<p>Just in case anyone read about those services and feels bad because they can't afford to give their kids that kind of pricey "help": The first time I heard of college consultants was when I heard the Harvard admissions director and staff complaining about how applicants are being "packaged" (their words) for admissions. Such candidates are not viewed as being desireable.</p>
<p>In fact, I am wondering if the recent generosity of scholarships that Harvard offers to students whose parents make $60 k a year or less is in part a reaction to seeing so many slick applications from consultant-prepped, well off Ivy wannabes.</p>
<p>Why do people like to drive around in Rolls Royce when a dodge can do the same work? It is simple demand and supply. If people are willing to pay, there will be consultant to do this work. </p>
<p>I wonder on the statement that daughter will not choose HY even if they are free. Hypothetically, you are willing to pay $40,000 from your pocket to send you daughter to Princeton, but you will not send her free to HY. Yet you are questioning the integrity of a person willing to spend $$$$$ to send their kid to Princeton by getting a help on the princeton application? It does not make sense. Do not tell me that these kids whose parents are ready to shell money for a leg up are way inferior to anybody.</p>
<p>Curmudge-
I was originally going to post the same response to parentny- My "bright" kiddos did not need to attend an Ivy to "show that they were the real deal" as stated by parentny. Mine were concerned if the schools have the right majors and programs, if the type of education they were looking for would be available to them, regardless of them being an ivy or not.</p>
<p>DD#2, recruited athlete to an ivy, pulled her app when she discovered the particular program she wanted was NOT available at that particular school, they had lost their accreditation very recently and adcom rep didn't know. DD called the accrediting agency just to be sure. Nope, and she pulled her app. And it didn't matter if it were free, most ivy's will meet 100% of need so it wasn't the money.</p>
<p>As far as the consultants, having been on this board for years, (first DD is now a junior in college and I logged on when she was a junior in h.s.) and still have 3 in high school, I can't imagine that particular consultant having as much knowledge about college admissions as what has been posted here. Better yet, the posters themselves here have a culmulative knowledge that I think far surpasses any college books, sites or consultants. Because most are familiar with all those sources and the colleges themselves, and they have successfully matriculated their kiddos/students to elite schools and the non-elites. Most importantly, the parents and students here have anaylzed much of what has happened or is happening with college admissions with a realistic viewpoint.</p>
<p>I just can't get over the $25K. Its a "package" deal.</p>
<p>I did not say that Ivy degree is the only degree I think is best. I did not go to IVY league school. I will send my kid to a school where he receives the maximum fin aid. But if the aid is same in Ivy or other school, i will ask him to choose Ivy over other school. My kid attends the elite prep school on full financial aid. If he is receiving $35,000 in grant why do I keep him in public school if he has an interest in going to a prep school?</p>
<p>So you are willing to pay $160,000. Wow. I wish I had that much luxury in life. I will deposit that money and buy her a house. get her a leg up. I do not think Princeton is $200,000 better in money over HY. </p>
<p>I will ask my kid to consider Duke if he goes there free over HYP. Forget HY versus Princeton.</p>
<p>parentny, my D chose the public school instead of a college prep. She was tired of being around the same rich kids all day since age 3. Your q to me above said "but you will not send her for free to HY". Are you that much in control of where your kid goes to college? I'm not. Wouldn't want that responsibility. I'm here to gather info and advise, not "send her" anywhere. Maybe I'm abdicating my parental responsibilities, I don't know. But I don't pick her EC's , her major field of interest, or her career-I wouldn't think of it.</p>
<p>and BTW, all of them are probably "off-limits" to D. We've had our "financial talk" and she knows what we have and don't have. She will choose among those schools we can afford.</p>
<p>Of course Mr. Shaw is engaging in some fear-mongering spin to hype his business. But, for what it's worth, consider some anecdotal evidence about Yale EA this year. </p>
<p>Between my kids' two high schools and their contacts from camp and CTY, we know about 25 students who applied to Yale EA for the class of 2009. 5 were admitted. One was a recruited athlete (white), one was a faculty child (white), one was Latino, one was African-American, and the last was a tenor (white), that rarest of rare birds. Deferred or rejected were kids with absolutely stellar academic statistics BUT NO HOOKS. In fact all 4 of the 5 kids who applied from our local high school and didn't get in had stronger academic profiles than the athlete who WAS admitted. </p>
<p>Tiny sample, but there's lots of other evidence that if you are white or Asian and not a legacy or faculty kid, you better start hanging out at the gym. Becoming an athlete is the one hook a student can strive for on his/her own--all the other hooks depend on Mom and Dad. Although I suppose athletic ability depends on Mom and Dad to an extent too.</p>
<p>Many people could replicate your anecdotes. Our school got a number into Ivies - every single one a legacy, a URM, or a nationally ranked athlete.</p>
<p>Read Ayn rand. When he was 10 years old I showed him the book.</p>
<p>I do not have control over my kid. If I have controlled my kid, i would keep him in home . I trust my kid that is why he is in a boarding school. However, I would advice him to choose a full paid school over a school where I have to spen $$$$$. To save 200,000, I have to work for my entire life. That may be a samll money for you, but it may be my entire life savings.</p>
<p>Soozie,
It was not meant as a criticism, only as an eye opener. I was quite shocked when I stumbled upon that one day. To be fair, I should have linked to the page that showed all of their services, some of which are quite reasonable. I am disturbed by all of these services and always have been. To me it smacks of elitism and undermines the idea of meritocracy.</p>
<p>ivysuccess.com makes me sad. But the school-specific threads here on CC are full of students, mostly Asian, complaining that their ethnic background makes it impossible for them to be accepted at top schools. So I guess for families where this is a priority, and where they have significant income, ivysuccess would be attractive to them. What I also see at our school, however, are parents who, mostly because they are well-educated immigrants and new to the US college landscape, have a list of roughly 10 schools in their mind which are "the top schools" and it is very difficult for our college counselors to persuade them to even allow their children to apply to schools not on their mental list. The counselors try to tell them that, unlike in some other countries, you are NOT doomed to failure if you attend a college other than the top several, and try to get them to extend their search beyond HYPSMC. I suspect that this "there are only a few schools worth attending" attitude fuels some of the intense drive to pay massive amounts of money to someone to do a make-over on your child's life so they can apply and be accepted. What a pity.</p>
<p>(PS: I will not automatically "send my kid to a school where he receives the maximum fin aid" unless it is the right place for him. We are in exactly that situation now, by the way.)</p>
<p>parentny. Look. We are so far off topic. I'll end it so others can enjoy the thread. You are right. I am wrong. If Harvard calculates our EFC at zero, I will force D to take it. Let's move along. LOL.</p>
<p>If you take an opinion poll here, more than 90% kid and the parents will choose HYP if money is not an issue.</p>
<p>Visited HYP, Along with the rest of the ancient 8. daughter was only interested and applied to one. She did not attend my choice of school for her but the one she chose for her self.</p>
<p>I need to test for understanding; for the mere cost of $25,000 Mr Shaw will show to how to almost pretty much be devoid of ethics to get that Ivy sticker at any cost.</p>
<p>janesmith: well, it has been said many times before on CC, but might be worth repeating: below (if you care to call it that) the crazy level of HYPS, things are a lot more rational. The 20 super, but unhooked, kids that didn't get in to Yale will do a lot better with places such as Duke, Cornell, Dartmouth, Williams, Wellesley, Haverford, Penn, Pomona, Chicago, Northwestern ... the list goes on.</p>
<p>I am sorry too. hahahahhaahha. You may be right and I may be wrong too. I wish I have that kind of money to spend. By the way good luck to your daughter for Princeton. :)</p>
<p>*So you are willing to pay $160,000. Wow. I wish I had that much luxury in life. I will deposit that money and buy her a house. get her a leg up. I do not think Princeton is $200,000 better in money over HY. *</p>
<p>There seems to be a bit of a disconnect as you previously stated that you are looking for the school that will give your child the most financial aid and if it is an Ivy that does this, that is where you want your child to attend. So does the HYP become the ideal because someone else's parents (through donations to the alumni association) is paying for it?</p>
<p>$25,000 plus $5000 if your child can swim really fast but has a hard time speaking on the phone or answering recruiting emails and questionaires.</p>
<p>With 3 in college next year, our EFC is zero divided by three. Its still zero. And yes mine did turn down ivy's even when they were free. And it was their choice. As curmudge has stated it is about FIT. FIT= academic, social, geography and FINANCIAL compatability...if all of these are not met than it isn't a good fit. And money is just part of the fit. Heck, with my kiddos, who the coach is plays a huge part. And to me that is just secondary but not to them. If they are in that sport day in and day out it is not something they take lightly.</p>