I’ve heard that hiring one of these people is very helpful for getting into top schools. What would they do? What kind of advice do they give? Title is self-explanatory. Thanks!
probably not. essays barely matter.
I’ve heard they matter a great deal… All of the admissions officers that I’ve talked to said that it’s what shows them your personality and whether or not you’d be a good fit at insert school name here. @theanaconda
I disagree with the other reply: essays do matter. If your child is even with another candidate but has a more compelling/interesting/funny essay, it could make all the difference. Especially at schools where the admissions are holistic (beyond a base admissions criteria for GPA & SAT), your essay and short answers are key. A lot of students look the same on paper, and the essay is the only opportunity to stand out.
I know one admissions counselor, and I’d say she’s worth the money depending on the student/family. For instance, if you have a kid who is OK-to-stellar in the stats department, but their writing is flat/they’re struggling to show personality in their essay, then she’s worth it. I’ve seen her work wonders. (she has an amazing story a student who wrote an essay about being born on Flag Day–boring!–and buried within it was a nugget that they had survived Hurricane Katrina. She helped him completely refocus his essay on the latter, which makes for a far better read)
Personally I think a specialist is most useful for essay development more than school selection, etc… you can get most info you need for free on CC, but finding a good and qualified essay reader isn’t always easy. Someone who knows about what other counselors offer to do may be able to bring additional insights. I only know the one person.
Thank you! I have an above-average GPA but a good ACT and good EC’s so a good essay would definitely help me out for the schools I’m applying to, which all have very holistic admissions processes. Thanks so much! @proudterrier
Essays do matter A LOT. But you don’t have to hire an admissions specialist/counselor.
Just to confirm, for the most-selective LACs and National Research Universities (perhaps the top fifteen or twenty in each category), essays are VERY important. Here’s why:
- These schools often receive more than 15X the number of applications for each available freshman “seat.”
- Their applicant pools are honestly “distinguished;” probably 67+ percent of those who apply are eminently qualified, clearly deserving of admission, and – most important – essentially indistinguishable from the 5 to 15 percent who eventually are accepted.
- Critically, therefore, how do these institutions eliminate approximately 50 percent (.67 - .15 = .52) of their candidates – ALL of whom have splendid “numbers” and merit admission?
- Essays and recommendations (also ECs) are crucial, especially since every member that large (67+ percent) “distinguished pack” of applicants would likely do very well at that university. Vitally, essays and recs permit admissions officers to perceive the “individual behind the application and its quantitive documentation.”
- In essence, the AO says, "I have four 2300+ (SAT)/4.3+ (weighted GPA)/8+ AP/IB/Honors straight-A/student government president applications, but which one will be admitted? Let’s ascertain THE INDIVIDUAL we really want by deeply assessing the essays and recommendations, to uncover “the person behind the numbers.”
To conclude, essays are most important; however, I am unconvinced that “admissions counselor” is a wise investment.
No one is going to be able to get you into a place that you aren’t qualified for, so unless you do indeed have the grades and exam scores that place you well within the admission range, save your money. Improved essays will not make a difference if you aren’t already in that range.
You also need to remember that even if you have the GPA and test scores, shelling out the money for an admissions consultant who specializes in essays will not guarantee that you get into any of the places on your list. Lots of excellent applicants are rejected every year. Make certain that you have at least two dead-on safety options on your list so that you have some choice next spring.
I hired one and to be honest, the journey was great as in the services offered were great but the result not so much seeing I only got into my safety.
Let’s assume for a minute that an admissions counselor CAN be an excellent investment. Its still unclear whether your counselor WILL be a good investment. The quality of these providers varies tremendously and its hard to discern the very good from those that may be close to worthless. The best obviously have strong insight into the actual admissions process at the schools their clients are applying to. For example, if you are interested in Yale and can find an admissions counselor who previously was involved with admissions at Yale, you are more likely to be successful than the average client of an admissions counselor.
It can be helpful if you hire the right counselor! Some counselors are former admissions officers. They can really be helpful because they understand how admissions offices REALLY work and can help you make sure that you are presenting the best possible application.
Our neighboring high school put on a presentation last week-- the presenter was billed as a former member of an Ivy League admissions committee. Not coincidentally, he has begun his own business as a college counselor; the entire presentation was essentially an infomercial. The very sad thing was that, frankly, I knew as much or more current info about the subject as Mr. “I Interviewed Students in 1996”. It would have to be a very inexpensive and very stellar counselor to get my money. Casual perusal of CC’s as useful, really.
Depends on the person chosen. Since I work in the business, I know how many pass themselves off as “expert,” but those are the ones who aren’t even qualified, never mind “expert.” It takes a fair amount of experience with the process, knowledge of differences among schools, and superior communication skills to draw out in the student what is already there. However, as someone else said, the biggest problem is the student’s, not the counselor’s, qualifications. The dominant problem in college admissions is the sheer number of students who apply to schools way beyond their level. If the list is terrible, so will the results be. Those are the cold, hard facts. Essays make a difference for the pool of truly competitive students. Essays do not qualify an unqualified student.
The question is ridiculous. A good admissions counselor can help a lot. It is like the people who ask if they should hire a lawyer. There are a lot of experienced posters who are either extremely naive or tight or maybe both
It’s actually quite easy to become the best applicant you can be for the top schools. Just read College Confidential. Or use common sense. Seriously. I don’t know what the fuss is. There’s no guarantee you’ll get in, of course, but a counselor is really not going to tell you things you don’t already know.
What top applicants often forget is the importance of finding a short list of match schools that really do fit their interests and personalities. Remember: these are the schools you probably will attend, and you need to prepare for that outcome.
One thing a counselor can do help you build that list. What you find on the webz isn’t enough to know whether you’d find a better fit at, say, St. Olaf or Knox. The best counselors know that stuff.
I think it helps with college list and perhaps essay topics.
It is called packaging that it is why people hire consultants lobbyists lawyers etc It can help with lots of things It depends on the individual student
I hired two college admissions advisors. Dissatisfied with the first, so left and hired a second. I was obsessive about reviewing this website, and I found that they really did not bring a lot of new information to the table. I think if a parent wants to hand the process off to a third party (because kid won’t accept parent’s help or because parent doesn’t have the time), it may make sense. Neither one could offer any insight into where my kid might be accepted except state flagships—b/c kid was a non-hooked, high stat candidate. I have not retained one for my second kid.
Is one of the things you are hoping an admissions counselor brings to the table is more merit money?
I honestly don’t think it’s worth the money, especially if you go to a school with decent guidance counselors. Save your money for tuition.