<p>I have an opportunity to hire an admission consultant who was for many years in charge of admissions to my daughter's first choice college. I am educated on CC about the college admission process and I wasn't planning to hire one but his background and her first choice are a perfect match. Would you go for it?</p>
<p>If I had the money, yes.</p>
<p>Would want to know what terms this person left under. If there are many burnt bridges, maybe they aren't as effective as they could be <em>cough Stetson cough</em> Also depends on what the cost is and what they are promising.</p>
<p>Please share your impressions and your experience, should you decide to go ahead.</p>
<p>He left on bad terms. I am not counting on his connections but rather on his advise for positioning and marketing strategy, how to fill out the application and write essays to catch their attention. My daughter is into everything and she needs to focus on selected few.</p>
<p>Yes, go for it. A GOOD consultant can go a long way. My friend's consultants have proven this.</p>
<p>FellowCCViewer,
What do you think would be a reasonable fee? I would like to remain relatively calm when I get a price quote. Are we talking 3K OR 30k?</p>
<p>30k is ridiculous. I even think 3k would be a little on the high side. I wouldn't shell out more than 5k for this, but again, if you're a millionaire I guess 30k would be ok for you. Even though I don't have a stake in the admissions process, please keep us updated if you do decide to go through with this.</p>
<p>Cervantes,
I am not a millionare but top schools offer top aid so 5K might be a wash, assuming his help works and she gets in.</p>
<p>The lady that everyone uses here, starts in Junior year or the summer before and is $2500. She is very good at guiding the kids through the process and answering questions but she doesn't make any claims of getting kids into places they don't belong. She does have connections though so if she feels someone is a good fit then she will use them if she needs to. We didn't opt for her services but literally EVERYBODY I know does. I just like doing all my own research....it's my hobby- now that's sad!</p>
<p>2by2,
I love to do my own research as well. Right now we are trying to decide in which direction to go as far as marketing is conserned because my daughter is into way too many things. This doesn't give her depth in anything. One thing she won't give up is sports even though she won't be a recruited athlete. Varsity athletics is very time consuming...</p>
<p>i heard that those consultants can be misleading though..
i heard of a story (published) where there were two ppl who were equally well prepared for Harvard, went to see the same consultant and the consultant told one of them that he/she is NOT prepared AT ALL for harvard just so that the other one gets in...
but that could be just another urban myth..</p>
<p>I would love to hire an admission consultant that could work with us. We interviewed two of them, and came to the conclusion that neither had insights or services that were worth their cost, but that could have gone completely the other way. So go for it, but make sure you get someone who can give you value added.</p>
<p>It used to be that very few kids got SAT classes. Now it is de rigeur.</p>
<p>do you really need an admissions consultant? ive been on these boards for over a year and i pretty much know what is demanded.....</p>
<p>I think hiring an admissions consultant is an unnecessary waste of money.</p>
<p>NO. I would never.</p>
<p>I did perfectly fine, all on my own. My parent's didn't really do anything, it was just me.</p>
<p>Beware of these consultants. They can promise you all kind of things, like getting you into ivies, if you don't get in, they'll refund your money. They'll do absolutely nothing and if you actually get in, they'll pocket the money. If not, no harm done. If you read CC, you have enough knowledge to find your way through this mess.</p>
<p>I don't need one but I would like to direct my daughter into activities that would give her an edge. She is jack of all trades and master of none.</p>
<p>I understand what you are saying but you shouldn't force your daughter to do something because it will give her an 'edge'. Colleges do want well-rounded students. In your previous post you said that your daughter is into athletics but that she 'won't be recruited'. Why not let her keep focusing on that? Colleges want to see dedication, not just someone doing something because they think it will make their application look better. In fact, if the college gets the vibe that your daughter is only doing something because some consultant said it will 'give her an edge' they may just flat out reject her.</p>
<p>Being helped by an educational consultant (similar, but not an admissions consultant), I'm going to stipulate a few points:</p>
<p>Honest consultants will NEVER guarantee a client admission to any school. A good consultant will evaluate your strengths and weaknesses against your ideas for college and tell you exactly how he or she can help. Not all students need the same advice, after all. There are a good deal of guidelines and regulations regarding independent college admissions counseling, and most reputable firms will have certifications and/or membership with some organization - IECA, NACAC, HECA, etc. </p>
<p>There are a lot of questions to be answered about colleges. Many students have specific needs that must be met, and good independent counselors visit colleges frequently (especially local ones) and talk to college officials on a regular basis, so they will be on top of the details. They can do just as much to stop a client from making mistakes that he or she might regret as a college counselor in a high school can. However, the independent counselor doesn't have tens or a hundred other students to deal with. </p>
<p>It is true that college admissions consultants often will not refund your money, but imagine if every client who didn't have a perfect admission season asked for a refund...most of the results are out of the consultant's control. Even so, consultants live on their reputations, so word of bad advice and poor service would be devastating. </p>
<p>So if you're considering an independent consultant, evaluate his or her services and prices, and ask for a consultation if it seems reasonable. Many consultants don't charge for initial consultations.</p>
<p>Who is the consultant that 'everyone' here uses? I am just starting to think about this, and have seen quotes running up to $30,000 !</p>