How did hiring an independent college counselor help you?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hello, Why did you hire an independent college counselor and what were they most useful for? When did you hire them?</p>

<p>My son is a high school freshman at a good suburban Seattle public high school. We met briefly with his assigned counselor last spring and she seemed approachable and has a good reputation with parents. We are meeting later this week with the school's (1) career and college readiness counselor. She is new to the position this year and I am not aware that she has a background in counseling. She does have three kids who recently graduated from this same high school so she is likely very familiar with the staff and courses offered. However, I am wary of how knowledgable she will actually be regarding admissions requirements at a variety of colleges.</p>

<p>My son is very strong academically and does not need to be motivated to work hard in school. We are not eyeing the Ivy's, but I expect he will apply to highly selective colleges. His school only offers 6 credits a year so there will be little opportunity to choose electives after he plugs in 5 years of French (2 completed in middle school) and 4 years each of science, english, math, social studies and orchestra. Most of these are offered at an honors or AP level which he is likely to choose. We will be open to some guidance on how much is just too much regarding AP/honors especially for his junior & senior years.</p>

<p>He has a couple of extracurricular clubs which he enjoys and will continue through high school with, along with 2-3 school sports (no athletic scholarship potential). I have heard a couple of stories of independent counselors telling kids that they need to "start their own business or charity to stand out in the crowd". I am not at all interested in that kind of advice. My son is busy enough right now focusing on his grades first, yet still being able to participate in ec's and sports he enjoys. I'd hate for him to be told he should give up Youth and Government so he could start his own business.</p>

<p>He still has a broad range of areas he is interested in studying (science, French, political science). When and if he does narrow down his interests for college I feel that we are likely capable to research schools on our own. I also think we would be able to determine ourselves which admissions tests (SAT/ACT/subject tests) he should take, along with any test prep courses.</p>

<p>We have crunched the numbers and (at least with this 1st of two kids) we are unlikely to receive any need based aid. Merit aid would be of interest, but it looks like that information can be researched through the internet easily.</p>

<p>I do not think we would need assistance with the FAFSA or tracking application deadlines. I DO anticipate that we would want to at least hire an outside resource to review his application essays. Our high school does offer some type of workshop/resource for essay help, but I do not know how beneficial people have found that to be. </p>

<p>Meaningful summer enrichment opportunities or internships would be of interest, but again forums such as this one seem to have a wealth of information for people who have the time and patience to wade through them.</p>

<p>Whew - that was a long "brief" background on our situation! Thanks much for any feedback on how helpful your independent counselor has (or has not) been. I have several course specific questions I plan to ask the college/career counselor when we meet next week, but I would appreciate any suggestions on what else we might ask her to determine how useful her services may be over the next couple of years.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>I am in Seattle & had one child attend a private prep & the other attend one of the best public high schools in the region.
We did not hire a college counselor, really no need to with resources like CC around!</p>

<p>Both kids were also accepted to all the colleges they applied- as were many of their friends- certainly they are attending very good schools often mentioned on CC.</p>

<p>I can say i know very few who have hired a private counselor, when they did, it was when the parental relationship was so contentious that the child would not even accept casual help from their parents as to reminders for application deadlines and the like.
Sometimes that just comes better from an outside source, but other times it can be a nice bonding experience to go through together.</p>

<p>As to essays, I believe that at both my kids high schools, essays were gone over in class.
I would be surprised that a suburban school would not do the same.</p>

<p>Re: summer programs, I cannot stress enough that an expensive academic program held at a prestigious university is not going to look any better than working full time at Fred Meyer.
If the student has an interest and their summers show that they have developed & continued that interest, that is great to show.
Or alternately, if they can show that they have responsibility and commitment, by taking on an unglamorous job to save for college or contribute to the family.</p>

<p>My kids both volunteered since they were 12 & 14 @ the zoo. It wasn’t academic but it was in their interest ( ponies- lol) and their supervisor was able to write their outsider recommendation for their applications plus they both were then eligible when they turned 18 to be hired for similar work.
Some kids do CTY, some coach soccer, its more about the activity of doing “something” as opposed to just hanging out.</p>

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<p>I agree with previous poster… no need for outside counselor, especially if you are a parent who discovered CC so early in your child’s high school career. I have three kids, never used one, currently going process with last one. Do not stress out so much, or stress out your child. Let him find his passions in HS and these will naturally guide you in your college process. there are so many great schools where you can get a great education… Read some books like “colleges that chanes lives” and the" Fiske guide to colleges", finally read the CC sections on paying for colleges and the threads on colleges that give great merit aid, and all at sudden it becomes fairly easy to come up with a great list of colleges to apply to.</p>

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<p>A private counselor is helpful if your kid’s school has a lot of different options when it comes to academic and ECs, or if you kid needs help with summer programs, tests, and essays. Our older daughter went to a top prep school where there was pretty much one track for top students, and college counseling was top notch. We didn’t have a private counselor for her, but I still feel she could have used some help with her essays. D1’s college application process was a very difficult experience for all of us. </p>

<p>For D2, we were out of the country, so we decided to hire someone to make sure she was on the right track. The counselor we used had a large staff who used to be adcoms of many top schools D2 was interested in. The counselor helped D2 with selection of courses (should I take HL math vs HL English for IB), ECs and her junior summer program. When it came to college application, the counselor kept her on schedule with her essays, LORs (who she should ask) and how to highlight her ECs and awards. I think D2 would have gotten into the school she is at now without her private counselor, but the whole process was a lot less stressful for us. The counselor “chanced” D2 before she made her decision where she wanted to ED and he was not surprised when D2 emailed him with the good news. If you want to hire an private counselor, I would do it earlier rather than later. </p>

<p>D2 didn’t do anything she didn’t want to do in high school in order to get into a college, but she did consult the counselor when she was trying to decide course A vs B or EC X vs Y. </p>

<p>Just for the record, we had a very good relationship with D2, we didn’t do it because we couldn’t communicate with D2, but sometimes hearing from another adult is easier. We did enjoy the luxury of not having to remind D2 of various deadlines.</p>

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<p>You are right think that the essays may be an area where you could consider getting help. Given all the college-specific supplements your kid will need if he is applying to Tier 1 & even some Tier 2 schools, going over them in class is not sufficient. And parents are not always the best reviewers for a variety of reasons… so hiring someone to help him brainstorm topics and go through a few edit sessions with each essays could be very valuable.</p>

<p>I know you said you don’t want this kind of advice, but you might consider reading (and having your son read) this book by Cal Newport: How to be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get Into College By Standing Out (Without Burning Out). Your kid maybe superb at everything he does, but there are a few kids at every high school in the country doing exactly the same things he is doing with the same level of success. There about 24,000 high schools in the US – say 3 kids/high school, and you are at potentially 75,000 kids with similar stats and accomplishments chasing those Ivy admissions slots. He certainly doesn’t need to start a business, but that book can help you think about whether he can take something he is really interested in and leverage it in an unusual way that could help his admissions chances if he is really interested in top schools.</p>

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<p>I know several people who have used private counselors. </p>

<p>In one case, the students in question were twins and the mom was overwhelmed getting (and keeping) her ducklings in a row. And, while the twins attended a local independent, a little more firepower in the college guidance area was beneficial.</p>

<p>Another friend had a terminally ill spouse. The private counselor was able to keep the student focused on the college apps while the parents were otherwise engaged. This student had excellent results and was admitted to HYP and everywhere else! (Not kidding.)</p>

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<p>You probably won’t need a college counselor. But keep your ears out for recommendations, in case a need comes up in junior year (making “the list”) or senior year (timeline, essays).</p>

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<p>We hired one for D1. The main reason was that DH was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, and we were going to be living part time in Houston so he could get treatment. I knew I wouldn’t be there for D1 whenever she might need help/advice/a critical eye, etc., and just wanted to make sure she had support during that critical time. She probably would have done just fine without one, but I didn’t want to ever regret not providing her with the proper guidance while I focused on helping DH fight for his life. It was a terrible time in our family, and I felt like it was the least I could do for her.</p>

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<p>Just that you have already actually met with your child’s GC is mind boggling to me. Our GCs don’t “meet” with parents…heck, they barely meet with the kids. And a career and college readiness counselor? Wow, I don’t even know what that is. I mention this to illustrated that even before seeking an outside counselor your child is going to have advantages that most public school students will not have. That, along with your early start on CC and I think you will be fine on your own, but I suppose if you have the resources to hire someone it can’t hurt.</p>

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<p>(Assuming that you mean instead of the SL courses) Wouldn’t the answer be “both” if she is good at and interested in both subjects?</p>

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<p>Perhaps the most important thing you as a parent can do early is check the costs. The net price calculators on college web sites can give you an early warning of what kind of costs you and your student are looking at. Even if your student is nowhere close to selecting colleges, running the net price calculator on the state flagship, a local state university, and some private schools* may give you an idea of what to expect. With early warning, both you and your student can make plans, which may involve more aggressive saving up for college costs and the like.</p>

<p>*However, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford have better financial aid than most schools, so do not use them as representative of what you may see generally.</p>

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<p>Op,
We did not use a private counselor for DK1 but I know 2 parents who did who were very happy that they did so. Both kids got into very reachy schools. One got into Northwestern with an ACT in the high 20s; One got into Swarthmore. Not sure when counselor was brought in for first kid, and was brought in during Sr yr for second kid (for step 1 below). I may need a counselor for DK2 to keep a smooth relationship between us during application time.</p>

<p>Possible uses for a counselor, from least to most use:

  1. a few months before apps are due to make sure that kid is keeping on track with the multiple application and/or scholarship deadlines, loose ends, etc
  2. brainstorming essays, essay review
  3. Coming up with a list of colleges to consider based on kid’s stats and interests for reaches, targets, likelies
  4. “packaging” a kid based on the ECs that you have already got
  5. planning your kids whole EC/and school course arc if starting at a young enough age</p>
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<p>I think you need to know what you plan to get from hiring a private counselor that you won’t be able to get otherwise. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has hired one, but most of the folks u know were fine with the Us which accepted their kids. Some kids (not ours) allow parents or others to read and make suggested edits on their essays and other app materials. </p>

<p>Agree the family has to run the numbers for FAFSA worksheet and BPC to figure out estimated costs and how much the family is prepared to and will likely lag for college.</p>

14

<p>

It’s great for you that you recognize that hogwash for what it is. If a paid counselor offers this advice, I’d say run away fast. The whole “I started a club/charity” thing is banal. When I interview and an applicant says this, my first question is: “what about the local charities/club did not already meet this need?”</p>

<p>I’ve met a handful of original thinkers – but often kids are “founders” because they think the EC sounds meaningful – and don’t realize that starting a club/charity/business has risen to the point of theonion.com mock-worthy.</p>

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<p><a href=“Assuming%20that%20you%20mean%20instead%20of%20the%20SL%20courses”>quote</a> Wouldn’t the answer be “both” if she is good at and interested in both subjects?

[/quote]

No, if she was good at both subjects (and if she had all the time in the world), she wouldn’t be doing the asking, would she?</p>

<p>Coming from the States we weren’t as familiar with the IB program. We didn’t have very good insight as to how adcoms viewed the program. D2 wanted to take right courses without jeopardize her GPA. She also wanted to take some electives (photography and fashion design), but was concerned that those courses weren’t weighted. Her counselor gave her some very sound advice. She did end up taking all the electives she wanted.</p>

<p>

For some it is not the most important factor. This may be an over generalization, but I would think most people who are considering private counselor are not as concerned with costs.</p>

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<p>My DD is currently a senior. We did hire someone to review her essays…it was invaluable to have a 3rd party involved in the process with so many supplemental essays. Nobody warned me what a stressful time this would be for her adding college applications to the mix with sports and school work!</p>

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<p>. Nobody warned me what a stressful time this would be for her adding college applications to the mix with sports and school work!</p>

<p>Which is possibly why their classes worked on essays at school.
Older Ds school even has college tours for students, D went on a west coast tour but east coast ones are also available.</p>

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<p>The first half of my D’s senior year, in her own words, “sucked” because of college applications, NMF application, AP classes, cross country, and zero free time to pursue her music. We didn’t hire an independent adviser because another meeting/activity would only have added to her stress and we felt that she could complete the process without help. </p>

<p>The people I know that did hire counselors usually did so because of a complicated situation that needed “spinning.” One girl had bad grades her first two years due to partying, but became a debate champion, improved her grades and got a full ride to USC. Another had Asperger’s. My nephew lives in poverty with an irresponsible single dad (that would be my middle brother), but has a pro-bono independent counselor to help him get into college and get the financial aid he needs to pay for it.</p>

<p>Most kids who are college-ready are pretty good at navigating the process without hired help, though.</p>

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<p>I agree with most all of the comments above. In the OP’s case, where uber-exclusive schools are not in the mix of possibilities, I don’t think paid advice is needed. Especially where the parents are involved and can do much of the research on schools, financial decisions, etc.</p>

<p>I think I know how essays should be constructed, but when my own son showed me his essay, which violated most all of my “rules,” I realized that rules are made to be broken. It “sounded” so much like his voice as I read it, I just handed it back to him and said, “Looks great. Don’t change a thing.”</p>

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<p>We hired an professional for essay help for D, not just for the essay itself, but to help answer the question, “Is this essay too risky?”. Also, while we didn’t hire the professional for this, she called the acceptances with 100% accuracy. D is now a freshman at what I think is the “right” school.</p>