Does anyone have any experience working with Top Tier Admissions, Ivy Wise, Ivy Coach, Ivy Success, or College Coach? I’m having a hard time finding reviews of these companies.
If your kid doesn’t have good grades and test scores…these services won’t help him/her. If your kid does have good grades and test scores, he/she doesn’t need these services.
Send me money instead. I would be happy to tell you what you want to hear and cash your check.
Ok, that was fairly snarky, I apologize. (wasn’t meant to be, but I read it again and without inflection…oye!..figured it might be received poorly…not my intent)
Rather than spend the money on these services, how about a book? Here’s one we found helpful: Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College.
There are families who benefit from using an independent college counselor. I personally know no one who has used the ones mentioned in the OP.
The BEST way to get a recommendation for a private college counselor is by word of mouth…ask other folks who they have used in your area.
But do remember one thing…these independent counsleors can be excellent at helping your kid work through the application process.
They can NOT guarantee your kid will get accepted to an Ivy League school or any other school for that matter.
My daughter has the grades, test scores, and activities but needs help standing out from the crowd of applicants. WE live in a small town in the south and the only people we know that have used consultants are not trying to get into an ivy league school.
Are you aware of how expensive Ivywise and the like are? Plan on spending about $20,000 or more. Not joking. I agree with the first post. If you are in an area with few private consultants, find one who will do it via phone or video. There is a featured thread in this topic. You might want to read before committing. Plan on spending about 5k for a regular private consultant.
@hanna ?
What year in HS is your daughter?
We lucked out with a very low key counselor. I wasn’t even looking but mentioned to a friend I was dreading the application season the second time around. She gave me the name of a very low key, kind, and extremely knowledgeable local person who does this out of enjoyment (retired from career at a huge inestment bank.) She helped a lot with my son’s assay and took the nagging out of my hands. My son loved her! She knows the schools and what they look for. She was a godsend! Oh,and she did not charge an arm and a leg either! Watch out as a lot of these bigger consultants will charge thousands preying upon parental fears. One local group wants $3000 up front. The woman we worked with charged $60/hour, plain and simple.
To the OP…are you hoping this college counselor will help,package your student to get accepted to an Ivy League school?
If your kiddo is a rising junior in HS…maybe that is possible. Private counselors can give advice on which ECs, for example, might be good ones to try for leadership positions. Or they might be able to give some course selection ideas.
BUT…if your kiddo is a rising senior…she is who she is. Not much really can be changed or done differently. Your daughter IS who she IS…and what she has done will speak for itself.
Perhaps some essay guidance would be helpful.
Now…if she is a rising JUNIOR in HS, does she have the potential for leadership or awards in any of her areas of interest?
I will say…I have friends who used private counselors and were very happy with the results. But they got recommendations word of mouth…and did not use any of the groups in the OP.
I’ll just put my two cents in:
I ditto everything else that has been said there; ditch the big names and consider only local services by word-of-mouth. In terms of pricing, I’d definitely recommend a PERSON who charges hourly. They will probably be the most affordable in the long run. Also, I don’t know if this applies to you, but remember that $60-$70 per hour may sound like a lot, but I know teachers who tutored in their off-time for $40 per hour per person in a group for “supplementary” on topics that should have just been taught in class better (Pre-Calc). With that, I’d say it’s reasonable.
If you want her to stand out, but want to see if you can resolve it without paying anything first, tell your daughter to talk to all of her best teachers (and definitely the AP Lang/Lit ones) and discuss what can be done to help her stand out; they will do their best to help her achieve a great representation if they are actually good, if your daughter is willing to work with them, and if your daughter clearly voices her intentions. Just a suggestion I’d recommend trying out.
Also of note, try to see what she can do first, though, as introspection is both an integral and beneficial part of the college appeasement process that in itself helps develop students.
“@hanna?”
I agree with the advice to go by word of mouth or search for members of HECA or IECA, the professional organizations for consultants.
The reputation of a company means little in my book. You’re hiring a human being to build a relationship with your child and family. It’s a lot like hiring a pediatrician. Interact with that human being and see whether they are the right human being for your family.
I have worked with several CC families. Many of them were outside of the Chicago region and worked with me remotely.
“$60-$70 per hour may sound like a lot”
This is way, way under market for an experienced consultant. Kaplan charged $100 an hour for counselors right out of college when I worked for them in 1999.
Agree that you should use consultants who are members of IECA, HECA and/or NACAC.
For our family the value lies in someone managing the application and essay process.
In my area, a reputable hourly consultant fee is at least $200 an hour.
I seriously undercharge as a private college consultant…
The problem with looking at the IECA, HECA and/or NACAC directories is I still don’t know anything about these counselors. I will certainly check with those organizations after I find someone to make sure they are certified. I want someone with some experience working in an admissions office and someone that specializes in kids applying to Ivy Leages.
Call each of those companies and ask for references. Before you do, read post 1 again. It’s the truth. If your kid is that stellar, you don’t need a mega expensive company like Ivy Coach, though I agree a private advisor can be helpful. Not to the tune of 20k though.
We tried it and in my opinion it’s a total waste of money - my other kids did just dandy without help. Some of these places charge stunning amounts. At some point isn’t someone going to use the word fraud?
If feel you must go with one, my recommendation is to find them through a word of mouth, NOT the web. Also, pick one with a LOW profile: stay away from places like Ivy Coach which gets a lot of publicity accusing the Ivies of various admissions practices (http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/03/12/connections-to-university-can-affect-admissions-decision).
Now, if you need support for your kid during the college app process because it’s straining your relationship with your teen? Consider hiring his/her former English teacher!
Precisely that’s the problem because it is the knowledge of the counselor and your comfort level that count, not the directories, not the so-called list. I myself am deliberately not in one of those directories, yet my record in admission results exceeds the results of anyone I have yet met with “approved” after their names at any of the scheduled conventions or conferences. And at those conferences, I could tell why.