<p>Leah…did you say that you wrote your daughter’s essays?</p>
<p>Wow.</p>
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<p>I can’t believe that people think everyone in America lives in a big city or less than a 3 hour drive to one. </p>
<p>I totally disagree with the person needing to meet the child in person. The initial form was comprehensive and then she wrote back with clarifing questions. Her eventual report was dead on for my son. She reworked out list in terms of matches/safties and added more colleges for him to consider, including a few we’d never heard of. Her advice on when to apply where and for financial aid has been so helpful. This is our only kid, we’ve never done this and while we tried to self-educate the best we could, we finally decided to spend the $150 to get a professional opinion.</p>
<p>As for colleges knowing about these services and all that, I simply don’t believe it. For example, in doing my research I found a business that “edits” students essays when, in fact, they completely rewrite them so that the original voice is gone. They have a very, very good success rate and charge accordingly. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that colleges do not do outreach or want a more diverse student body, but I am saying that they expect a certain level and if a student can’t do it, they can pay someone to do it and the colleges don’t seem to mind.</p>
<p>“For example, in doing my research I found a business that “edits” students essays when, in fact, they completely rewrite them so that the original voice is gone. They have a very, very good success rate and charge accordingly.”</p>
<p>This is beyond appalling. Whether or not it ultimately results in some prejudice to him from the standpoint of college admission, I have no doubt the best thing I can say to my son about his essays is “write it yourself.” I’m happy to read it and talk to him about it, but the idea of editing it – or worse, having some “professional” write or rewrite it – is just morally repulsive. Simply put, if that means he’s at a disadvantage at some school, I don’t want him going to that school.</p>
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<p>I agree. I don’t think the top counselors ever meet most clients. One of the often mentioned ones is in VT, where I’m certain few of her clients reside.</p>
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<p>It is kind of sad that I am not sure if this is a joke. Is it?</p>
<p>MomPhd,
If your screen name is indicative of your educational level, my advice is to look at college admissions as just another research project. Search, read, evaluate, ask, it’s all out there without the need/cost of an admissions counselor.</p>
<p>Sally from CC is the counselor at Karma?!</p>
<p>I just read “Acceptance” by David Marcus. It follows a veteran GC in a public high school on LI during one admissions cycle. The GC retired at the end of that school year and opened up a private counseling service and charges $330 per hour. Breathtaking, but it is Long Island, NY. </p>
<p>Re: the post about hiring experts to do taxes, work on car, etc. When an expert works on your taxes, the expert’s name is attached to the return. I wish it were the case with college applications. I think car repair, plumbing, etc. are different cases. No one expects people MUST work on their own cars, and most states have an inspection process that attempts to assure others on the road that a car is mechanically safe. Tradesmen have licenses and there are permit processes to ensure that work meets minimum standards and is safe. There’s no such thing for private college counselors. Even if they form an organization and attempt to control themselves, it’s not the same. The expectation is that material submitted to an admissions office is the work of the applicant. It is the applicant that’s being evaluated. On a tax return, the government just wants accurate figures - there’s no standard of trying to form a well rounded class, or other ambiguous goal - and the source of the numbers is immaterial, as long as they are accurate. Thank god there’s no essay required on the 1040.</p>
<p>I can see many reasons why parents hire private counselors - the major one being that they have the cash to pay for it. I cringe when I hear reasons like “my student wasn’t motivated” because I think we do a disservice to a child by giving him a leg up to a school he wouldn’t have gotten to through the normal process. I think it sets him up for failure and teaches him that he’s not to be trusted with handling the process or his own future, that’s he’s such a screw up that a parent or two, teacher(s) and GC aren’t enough to get him through. And my kids attended a public high school where the GC had huge caseloads and often not much knowledge of the kinds of schools my kids were interested in. I was a motivated parent who could read and my kids’ essays were their own work, read over by a teacher and a GC (I didn’t see them until they were sent off.) </p>
<p>I’m just nauseated when I hear someone is paying $330 an hour. I don’t believe at all that that particular counselor is writing essays because I read the book. I think he’s holding a lot of parents’ hands and taking on the role of parent, counselor, good friend and I think it’s curious that we pay people for this.</p>
<p>“I’m not saying that colleges do not do outreach or want a more diverse student body, but I am saying that they expect a certain level and if a student can’t do it, they can pay someone to do it and the colleges don’t seem to mind.”</p>
<p>Are you saying that it is okay, if a student is not competent enough to do the work at a certain college, to hire someone to help them pretend that they are, so that they can get in, and then struggle with the work?</p>
<p>“I think he’s holding a lot of parents’ hands and taking on the role of parent, counselor, good friend”</p>
<p>This is why I think it should be in person. A friend of mine has just started working as a counselor, privately, and says her role is more like a therapist. The kids she sees are feeling very pressured and she tries to get to know them, even reads their body language, and also deals with the parents, who are often misguided.</p>
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<p>When Hobsons bought College Confidential, the counseling practice at CC was not part of that purchase and broke off into a separate entity, College Karma. The staff, owners and services remain the same (including Sally!) as when college counseling was here at CC. </p>
<p>Just clarifying.</p>
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<p>College is a big investment (much more so today than it was back when I went to college–early 70s); many parents are nervous and uncertain and are looking for help that high school counselors, especially in public schools, don’t have the time to provide all students. If a parent doesn’t have time for research and is looking for hand-holding, advice, tips for his college-seeking kid and can afford it, then why not? I think journalists love to write stories about private counselors who charge zillions to groom kids who are unmotivated, unprepared, and have less than stellar academics. Is that scenario typical–I doubt it. The few private counselors I know are hard-working folks who don’t charge huge prices and often do pro bono work and will be straight with parents and tell them that Johnnie isn’t going to get into X, Y, or Z dream school because he doesn’t have the qualifications. They don’t write essays or fill out applications or create resumes.</p>
<p>You can buy one Allen Edmunds shoe for $150, or get some advice on helping your kid pick the right college.</p>
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<p>How you got that from this, I have no idea. Here is it again: </p>
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<p>Just to clarify, because apparently it’s not obvious, I’m not a college. Nor am I a colleges. So, when I say the colleges don’t seem to mind, I’m not speaking of myself.</p>
<p>I think most of us agree that there are more qualified students than spots at top tier schools. Applicants are rejected not because they couldn’t do the work, more often than not it’s because they didn’t fit a certain profile.</p>
<p>I see private counselor as someone to help you do a make over (kind of like - What Not to Wear). They bring out an applicant’s better features. Good ones (honest ones) will make your nose look smaller, boobs bigger, eyes bigger with a few touch ups. Bad ones will do a complete plastic surgery to change your looks. It is really up to each person on how far he/she wants to go.</p>
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<p>I don’t know why anyone ‘expects’ it should be the parents that head up the college application process. Many don’t have the time or inclination, and it’s just another service they choose to pay for.</p>
<p>Maybe these folks should be licensed. More government. In our case word of mouth produced some very good consultants. And while we started with a high cost one, we finished with one charging far less than $330/hr, and less per hour than my accountant of mechanic.</p>
<p>I understand that there are those who are nauseated by those who have their homes professionally cleaned, gardens cared for or meals cooked for them, but I’m puzzled by the visceral reactions to hiring someone to guide this very complex process.</p>
<p>Our public HS has a ratio of 300 kids/counselor. The counselors spend most of their time on high-need special ed kids and “problem” kids, with all kinds of social and psychological issues. They don’t have the time, expertise, inclination, or administrative support to do a good job on college admissions. In fact, they give advice that is often wrong, and they really didn’t know anything about admissions at the elite schools. In this context, families with talented kids have to either do all of the work themselves, or hire. </p>
<p>For Kid#1, I spent a huge block of time fielding recruitment mail, researching the best colleges, programs and scholarship opportunities, and coordinating all of the pieces for 15 applications. I spent lots of money on travel for visits and interviews. Not to mention the energy it took to support my kid’s application efforts, get the counseling office to do their job right, and make my kid understand why their advice in certain situations was wrong (they said AP scores didn’t matter, they said not to bother with that third recommendation letter although it could shed light on a major EC, they said alumni interviews weren’t that important, they were wrong about releasing rank, etc, etc…). In the end it worked out very well for Kid#1, but…Kid #2 is very different. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to do this twice. </p>
<p>I’m NOT looking for someone to write my kid’s essays (though a thoughtful, objective review would be nice). I’m just a tired parent who would consider using a decent, reasonably priced college admissions counselor. Thanks for the feedback and PM me with recommendations, fees, and contact information if you’ve had a good experience with anyone. Thanks!</p>
<p>Our public HS has a ratio of 300 kids/counselor. The counselors spend most of their time on high-need special ed kids and “problem” kids, with all kinds of social and psychological issues. They don’t have the time, expertise, inclination, or administrative support to do a good job on college admissions. In fact, they give advice that is often wrong, and they really didn’t know anything about admissions at the elite schools. In this context, families with talented kids have to either do all of the work themselves, or hire. </p>
<p>For Kid#1, I spent a huge block of time fielding recruitment mail, researching the best colleges, programs and scholarship opportunities, and coordinating all of the pieces for 15 applications. I spent lots of money on travel for visits and interviews. Not to mention the energy it took to support my kid’s application efforts, get the counseling office to do their job right, and make my kid to understand why their advice in certain situations was wrong (they said AP scores didn’t matter, they said not to bother with that third recommendation letter although it could shed light on a major EC, they said alumni interviews weren’t that important, they refused to release rank for scholarships, etc, etc…). In the end it worked out very well for Kid#1, but…Kid #2 is very different. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to do this twice. </p>
<p>I’m not looking for someone to write my kid’s essays (though a thoughtful, objective review would be nice). I’m just a tired parent who would consider using a decent, reasonably priced college admissions counselor. Thanks for the feedback and PM me with recommendations, fees, and contact information if you’ve had a good experience with anyone. Thanks!</p>
<p>Momphd, we are in a very similar situation. Our GC’s are way overworked and still do a great job for the vast majority of students. Our son is looking to do something different than nearly all of his classmates. His well-meaning counselor told him he did not need to take the SAT IIs when in fact, as I found out from the wise parents here, two of his top choices require them. There have been other errors like that.</p>
<p>So, for $150 we had someone who really knows the process review what he has done to date and what he plans to do this coming year. </p>
<p>As I’ve said, so far it’s the best $150 we’ve ever invested.</p>
<p>I’m the poster who said she was nauseated by a $330 per hour fee for college counseling. I’m clarifying because I think my comment was taken out of context. I think that’s a lot of money for an hour’s worth of college counselling. If anyone really cares to know, I am not nauseauted by anyone paying to have their “home professionally cleaned”. I would be bothered if a person whose home was cleaned by someone else entered a “clean home” contest and passed off the work of someone else as their own.</p>
<p>One of DD’s counselors told a group of parents the following: “all schools consider all your SATs/ACTs and pick the best scores. Schools are looking for a way to admit you, not to weed you out.”</p>
<p>This from an experienced counselor at a school that places 100 kids/year into top programs nationwide.</p>
<p>So, yeah, $150 for a second opinion seems wise.</p>