We live next to famous zip code (best public school in state) and my D is involved in an EC there for years and she is very close to a group of girls. She was surprised to find out that they all have private advisors. She was told that’s very typical in that high school. She also told me that all of them had prepared resumes to attach to their common app and my D asked if she needs one. I said that in my understanding if your ECs are straightforward I don’t see the need.
Anyway, in our undesirable zip code it is very rare to hear that someone had hired a private advisor although some parents do have the resources to do so. It looks to me that the more desirable the high school the higher the concentration of people using advisors. I am not sure how competent the guidance counselors are at those schools. Maybe the parents think it is easier to have their own at their own convenience and they don’t want to bother with the school.
I personally don’t find anything wrong with that. It is a service and if you have the money and you feel it is helpful why not? The education system is already customized and people choose to move to certain zip codes or choose to go to certain private schools, hire tutors etc etc. That’s just another way a family can customize their experience. Now if the question is if you truly need one I would say of course no or I hope that’s true. I did not hire one not only because of lack of resources but also because I believe my student is straightforward. I would most probably had sought out advice if I thought the situation was complex.
Thank you for the kind words, @blossom and @lookingforward.
“And some of this is found here on CC, too. There’s some caveat emptor.”
Absolutely. I’m afraid the distrust is mutual; CC doesn’t have a great reputation among the IECs I know. At HECA and IECA meetings, I usually hear it mentioned in a negative context, like: “My student thought a $100 donation to Harvard would get her admitted because she read it on College Confidential!” Meanwhile, I’ve been around here since 2005 (and before that on the old Princeton Review boards going back to 1997) and see it as a win-win-win. I enjoy the conversation, I can give some free advice to families that need help, and sometimes a new client finds me this way.
Agree with your sentiments, @Hanna.
I have been on CC for a long time and I have never seen a post like that.
I was exaggerating, but there are a LOT of really stupid posts in the chances threads. I don’t go in there.
I never look at the chances threads, because they are as worthless as " fake news" - those posts are nothing more than uneducated and / or unrealistic " advise" offered by HS kids to other HS kids…
8-| 
But the parents forum on CC offered me such a wealth of information and worth-while advise that I have continued to recommend it to anyone who asks, [ and pop in occasionally to “pay it forward”]
Unfortunately, @Hanna is correct. CC is not usually talked about at IECA, HECA, or NACAC functions, nor is it discussed in private counselor facebook pages. If you stick around here a while, you learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. There are very knowledgeable people here. And some… not so much. I avoid the chance me threads and the cc cafe. That can be a dark and scary place, though many years ago there was a thread about the best essay topics that was one of the funniest threads I’ve read on cc. Love the clever, witty banter here.
I’m with Hanna (as I usually am) and it’s NOT just on the chances threads. The financial aid thread gets some truly moronic contributions- not just ignorant but willfully ignorant. There are a couple of posters who constantly post false information about gift taxes for example. And no matter how many times other posters correct them, a month later, the same stupid stuff about how to avoid sticking your kid with the gift tax when paying your kids tuition. (Note- the gift tax is NEVER the responsibility of the recipient; the gift tax does not get paid in real time but happens once you are dead if your estate is above a certain, very high level; paying your kids college tuition is not considered a gift by the IRS; and actually filing a gift tax return IF you need to which is almost never the case takes about four minutes and you don’t need an estate lawyer and no tax is paid at the time of the filing… etc.)
There are stupid posts on how to maximize your chances at financial aid which fly in the face of solid financial planning, and there are stupid posts on how to “remove” assets before filing FAFSA or profile which aren’t just stupid but constitute fraud, and there are stupid posts on tax issues which are made by posters who have never actually seen the issue in question (partnerships and K-1’s, 1099 vs. W2 filings, etc.)
So yes, Caveat Emptor.
so how can CC improve? How can the posts of those who really DO know what they are talking about be further highlighted and those that offer fake advise be branded as such?
I’m thinking CC needs to add a * NON helpful “thumbs down” link at the bottom of posts to warn newbies when they are being fed a bunch of malarkey.
Get knowledgeable. Google is your friend- will intro you to lots of resources that should be vetted. Think. Not just opine.
You knew I’d say that, eh?
Ya know, even among folks who do know something, for real, there will be different particular experiences and contexts. To some extent, that should be stated. One may only know something in one particular frame of reference. It’s easy to say IME or IMO.
Still, surprises me what some OPs will take at face value, rather than double check online, verify.
We did not hire a college counselor for our kids though we live in a town where everyone hires a counselor and a tutor for everything. (Seriously…“My 9 year old likes rollerblading and is quite skilled. I’d like to find a tutor to refine and enhance those emerging skills.” That is actually from our town list serv.) I focused on the search itself…my wife was the proof reader and the financial aid (we got none…sigh) go to. I actually found some of the parents on CC to be really helpful…and others I took with a grain of salt. And the high school counselor could not have been less helpful. That said, we did attend financial aid sessions run by the HS and those were helpful.
I think it really depends on you and your comfort level with all of this. These “chart a path for my child through high school” comments should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. There is a reason that teenage mental health issues are on the rise. Do what is right for YOUR child. Best of luck…make sure you both enjoy the journey!