<p>Can anyone tell me about their experiences with admissions counselors? I'm curious as to how effective both admissions counselors working with you at college and those that can be hired separately are.</p>
<p>At my high school, we didn't have college counselors, and I elected not to hire a counselor (because they cost a fortune). I got rejected from the tops schools even though all my scores and extracurriculars are at or above average (I know no one is guaranteed but still).</p>
<p>Are admissions advisors in college helpful? Do separately hired admissions counselors help? They are extremely expensive, but I'd consider it extremely worthwhile if a grand or two puts me in one of the top grad schools.</p>
<p>I'm still very, very early in the game, but I learned from the college admissions process that you can start too early. Any other advice you guys can offer is very much appreciated, or if you could refer me to a good book or website. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>That is what it sounds to me like the OP is considering.</p>
<p>mbaboy - if that is not what you are asking about, let me know and I will help you move your post to another section of cc. But it seems to me he is asking exactly what sallyawp suggests. Ergo, this is the right place for the thread.</p>
<p>I am a Stanford MBA myself and I had no idea there were Admissions Counselors for that (either at the undergraduate colleges or private pay). But, then again, my time was in the Dark Ages.</p>
<p>I will say, mbaboy, that you can get an awfully lot of help on this forum - and for a good price too ;).</p>
<p>One thing I would suggest you consider, is what you might be able to glean from your undergrad admissions experience... beyond the idea that a better counselor might have helped. EG:</p>
<p>I'm not sure what you mean by "scores and ECs at or above average." It usually takes more than that for admits to the top colleges. Do you know how your recs were? How was your GPA? What was the strength of your curriculum compared to what was offered at your school? How were your essays. You might be able to improve your admissions chances to B-school by looking at those yourself, without the aid of a paid counselor. </p>
<p>Also, check the preferences of your target B-schools. Don't many of them still prefer work experience before accepting applicants? So you might want to focus on that instead of a paid counselor.</p>
<p>Just some thoughts. Not sure that a paid counselor might not help. But not sure it is the first place to look. Especially if you are early in the game.</p>
<p>Yes, I was considering hiring a counselor for business school admissions. I'm just curious because the only guidance I got during high school was bits and pieces off of websites.</p>
<p>I'd rather not discuss my high school credentials, but all the objective parts of my application were above average. I feel if I had someone to look it over before hand, it would have been much stronger.</p>
<p>I'm still going to one of the top 10 schools, but it wasn't one of my top choices. I'm sorry if I offended anyone by making these posts. I just came across Kaplan's business schools admissions site and was curious about it.</p>
<p>Andale, if you feel this topic would be better off someplace else, go ahead and move it or delete it altogether. In the bigger picture of business school admissions, my question is quite trivial.</p>
<p>Admissions consultants do cost a lot of money. There have been plenty of successful candidates that didn't use them. But there are many who have been successful by using them. Most of those that decide to spend the money tend to want to get into the very top programs. Generally, the reputable companies can help you with school selection, strategy, mock interviews, proofreading/correcting essays (they won't write them for you), and addressing weaknesses. </p>
<p>Our recent podcast reviews four different consulting companies: Veritas Prep, Stacy Blackman Consulting, Clear Admit, and Accepted.com. If you're thinking about using a consultant, want to know the differences between the various consultants and want more information about what they do, take a listen!</p>