<p>I read on a different online forum that private college counselors are quite commonly used in some areas of the country (e.g. the northeast), while virtually unknown in other parts (e.g. Atlanta suburbs, where I’m located).</p>
<p>We are using one (in the Metro Denver area) and would do so again in a heartbeat, for a number of reasons.</p>
<p>My wife and I both work, and do considerable volunteer activites, so time is a precious resource. Also, our son can, at times, assume that we have no idea what we are talking about, whether we do or not. Also, he has become numb to nagging from us.</p>
<p>The coach started with our son early last summer, and spend considerable time with him to figure out his likes and dislikes, his strengths and weaknesses, and his interests (all of them, not just possible career interests). She then worked up a list of 15 schools, from which he picked out five “Plan A” schools and a couple of “Plan B” schools. The coach had very interesting and insightful reasons for her recommendations, and she was very familiar with all of them.</p>
<p>The coach helped our son with all aspects of the Common Application and had some really interesting observations about essays. She was able (much better that we parents) to get him to focus on deadlines and checklists. She was also able to get him to focus on what was truly important, and what was no.</p>
<p>We jumped through considerable hoops to visit my son’s top five choices (last Fall, before Thanksgiving), before we had any idea whether he would get accepted to them or not. This seemed to others to be premature, but the trips turned out to be magical. He was accepted to several schools among the top five choices that I was positive (based on published and stated information) would reject him based on GPA. </p>
<p>The coach also provided (at an additional fee) ACT test preparation, which resulted in a 2 point increase in my son’s ACT composite score.</p>
<p>At no time did I feel that the coach was “aiming low” to improve the acceptance rate. Quite the opposite - I felt that some of the “Plan A” schools were too much of a stretch, based on GPA, but she has, so far, been correct, which has amazed me.</p>
<p>The coach was highly recommended to us by others (and some of these parents indicated that their kids kept in touch with the coach after they were in college), and we have recommended her to others.</p>
<p>Your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>For those not using a coach, I would suggest the book “Acceptance” in addition to other supporting materials you acquire. An interesting read.</p>
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<p>I want to clarify my comment…the private counselors used by our friends did NOT aim low to improve their acceptance rate. HOWEVER, they did create a well balanced list. One family went in with a full array of Ivy league and comparable schools and NOTHING else. The student DID apply to some of these schools (got rejected) but the college counselor helped the student find some schools with similarities where he DID get accepted.</p>
<p>It does not do any counselor (private or school based) any good…or the student for that matter…to have a list of schools to which the student has limited assurances of at least once acceptance.</p>
<p>The private counselor did NOT aim low to improve his acceptance rate…but he did help these families find some outstanding schools that they might not otherwise have considered.</p>
<p>Agent99- Laurendog has given you some great advice which really applied to my situation. Meet with your child’s counselor and get a feel whether this person is going to be helpful. When our DS was a junior we met with his private school’s GC and immediately figured out this GC only recommended 5 of the same schools to the entire student body because it represented the least amount of work for the GC. Leaving the appointment we were depressed because our son was a good student and had won a national award for his PSAT score. Fortunately the next day we learned about the world of private counseling. Since DS was our first child and we were feeling overwhelmed we hired “Mrs B.” Although initially pricey since it was a one fee for as many hours deal; by the time we finished we thought Mrs. B had earned $10 a hour for all the hours she put in to my son’s college admissions process. Mrs. B. was wonderful. She was realistic about our son’s chances at reach schools and developed a great list. Our son ended up receiving tons of merit scholarships to the schools on his list and he received the most merit scholarships out of anyone at his private school. In fact he ended up with a full-ride so the money we spent was well worth it. Moreover taking the nagging factor and stressed out of our role really helped keep the peace in our household.</p>
<p>I learned a ton from Mrs. B as well as here on CC and with my own private research. Families started coming to me for advice (for the ones that could not afford Mrs. B) that I soon had 20 students I was helping on a pro-bono basis. I was so appalled by the counseling the students at my son’s school was receiving (the GC had been there 30 years and was simply “coasting”) that I left the practice of law and am in the middle of getting an admissions counseling certificate from UCLA and have become a private admissions counselor-who would have thought!! Since I came from a middle class background I have priced my rates more reasonable and hope to fill that gap for students out there while also having some pro-bono clients. It has been extremely rewarding helping students.</p>
<p>So the decision is really personal. There is not guarantee hiring a private counselor will get your student into the IVY’s. However I do thing they serve a good role in the process from complete handholding; to filling out applications; to reviewing essays and to simply explaining the process. Now my DD transferred high schools this year and her school has an awesome counseling department and I have learned a ton from them.</p>
<p>Huggirl-to answer your questions about where to find them; here are some suggestions.</p>
<ol>
<li>word of mouth-ask other parents and students. The good private counselors will develop a referral network because if you are not any good word travels fast among parents.</li>
<li> Look at the national accreditation organizations for private counselors. Call some in your area and ask for references.</li>
<li>Google “private high school admissions counselors” and your city. You will start seeing some names.</li>
<li>If there is a university nearby ask if they have any extended courses. Our UC offers on Saturdays workshops lead by private admissions counselors on college admissions. They are very reasonably priced. </li>
<li> Read blogs like [The</a> College Solution](<a href=“http://www.thecollegesolution.com%5DThe”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com) to learn how to go about hiring a private counselor (I am not the author; I just find it very informative.)</li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>CC was all the college counselor we needed. Very helpful for both kids. Our public school counselors do a good job with the general outlines (what’s due when), CC is good at suggesting schools and getting a sense of how admissions committees work, so that you can advise your kid on how to present themselves.</p>
<p>A private counselor was not much value for kid1 (a NMSF who struggled junior year - it could have worked except for other unrelated struggles). We offered it to kid2, also a NMSF… we were looking to leverage it for the best combo of fit/finances. He did one demo meeting but opted to not accept our offer. </p>
<p>He did accept our offer to hire an essay consultant. That cost a few hundred dollars, but it was well worth it. We stayed out of the essay/deadline loop, and the professional acted as a seasoned sounding board. I think they worked mostly on topic selection, but she reviewed drafts too. (She also threw in some college hints and suggestions). </p>
<p>In retrospect, those essay were not just an application hoop. They really helped him crystalize his priorities. 2013 hs parents - encourage your kids to do the essays in summer. My IB student was distracted by his extended essay in the summer, but our fall would have been less stressful if he had drafted the college essays earlier.</p>
<p>My husband and I hired a private consultant for our son, and I have to say that she was indispensable. After an extensive survey process and conversations with my son and my husband and me regarding what we wished to find in a college environment, she compiled a list of schools that fit the criteria laid out by my son, and gave a rough estimate of his likelihood of being accepted. She also helped perfect his application, brainstorm and edit essays, and rehearse topics that could potentially show up on an interview. She was perhaps most helpful with essays, strictly enforcing due dates weeks ahead of the final application date to ensure that my son sent in a writing piece that was as close to perfect as possible. My son was at times a bit afraid of her, which helped to make sure that he submitted his writing to her on time :)</p>
<p>My son also heavily utilized his school’s college counselor, especially for making connections with certain schools that my son’s high school enjoys a long standing relationship with. (My son attends a private school with 2 college counselors and 60 students per grade, so lack of attention was not necessarily an issue.)</p>
<p>Of course, my son had other special circumstances that our hired guidance counselor happened to have some experience with (struggles that led him to seeking inpatient treatment during his sophomore year, as I spoke about in another Parent’s thread.) The hired counselor provided tips for shaping his essays in order to portray his experiences in the best possible light.</p>
<p>All in all, I’d say that if you can afford it, then hiring a private consultant is definitely a worthwhile investment.</p>
<p>Thanks all for the advice – it is so helpful to hear how you all approached this process. I believe I mentioned up thread that D attends a private school. There is one college counselor for 200 kids per class. D has only had one brief interaction with her and we haven’t had the opportunity to make a judgment of her available time and or abilities. However, I’m under no illusion that she will have the kind of time to devote to this process that our daughter would like. </p>
<p>D and I decided that since this is our first foray into the college process, we would at least make a consultation appointment. H is happy if we’re happy :).</p>
<p>We have been given a recommendation for a college counselor from two separate sources, one very satisfied parent whose son is happily attending an OOS on a great merit scholarship and another parent who, like us, is just heading down the road. We made an appointment for next month.</p>
<p>We’ll see how it goes.</p>
<p>Anyone, Please tell me How to find good private college advisor ?</p>
<p>Ask around – I talked to parents whose children are in college now. Google for your city and see what you come up with.</p>
<p>I acted as my kid’s CC in much the same way alynor did and I don’t regret it. S hasn’t heard from all schools yet but he already has some terrific affordable options so I feel like the time I put in on research, especially, served him well.</p>
<p>My son was very, very fortunate to receive help from a private college counselor for free. I think she was very helpful for a couple of reasons:</p>
<p>She helped my son stay on topic in his essays. She emphasized that and that really helped. He had her edit some of his essays and a few got sent back saying, “Do over. You didn’t answer the question.” He was already an excellent writer and he became a better writer.</p>
<p>She gave us little tidbits of info that I think were helpful. A couple that I can pass along that I remember: </p>
<p>Instead of putting your resume on the Common App. section that asks for additional info, write another essay. </p>
<p>Contact the schools in August and introduce yourself by asking questions. In my son’s case, being that he was a homeschooler, this was a natural thing to do because there were quite a few questions that needed to be answered. It shows the colleges you’re interested and gets your questions answered. He communicated frequently with most of his colleges thoughout the application process.</p>
<p>That’s all I can think of right now.</p>
<p>We would not have hired a counselor because we don’t have the money but we are deeply grateful for the help.</p>
<p>Lots of factors go into a decision to use a college counselor. If parents really don’t think they have the expertise to guide a student, I can see using a counselor. If you have a kid who has a unique situation–that too would be a reason to use a counselor. Also, you need to be able to afford a counselor. Also, most public school counselors just don’t have the time to devote to all the kids for whom they are responsible. The situation is definitely a problem in some school districts. </p>
<p>My youngest D is the put-it-off-to-the-last-minute queen and having a counselor (didn’t use one for our other kids) was extremely useful to keep her on track. I wasn’t the one reminding her to get her essays done/fill out the apps/turn in the recommendations, etc. If I suggested a particular school, D probably would have nixed it–coming from the counselor, she paid attention. My point: should you use a college counselor doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer–depends on the kid and the particular circumstances of the family.</p>