Does Your Child Need a Private College Admissions Consultant?

Most high schools employ college counselors. These special advisors are meant to assist high school students during the admissions process. Counselors usually have experience in the field of education and years working in admissions that give them insight into the process. They can offer assistance building a list of schools to apply to or asking teachers for recommendation letters. They know what you need to know and can ideally preempt your student’s needs. 

For a variety of reasons, your child may need the help of a private college counselor outside of school instead. These are individuals that can be hired, typically in your student’s junior or senior year, to provide individualized support. 

 

Why Use A Private College Counselor

With a process that is baseline overwhelming, it can be hard to judge when an extra set of hands is needed. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you begin the process that should help you decide if your student would benefit from a private college counselor:

 

Inadequacy

If your child’s school does not have a college counselor or their counselor is stretched too thin trying to meet the needs of the entire junior/senior class, it may be worth considering hiring extra help. A private counselor can pay more individualized attention to your child without the distraction of dozens of other students. 

It is also possible that your student’s school counselor is ill-equipped to help their particular journey and does not have the experience necessary to offer assistance with specializations like sports recruitment or other considerations. 

 

Information

In the modern age, it’s easy to think that you’re only a few Google searches away from some level of expertise. However, even the most dedicated parents don’t always have the time to devote to helping their child. Private college counselors simplify the process and save family from a self-directed college search. 

Parents should also remember that the process is different with each child. Every student has different interests, strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and things that make their college search unique. 

 

Friction

Many parents experience strained relationships with their teens during high school, especially during the college application process. To avoid tears over essay topics and fights over test dates, some families hand the responsibility over to private college counselor. This reduces the amount of friction between parent and student. 

Your student may also respond better to an outsider as opposed to a parent. The college process involves a lot of decision-making and teenagers may feel more comfortable asking the advice of a professional instead of mom and dad. 

 

If you have a good relationship with your child and the requisite time to devote to helping them during the college admissions process, it is something you can tackle yourself with targeted help. The Versed Advisors are here to help you do just that - provide you, the parent with targeted help as needed.  However, the reality is that many families feel that their students can benefit from working directly with a counselor.

If you decide that your child needs a private counselor for the college application process, the next step is finding the right individual to guide your student during this important time. 

 

What Can A Private College Counselor Help With

The type of help a student needs also depends on where they are in the process. A private counselor can provide a myriad of different services even for younger students. Freshman and sophomores may need assistance with academic planning or preparing for summer opportunities and extracurriculars. Juniors and seniors may seek help with application essays, test prep, identifying schools to apply to, compiling their application, financial aid, or scholarships. In researching different services, determine what they offer and how detailed their counseling is.

Before meeting with a counselor, know what your student needs. Are they looking for someone to help them with every little aspect of both junior and senior year? Do they just need someone to edit essays? Will they benefit from an outside perspective when it comes to narrowing down a list of schools? Have a discussion with your student and decide how they would like to be helped. 

 

How & When to Meet: Online vs. In-Person

Additionally, have a conversation with your student about how they want to meet their counselor. Does their schedule allow for them to meet a counselor in person or would it work timing wise to have one that is available online? Most services have both in-person as well as online packages built to meet the needs of individual students. The specifics vary depending on the service. 

Constraints to consider are time and money. Students can easily find themselves endlessly revising personal statements or admissions essay, turning in draft after draft. There is a such thing as too much help. For this reason, some services place limits on the number of times a counselor will review an application or even the number of applications a student is allowed to submit for revision. In choosing a counseling service, be sure to factor in how your student can be helped and how they can be hindered. Do they need the limitations of an hour-long weekly sessions with a counselor? Or would they benefit more from someone they can message periodically online? 

 

Types of Private Counselors

Once you have decided how, when, and on what your student would like to be counseled, the next consideration is by whom. The private college counseling industry encompasses a variety of services from tiny one man operations to worldwide counseling firms. Consider each of the following types before choosing: 

 

Local College Counselors

Similar to academic tutors, private college counselors may operate as individuals. They may have experience working in admissions or elsewhere in education. Some may be certified Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) or otherwise accredited. The benefit of this type of counselor is they will know the lay of the land as it pertains to your student’s particular high school or region. 

Use a search engine, like Thumbtack/Wyzant/Yelp, to find a counselor nearest you. Ask other parents and older students whether they used a local counselor. Sometimes an individual isn’t very visible online and the best way to find them is word of mouth. Versed Advisors are also a good source of information on finding the right counselor for your student.

 

Private Counseling Services

Private college counseling services operate on a more national scale. They may have regional offices or operate entirely online, meeting with students via video call. One of the upsides of working with a larger organization is while you may only have access to one counselor, you have the benefit of many. Services of this size tend to have a higher number of clients and thus a larger data pool to draw from when advising students year to year. Similarly to local counselors, many services employ individuals who have worked in admissions and may have even been admissions officers in the past. 

A potential downside is the cost. Most of these counselors will be a significant financial investment and there is no guarantee that spending a certain amount of money will guarantee results. 

• Princeton Review: With a series of counseling package, the Princeton Review allows students and their parents to choose the extent to which they need to be helped. Does your student have a handle on deadlines and just needs a "On-Demand Essay Review" to help them boost their writing? Or a "Strategy Session" to help them discuss the process more generally? 

• College Wise: College Wise is another service with a variety of available counseling plans. The "Optimal" and "Essential" packages both provide one-on-one help with strategy, test prep, and other elements of the admissions process. College Wise allow offers a "Pay As You Go" package for smaller needs and spot checks. They also have a "Not Too Late" plan designed specifically for 12th graders and a "Foundations" plan for 8th-10th graders.

• Study Point: Study Point is similar to most high school tutoring services in that it brings college counseling to your doorstep. Instead of the popular Skype meeting format, your student will sit down with their counselor and discuss their future in-person. Study Point counselors are able to cover everything from planned interview preparation to essay development to resume writing. 

• Ivy Coach: With a name that leaves nothing to the imagination, Ivy Coach is best known for it’s "unlimited package" that offers students with continuous personal attention during their entire college application process. Instead of only offering assistance with a set number of schools, your child can have as much help as they need. For a price. It is one of the most expensive options available. Students can test out their services in a free 20-minute consultation. 

• TopTier: Founders, Mimi Doe and Dr. Michele Hernández, have authored several books on the application process and have years of experience working in admissions. TopTier is another respected name in admissions, but is really only an option for those without a budget. 

 

Near-Peer

Some students would benefit from an advisor closer to their own age. A near-peer counselor is someone that has recently gone through the college admissions process, such as a current university student or a recent graduate. These programs are typically less expensive/free. Most services, like College Advising Corp and College Access: Research & Action, were specifically founded to create access for low-income or first generation students. For younger students, CollegeVine provides a near-peer service for 9th and 10th grades that can encapsulate the early years of the college process. 

 

How Much Does It Cost

Similarly to tutors, college admissions consultants come at every possible price point. Their rate might be dictated by demand, experience, services offered, location, or other factors. They can cost hundreds of dollars an hour or thousands of dollars per application. Most college admissions counseling services offer a range of packages for a set price and sometimes an all-inclusive one for top dollar. The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) reported in 2016 that the national average "advising package" cost was $4,620, with a range of $3,000-$6,000. With some of the high-end providers, it is possible with multiple applications to spend up to $40,000.

There’s no right answer as to how much one should spend on a college admissions counselor. It all depends on the student and their family’s budget. A student may engage with a relatively inexpensive counselor, but end up applying to a dozen schools and needing help with every step. Similarly, a student may sit down for essay revisions with a top of the line counselor and still not turn in their best work. An applicant may be waitlisted, rejected, changes their list, change their mind. There are a myriad of challenges that can arise during the admissions process that can change how much you spend on a private counselor. 

One way to avoid overspending on a counselor is to talk to your student where they need help. Survey the options together and decide if an hourly counselor or an essay-centered services package would benefit them. 

 

No matter when or why you enlist a counselor, be sure to do your research first. Ask about rates, restrictions, success rates, and goals before signing anything. Ask if it’s possible to meet beforehand and judge their dynamic with your student. You want to make sure the individual that you’re hiring is the best fit for your student in particular. 

In doing research, listen to both the horror stories and the heart-warming ones. Each student’s college process is different. The process changes year to year. You can’t know everything, but you can feel prepared to make decisions when the time comes. And remember, the point of the college application process is to find your student a school where they will thrive and be happy. 

 

If you are interested in speaking with one of our Advisors about their experience with private college counseling and whether it’s the right option for your student, you can schedule a free consultation here.

 

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For additional information and insights, check out our blog: 

 

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