life. Under the assumption they come out of the Access program reasonably excited about considering boarding, we will be scrambling the fighters to figure out which schools are best suited for them. To increase our chances of getting them the right fit, we are considering using an educational counselor who can bring experience and knowledge to the process of matching their interests and personalities with the right schools.</p>
<p>I am interested in specific recommendations and feedback from folks who have used educational counselors for such a purpose. It is not hard to identify professionals in the field, but I would prefer to make a selection with input from others who have worked with a professional in the past. Any insight would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Also, I have seen plenty of pro-con discussions in these forums around the use of counselors for essay writing, admissions enhancement, etc. and am not looking for a general set of comments on whether or not counselors are worth the money, necessary or other generalized views. I am really asking for specific feedback and recommendations from those who have experience with counselors.</p>
<p>I think the best counselors are those who focus on finding the best fit for your child, not on getting your child in to the schools with the lowest acceptance rate. The irony is that the first can result in the second, i.e., a student is more likely to be admitted to a very competitive school if the fit is right and the applicant can demonstrate that in the essays and interview.</p>
<p>So…my advice is to watch out for consultants that tout only their clients’ acceptances to top schools. If the web page shows only testimonials from kids accepted to Andover, Choate, St. Paul’s and Groton I’d be wary. Take the time to interview a couple of consultants. A good consultant will not make recommendations on specific schools before reviewing a student’s file and talking with them to get a sense of who they are and what interests them, so if you encounter a consultant who leads off with, “I have connections with all the best schools” or “with his GPA I can get your kid into Exeter” run for the hills!</p>
<p>I have never used an EC, but if you’re looking at East Coast schools, I would recommend hiring someone from the East Coast. There seems to be a lot of prep school consulting businesses popping up ( all over the place) lately, so I would look for someone (who is established) with at least 20+ years experience. </p>
<p>Looking on the internet for just a list of top boarding schools, I came across Top Test Prep. I’m not sure of the quality of this company, but it’s one to consider.</p>
<p>My friend hired an EC a few years ago and was happy with her service. She spent a relatively high amount of time with the student and got to know her well. While I never used an EC, I would say that it would many times be possible for an EC to find very important points that the parents would miss about their child. The point is that as much as an EC knows about your children, it would be easier to find the better fit and increase the chance. That’s what the above-mentioned consultant did. So I would recommend you to see if an EC would try to spend more time with your children than just bragging about his/her track record. </p>
<p>Personally I did not use an EC when my child applied to boarding schools but many of my friends, especially those living in NYC did. All seemed to find the endeavor worthwhile and said it saved them a lot of time. A good EC should be able to meet with a family to discuss goals, take a look at your child’s stats and then come up with a list of schools for you to consider and visit. Some are full service and will prep your child for interviews and review your final application before submission. Many EC’s do have established relationships with the BS’s, but I have no basis upon which to opine whether it has any positive affect on your child’s application.</p>
<p>@blackbeard, pretty sure I know who you are. You know who I am, too. Fantasy football, mate. We also used Holly Treat at Bertram with successful results. PM me here or on Facebook if you want to talk more. Keep calm & Segway on.</p>