Why Hire a Private College Consultant
Hiring a private college consultant to assist in the college planning process depends on the type and level of counseling support available at the home school. In large public high schools with counselor-student ratios of 500 to 1 or greater, clearly outside assistance is justified. Even so, many students – including those that attend small private schools – may need additional guidance due to learning disabilities, interest in a specific area of study, athletics admissions, or highly individualized help with college affordability/financing. And, for homeschooled students – an alternative which continues to gain traction as an educational choice – private counseling is a given.
Private college counseling need not be expensive. Competent counselors should have a number of services available at various price points. Seeing firsthand the tremendous gains realized by students receiving even a small amount of customized counseling in the 6-8 hour range prompted me to develop my affordable College Planning 101 package for which I charge $750. I feel strongly that every high school student should have the right to explore their college options regardless of their economic circumstances. When qualified independent college consultants align with school counselors everyone wins – the school counselors get much needed help with their back breaking workload and the students get the guidance they so desperately need.
Like any profession, there are good consultants and bad ones. Be aware of consultants that make promises about getting accepted at certain schools or those that charge exorbitant fees. Seek out professionals whose goal is to create an ideal match between a student’s academic, social, and financial needs within the college options available to him or her. Membership in professional organizations such as the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) or the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) – although not a guarantee of quality – generally signals a high level of commitment to the profession on the part of the consultant. Finally, really good college consultants don’t just develop overnight. Ask about the consultant’s background and experience. It takes years of studying colleges, admissions policies, and visiting schools in order to truly be in the position to provide support, insight, and navigational expertise about college planning to families who need it.
In my video interview below for the parenting website “Kids in the House” I discuss the benefits of hiring a private college consultant: