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Post by ptamom on Aug 8, 2014 4:41:24 GMT
A consultant to help navigate the way? Someone who would help with the process of matching your child's interests with colleges, applying in the most desirable way, getting the best possible result? Essay help, etc.
My husband dropped a research project in my lap - researching consultants that help navigate the application, testing, etc. process.
Has anyone done this? Does it actually help?
ETA, I have a rising senior, so we are looking at college next fall, 2015.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 5:18:53 GMT
I have no experience to relay on the parental side. But, from the school side.... if your student is incapable of getting through the admissions process on his/her own and you hire someone to get them in, you end up with a massive mis-match where the student isn't going to be able to complete their education at that level of university. If someone extensively "tutors" him on his entrance essay and he is accepted based on that sample but can't reproduce that same level of writing later in his course work (because that is the level they expect from their students) he is sunk as soon as he starts.
Just an observation that the more help a student needs getting through the process the more likely they are to end up either failing out or having to withdraw because they aren't really academically ready. Their reading skills or writing skills are lacking. Both of which will end a university run.
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oaksong
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Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Aug 8, 2014 5:29:51 GMT
I also have a senior this year. We are fortunate to have a really good guidance counseling office at her school. I've already been through the process with DS, so that helps too.
Having someone to help navigate the process is invaluable if you're looking at more selective schools, for all of the reasons you mentioned. There are so many great schools out there, but finding the right fit isn't easy. Sorry, I don't have advice on how to go about hiring someone. I wonder if the College Board has referrals?
ETA: I agree with Voltagain's post. I wasn't thinking in terms of hiring someone to "get the kid into the best school", but rather someone who can offer realistic advice on where to apply, and how the student can prepare and present herself in the best light. Many high school counselors aren't as knowledgeable as they could be. So many kids could set their sights higher if they knew more about all of the opportunities that are out there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 5:39:25 GMT
My advice is save the money on the consultant because you are going to end up having to do most of the stuff anyway.
Have your student ask the high school counselor about resources for which universities are best known for his desired major.
Set up a set of folders. One for each school he is interested in applying to.
Make a print out with check boxes for the admissions process (with deadlines!) As he fills each requirement for that school check the box off. Keep all letters, written material from the university and a copy of everything you send TO the university in the folder for the pertinent university. Letters of recommendation you likely won't be able to keep copies of since they tend to have to be send in a sealed envelop or sent from the recommender to the school directly without passing through your hands.
Many schools, if not most, do an online application these days. When you do one set aside a two hour window to do it. It probably won't take that long but you don't want to feel rushed while doing it. Take time to read definitions and read each screen completely. That is the biggest mistake people make.
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inkedup
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 5:00:26 GMT
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Post by inkedup on Aug 8, 2014 5:44:55 GMT
I'm going to sound like such a crotchety old lady, but when I was applying for colleges, it was up to the student (and his/her parents, if they were capable) to do the legwork you're talking about. (I graduated in 1993, by the way.) It seems like an awful lot of coddling to pay for someone to help your student apply to colleges and figure out the best fit for them, especially with all of the information that can be found via the internet.
If your kid can't figure out how to apply to a school or even which school they want to go to without professional assistance, then maybe college is not a good fit at this time.
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Post by tania7424 on Aug 8, 2014 5:46:54 GMT
My sister had one. She starts university at the end of the month. Hers was more along the lines of her telling him what she wanted to major in, him finding the best schools for her, telling her why she won't get in, which will be her safety, and what pre-req's she needed. She did all her essays, etc on her own. Her school guidance office was apparently useless.
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Post by tania7424 on Aug 8, 2014 5:51:17 GMT
I'm going to sound like such a crotchety old lady, but when I was applying for colleges, it was up to the student (and his/her parents, if they were capable) to do the legwork you're talking about. (I graduated in 1993, by the way.) It seems like an awful lot of coddling to pay for someone to help your student apply to colleges and figure out the best fit for them, especially with all of the information that can be found via the internet. If your kid can't figure out how to apply to a school or even which school they want to go to without professional assistance, then maybe college is not a good fit at this time. I don't agree. There are so many more options now. She's going into medicine. Did you know that one of the most popular undergrad degrees for medicine now is kinesiology? Or that it's available as a co-op option at select universities? He brought her so many more options than she had considered in a very competitive Canadian university market. FTR, she got into 5 out of 6 schools applied to. She did not get into one because she didn't have enough extra curriculars and no one at her HS bothered to point out to her that she would need them. Even with a 3.92 GPA. |
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by finaledition on Aug 8, 2014 6:25:21 GMT
My son will be a college freshmen. He attended a great high school, but budget cuts have really affected counseling services. And living in California, getting into college is not at all like it was when my husband I went to school.
We hired a consultant who worked with him over a two year period. For us, it was a great investment. It was clear from the beginning that my son is the one responsible for the college process.
She set up dates and it was his responsibility to meet the deadlines for applications and essays. There was no nagging on our part. And I feel like he was one of the few kids who was not scrambling at the last minute. She also helped to select a few colleges that were not on our radar, but he ended up applying to. He got into his first choice for a college (which ironically did not require an essay), but she made the process so much easier to navigate.
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Post by doesitmatter on Aug 8, 2014 6:33:39 GMT
Nope. My kids applied and wrote the essays themselves. We researched their majors and school options, as well as football teams for one who received a sports scholarship.
It wasn't hard because we were reAlistic about the out goals and finances and they got in everywhere they applied.
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Post by DinCA on Aug 8, 2014 8:20:22 GMT
We didn't use one but I can see the benefits of using one so long as the consultant is working for the student and not the other way around. If you have a child who needs guidance and he/she is not receiving that guidance at school, I think it would be helpful, especially in setting goals and choosing appropriate colleges. If the objective is to employ a consultant to give your child an advantage in the application process, then I think you would be doing your child a disservice and would likely be wasting your money.
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Post by Crack-a-lackin on Aug 8, 2014 9:42:41 GMT
I did not but I know a few families that did. It's a lot of money, I think around $1500, that I thought could be better spent elsewhere. However, I don't mean to stress you out but if your child is a senior and you don't have any idea yet you've got a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time. Planning campus tours and making decisions can take a while so it might be beneficial for you to work with someone.
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 8, 2014 10:04:40 GMT
We did not, and none of dd's friends had one either. All of them, except one who got a partial rowing scholarship to a private school, took advantage of our excellent state college system (Virginia) where we really do have a public school for every child. There are highly selective ones, not selective ones, large, small, middle, any major you could want. -- Our high school counseling department left a LOT to be desired (i.e., fairly worthless for a most things) but the kids did most of the work with parents' help. The parents did the driving to visit campuses mostly. Also we gave the kids advice on essay writing, and my biggest involvement was insisting that my dd attach a cover letter to the in-person part of her packet (the rest was on-line). "A cover letter?" she said. Yep, a cover letter. sigh, I'm so old-fashioned.  But no, no consultants. |
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Post by Patter on Aug 8, 2014 10:10:59 GMT
My girls were homeschooled so they did not have a high school counselor. They researched on their own, applied on their own, and got into the college of their choice with scholarships. They have stuck with their initial chosen degrees but have just added to them as they enter their sophomore year. One is double majoring in chemistry and forensic science, one is double majoring in biology and computer science with a minor in chemistry, and one is a special education major but may be missing school this coming semester due to possible back surgery. I think it probably depends on the child also but it truly helped my girls do it all on their own--applications, navigating the system, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 10:37:44 GMT
I have no experience to relay on the parental side. But, from the school side.... if your student is incapable of getting through the admissions process on his/her own and you hire someone to get them in, you end up with a massive mis-match where the student isn't going to be able to complete their education at that level of university. If someone extensively "tutors" him on his entrance essay and he is accepted based on that sample but can't reproduce that same level of writing later in his course work (because that is the level they expect from their students) he is sunk as soon as he starts. Just an observation that the more help a student needs getting through the process the more likely they are to end up either failing out or having to withdraw because they aren't really academically ready. Their reading skills or writing skills are lacking. Both of which will end a university run.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 10:37:45 GMT
No, but my daughter had a very specific idea of what she wanted to major in and what extracurricular activities she wanted, and how far from home she could go. That really narrow down the choices.
She applied to four schools in-state and one school out-of-state. She was able to manage the application process on her own with some help here and there from me.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Aug 8, 2014 11:41:59 GMT
This topic is often discussed on collegeconfidential.com. In fact, you can save the money and just HANG OUT there, especially the Parents' Forum section. (There's also a med school sub-forum.)
Horribly addicting, though. And too overrun with prestige junkies. For many people there, the role of a college consultant is to help your child get into the most selective school, which is not necessarily the best school. If you can ignore the siren call of "Harvard-Yale-Princeton-Stanford or Bust!", you really can learn many invaluable things there.
Against my better judgment, my husband took the advice of friend and went to a college financial aid advisor. The guy didn't tell him anything I hadn't already learned on College Confidential.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 11:52:44 GMT
We didn't need one, her high school guidance department had everything under control. DD took care of everything herself (she's a go-getter; I'm not expecting that with DS.)
Does your HS have the Naviance program? Depending on how much of it the school subscribes to, it can give you so much information, including matching of interests and graphs for each school showing where the student fits in via test scores and grades with the accepted students.
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Post by anonrefugee on Aug 8, 2014 11:59:57 GMT
I have no experience to relay on the parental side. But, from the school side.... if your student is incapable of getting through the admissions process on his/her own and you hire someone to get them in, you end up with a massive mis-match where the student isn't going to be able to complete their education at that level of university. If someone extensively "tutors" him on his entrance essay and he is accepted based on that sample but can't reproduce that same level of writing later in his course work (because that is the level they expect from their students) he is sunk as soon as he starts. Just an observation that the more help a student needs getting through the process the more likely they are to end up either failing out or having to withdraw because they aren't really academically ready. Their reading skills or writing skills are lacking. Both of which will end a university run. I have to quote you- because our guidance counselors say similar things. We're in a competitive school with a large % kids going to top tier schools. I know one girl who's parents pushed her into a small, prestigious, northeastern school, she was home by January. No one asked her if she'd like to live in the cold weather! We often hear tales about kids who struggle living away from their Tiger Moms. Or they're so amazed at the freedom they become slackers without the push from behind. |
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Post by 1lear on Aug 8, 2014 12:05:13 GMT
This topic is often discussed on collegeconfidential.com. In fact, you can save the money and just HANG OUT there, especially the Parents' Forum section. (There's also a med school sub-forum.) Horribly addicting, though. And too overrun with prestige junkies. For many people there, the role of a college consultant is to help your child get into the most selective school, which is not necessarily the best school. If you can ignore the siren call of "Harvard-Yale-Princeton-Stanford or Bust!", you really can learn many invaluable things there. Against my better judgment, my husband took the advice of friend and went to a college financial aid advisor. The guy didn't tell him anything I hadn't already learned on College Confidential. Collegeconfidential.com is addictive, isn't it?! Both my daughters researched schools and we visited those we were really interested in. There's so much information available online I don't see the need to pay somebody. We did inform our children that we would only pay for an in-state school (Virginia)-they would be responsible for any out-of-state costs. They both found schools they love and that fit their career goals. |
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Post by happymom on Aug 8, 2014 12:23:50 GMT
Seriously collegeconfidenal
And they will tell you find the cheapest undergrad possible and save your money because med school will cost a bazillion dollars.
Also if you do hire a consultant and they advertise ways to "hide" your money or move it around to maximize financial aid, proceed with caution.
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Post by cakediva on Aug 8, 2014 12:29:40 GMT
We didn't either. DDs guidance councillor was not much help, but we did all the applications on our own. There were no essays required. In the end, she didn't try very hard with her portfolio (animation school) and wasn't ready to go away to school, so she was not accepted. She decided to take a year off, and deferred her University acceptance that she did get, for a year.
She worked all year, and everything university related she has taken care of. The emails come to her, not us, so she is responsible for it. She's chosen her major, added a minor, and is super excited about getting started in September.
I realize there are so many more options out there, but what happened to doing the work yourself? Research online, read reviews, search out programs, tour schools. There is a Canadian magazine that publishes a list of top universities/programs each year. That was a great place to start for DD.
Of course, we are extremely lucky to live less than an hour from three of some of the best Universities in Ontario, plus one of the top rated colleges, so DD didn't have to live away from home if she didn't want to (and she doesn't yet). So her program research started with those.
A consultant to walk her through it wasn't even something that we'd heard of, let alone had the money to pay for.
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Post by Fairlyoddparent on Aug 8, 2014 12:30:04 GMT
Not faulting anyone who chooses this option but I can't imagine hiring someone for this purpose. Thanks to the internet information is at our fingertips and there is a wealth of information and guidance on the college admission process. We looked at several schools for my dd and kept records of each of their requirements and deadlines. She was auditioning into dance programs so that added a bit of stress. That said, we managed it; she was accepted into several schools and graduated from college.
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 8, 2014 12:31:13 GMT
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Post by anonrefugee on Aug 8, 2014 12:38:09 GMT
Seriously collegeconfidenal Also if you do hire a consultant and they advertise ways to "hide" your money or move it around to maximize financial aid, proceed with caution. Thanks for this, I overheard someone discussing how they were funneling money to grandparents, to then be gifted back to student. That example wouldn't work in our case but I wondered if we were missing something. Tania, you made a good point about a consultant referencing schools that might have been missed. |
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Post by theboydbunch on Aug 8, 2014 12:51:24 GMT
We did not use one, I actually have never heard of it until now.
My son, with our help, did all the legwork on his own. We visited colleges he was interested in, narrowed it down and went from there.
He will be a sophomore this year and has a great advisor on campus now who recommended him for scholarships, etc.
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 8, 2014 13:20:25 GMT
We are at the same stage (rising senior). Quite frankly, I'd love to give the reins of this process to another and would hire a consultant if I thought it would help. But really, it's not difficult. Time consuming , yes. But not difficult. We are behind because DS had a concussion in March that had him out of school for 8 weeks. We have chosen not to pursue a football scholarship now and that took away the motivation for some schools (like Notre Dame.). DS still plans to apply, but in his mind, the campus is focused on football (sure, because that's how they approached him up to now!).
But it's so much different than 30 years ago when DH and I were going through the process. Multiple ACT/SAT scores, ACT/SAT prep classes, volunteering, after school sports, clubs, kids who have raised thousands of dollars for charities... I have a normal, white male child from a middle class background. No one is going to give him any special looks. Even though I think he's a fabulous kid! We are playing the financial aid game as well. Not hiding money, but who offers merit based aid, how they go about awarding it, who may think an out of state military kid on campus would be worth an extra $10,000 in the offer... We are in northern Virginia and the counselors don't even post the SAT/ACT test dates. (But they very helpfully told DS to google the dates.) In the 8 weeks DS was out for the concussion, the only contact I had with his counsellor was for her to respond to my email about the concussion, saying she didn't have anything to do with the Return to School process.
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Post by SockMonkey on Aug 8, 2014 13:27:05 GMT
It would seem that the real-world skills of researching colleges and universities and navigating the application process would be a WONDERFUL way for a young adult to learn a lot, read a lot, and work hard.
But maybe that's just me...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 13:38:43 GMT
But it's so much different than 30 years ago when DH and I were going through the process. Multiple ACT/SAT scores, ACT/SAT prep classes, volunteering, after school sports, clubs, kids who have raised thousands of dollars for charities... I don't think it is any different at all. The only real difference is that of perspective. 30 years ago you were the nonchalant student and now you are the parent worried about your child's entire future. 30 years ago still had people up in arms about multiple ACT/SAT scores, prep classes for tests, sports, clubs, volunteering... all of that I had to deal with in the late 1970s when I started college. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 13:39:46 GMT
I wish more people understood this or would believe it. It would save a lot of parents a lot of needless stress. |
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 8, 2014 14:29:04 GMT
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with hiring a consultant as long as you can afford it and you hire someone with a really good reputation. While I don't think it's necessary, it might be really helpful for someone who is detached from the situation to sit down and talk with you and your daughter about what you are looking for in a school and what you can afford.
My son went to a small private high school and the college counselor was extremely helpful. She met several times with just my son and also met several times with my son, my DH and me. Through her years of experience, she really helped us narrow the list of schools that fit my son's personality. He is a rising senior at his university and I just can't imagine him being any happier at any other school.
There was also an English teacher with 30 years of experience at my son's school who was always willing to sit down and look at college essays and make suggestions as to how they might be improved. She didn't write my son's essays, but she provided valuable input.
My daughter went to a large public school and it did not offer much in the area of college counseling. My daughter knew she wanted to go to a large public university and that she was almost certain to be admitted on the basis of her grades and ACT score. Therefore I didn't worry about her lack of college counseling. However, if she had been uncertain about what schools she was interested in, I might have hired a consultant to help us narrow down the list of schools she visited.
I don't think anyone has to have a college consultant, but I think it might be helpful in certain situations.
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Refupea #402
