I helped a family in India, and their son got into Case Western.They give me updates now for four years, and this young man made research connections at Case Western through my connections, and got into a masters degree program. Then I found their younger son an SAT training program and he got his scores up. The family has invited me to stay with them in India many times, and I may go do that, meet them! I helped another family in California and ended up meeting this family when their son was able to transfer into Georgia Tech from a community college ! . I have helped a girl in Nigeria , who got into Vanderbilt, and I am helping a young man from the West Bank. College confidential leads to interesting relationships. I am also helping some parents who want to learn more about the public options in Colorado. Its fun and I sort of love not getting payed, because it means I can walk away and do what I need to do. Its the perfect retirement activity! I have even had free phone consults with one family, but that is very unusual. That student did not get into the school she wanted to, but she landed at Caltech.
Has anybody read the novel, “Early Decision” that was written by a former private counselor? It’s an interesting read. (The narrator does a great job on all the kids’ voices in the audiobook, too.)
I would love doing something like the Pushy Moms of the article. In my weaker moments I imagine that I’d enjoy private counseling, but then I remember all of the dynamics around being paid directly for a private service and the attendant negotiation-of-expectations, which I’ve already experienced a few times in my PT career… and I realize that isn’t a can of worms that I’m super-eager to open. Though, if it were possible to team up with one or more additional people who have complementary skills and strengths and can reality-check one another to make sure we were giving good advice (the way people do here on CC when one of us is misinformed about something)… that would be tempting.
First of all @Colorodomama how cool are you??? So so fabulous of you. You have literally help change the lives of those students!! Also I agree @aquapt on how it would be nice to partner with people who have complimentary skills I have a very cool idea and would love anyone who is interested in hearing it and possibly helping to dm me. Also thanks for the novel suggestion. I will check that one out.
I got $20 Starbucks gift certificate from a student that I helped on CC. I guess I got paid. It was very sweet.
Lol, oldfort, I got a surprise Amazon cert from the mother. Lots of hours, but the kid did the hard work…and he already had the goods, just needed to see how to approach it all. Stanford. Coca Cola, USC with merit $$, now at start-up.
I don’t tell them what to write or how to change. More, how to make solid decisions. There’s always a chance they won’t get in and I want their effort to be their own best, not some stranger’s dictates.
But these few efforts we do aren’t representative of the day to day many counselors do, with kids who resist or set fixed dreams and then don’t come through on their part.
I thought of getting involved with one of the local low SES mentor programs, but they start in early 11th, not sooner. I know some recent grads who did that and they feel it’s late in the game. In some parts of the country, mentoring starts much earlier.
Those NIgerian kids are amazing.
@oldfort LOL!! Love that!
I have offered advice when asked by friends, and have proofread many college essays as favors. And I love the collective wisdom and perspectives here.
Hopefully I will be able to use any acquired knowledge from DD18 to make the journey for DD21 less stressful!
I think many of us have had interesting relationships behind the scenes that may have helped change someone’s path, that I don’t want to detail out of concern for privacy. And many long term friendships too.
The Internet is strange in so many ways, but some of the private, invisible life for a site like this is rewarding on both sides. With no money changing hands, it just feels different.
Yes, there’s something special about the up close view of our next generation. That’s more than oohing over stats and accomplishments on a chance thread. It’s when you get close enough to see a kid thinking, trying, processing. When you get the sure sense that kid will make it, no matter the college. That’s more than the superficials of rank or prestige and a lot more than “dreams.”
There are plenty of times when I credit their parents (and teachers,) too, for getting their child to this thinking level. Lovely.
Totally agree ^. It’s reassuring to see the potential in the next generation!
I have been asked numerous times to help people in my community, and they often want to pay me. I cannot accept money, since I currently work as a financial aid director. I have thought many times about giving up my current job (absolutely no work-life balance allowed in this job) & getting into some sort of college counseling, but the truth is that my real interest would be in helping people that can’t afford to pay for a service. I have been watching for college counselor jobs in high schools, but those are few & far between - most require a guidance counselor license, which I have no interest in obtaining - I am not interested in the other stuff involved in that profession. Recently, there were 2 college counselor jobs in my area at private schools. One of the schools does not interest me at all, for a variety of reason I will not get into. The other is in an urban area & is an excellent parochial school. It would be a great job, but I am just too darn old for the commute that would be involved. I am going to keep looking, though, with the hope that the right job comes along for me.
If you like the informal counseling thing, then you can
- Continue to advise people here on CC
- Get involved with your alma mater…I am an Alumni Admissions Ambassador and I go to local college fairs, info sessions, and do interviews. You do get a feel for who would be admitted, waitlisted or denied.
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned but there’s a lot of traveling involved, at your expense, to get a feel for colleges that a college consultant would recommend for a student (client). Not only do you attend the tour and admissions presentation, you have to find out from students the actual culture of the campus, and see how the neighboring environment is. It’s probably a little easier in the northeast where the colleges are pretty close by and maybe the students/parents only want to consider close colleges. Once you start getting to midwest and west however, you have to travel a lot, and given that consulting tends to be for the highly selective colleges, pretty much have to visit the top 50 schools, top 10 lacs in us news.
If you are going to do it, do it right. Take the training/certification programs, attend the summer institute, join IECA, HECA and NACAC, go to annual conferences, attend college counselor tours of colleges and visit many colleges, (visit colleges on every trip you take wherever you go), get to know and network with the other college counselors in your area, volunteer at HSs, give presentations, meet with the college adcomms who come to your city during their fall tours, stay current, and know what you don’t know. No one is an expert on everything. Participate in professional listservs and be prepared to do a lot of research and give away a lot of your time for free. Its easy to build a good reputation and hard to live down a bad one. Don’t forget to makes a website and a facebook page. This is not inexpensive, but it you love it, it’s rewarding.
Those of you interested in helping out for free - especially with underserved youth - can check out Scholar Match. They would be very happy to have additional volunteers!
OP,
I transitioned from parent of high school applicants (I graduated two sons, and eldest son graduated from MIT) to college counselor. I had a background in education and general educational counseling, but not in higher education. Yes to taking certification courses, and yes to joining professional groups such as NACAC, IECA, WACAC, etc. I never set out on to become a counselor and had only wanted to work part time since I still homeschool my youngest, but I am now working mostly full time. I can say that you spend a lot more time not getting paid than getting paid because so much of what we do is communication and unpaid research, in addition to visiting colleges, developing relationships with colleges, and building up experience and skills. I am always learning.
There are a number of online counseling certificate programs across the country that you might look into; many of the UCs have them, and you don’t have to be in California to be enrolled. You could also become a certified educational planner (aicep.org).
Oh almost forgot- be sure to attend the Collegeboard counselors presentations to stay current on what Collegeboard is doing.
This is a post that’s close to my heart. I can say unequivocally that this website lead me to my current job. I have become so enmeshed with the entire college process, that I decided I had found my “calling.” I had been tutoring as a volunteer at community college, and I enjoyed it, but all the knowledge I gained on CC meant I could help kids with the college process via tutoring. I was hired by a well-known test prep company, who provided paid training. I now work independently and have a good reputation through word of mouth. I love my job! I feel that I am being paid to have a good time.
I get a lot of satisfaction from my students, and, more importantly, I learn something new and invaluable from every single student I see. I’ve also learned a lot from their parents. I used to think that most parents would have unrealistic expectations for their kids. In fact, most parents are pretty cognizant of their childrens’ abilities. I am a test prep tutor, and when I explain to a parent that it isn’t likely their child’s ACT score will go up by six points, (though I once had a kid go from 18 to 35, but that’s a different story,) they accept that and move on. Where they are let down though is not understanding that their child’s 28 ACT, while very good, probably isn’t going to get to him into his Top 20 dream school. That, however, is invariably down to a lack of understsnding the process, rather than simply having unrealistic expectations. I do have to explain gently to both parents and kids how things work these days.
I admit that @Sue22 is on the money about unsociable family hours. I am not sure I would be tutoring if my kids were younger. I am often working both weekends and most days after school. I regularly am unable to make dinner for the family. It’s balanced out by the fact that I earn money and am satisfied with my job, which makes me happier, which makes everyone happier.
I have known a number of professionals who entered the industry as a second career after raising teenagers, often as independent consultants, but sometimes as non-profit staff or school counselors.
@Lindagaf can you give a thumbnail summary of the student who went from an 18 to a 35 on the ACT? I’m curious!