Recommend your college consultant (pretty please)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

I wrote it. I'm a 55 yr old female living in Los Angeles and he's a 70+ male living on the East Coast, so no he didn't write it. Your party trick is getting old and worn out PP, try something new.

+1
It’s a weird mom who feels the need to “police”….

New poster: this person always recommends him with zero back up. Nothing about him seems impressive, so if she’s not sockpuppeted, she knows him on a personal level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you’re absolutely clueless, I don’t recommend one. I have a “good” one and pretty much think it’s a scam. Save your money and hire an essay coach and do SAT prep.

This response and the first response on this post say it all. Thousands of dollars later and I had to become the essay editor and all the Colleges they said would love my child absolutely didn't care. I will repeat post 1: Keep up your grades, study for the SATs or join a prep course, have a passion project which starts early show leadership and read voraciously so you can write well. There are lots of former admissions officers online offering essay coaching services online, pick one or hire someone from Oxbridge. Pick a mix of schools; safety, targets and reaches and then apply. For anything else ask in this forum or the hundreds of Facebook groups dedicated to College admissions.

I don't understand these responses. If you had a disappointing experience with a doctor or a contractor or a babysitter, would you swear off of using them forever? Couldn't it be possible you hired one that was bad, or just fine but not worth the cost to you, or a poor fit for your kid or your family? I'm a consultant with a long line of interested potential clients, almost all referred by previous families, so I don't think only "absolutely clueless" people find value in my work.

My child’s college coach is a wonderful human, highly qualified and successful, and despite that, I still can’t recommend a college counselor. It’s nothing we could not have done on our own.

If you have unlimited resources, sure. But if you’re like most families where you have to allocate resources, then I would put it into the essay and SAT prep.

The PP you responded to gave excellent advice. Since you’re a counselor, I can understand you’re protective about your industry, but I am just giving my candid opinion.

[Anonymous]

We used one and while I went into it feeling like a sucker, it was way worth it in the end. They were able to identify schools that weren't on my radar, including the one DD just locked in. I wouldn't have even taken her to see it because it was out of our budget, but the CC told us that they'd seen kids like mine get great merit. She did! Now she can go out of state (her choice) for less than UMD would have cost us. The help with essays and timing was just icing on the cake. Plus she had someone else to remind her of deadlines. We're ending her senior year excited for the future and avoided much of the friction I saw with families who didn't hire someone.

Bottom line was I could have probably done a decent job myself but I could also probably figure out how to change my own oil too. I have a full time job already.

[Anonymous]

I joined Sara Harbesron's Application Nation and had my two children follow her guidance and work with her. It fit my budget and was very helpful. Both at different T20s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

I wrote it. I'm a 55 yr old female living in Los Angeles and he's a 70+ male living on the East Coast, so no he didn't write it. Your party trick is getting old and worn out PP, try something new.

+1
It’s a weird mom who feels the need to “police”….

New poster: this person always recommends him with zero back up. Nothing about him seems impressive, so if she’s not sockpuppeted, she knows him on a personal level.

Well you're wrong because I've recommended him once. On this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I am a tutor and help edit college essays and guide students through the admissions process. My former students have ended up in their dream programs at places like Harvard, Wake Forest, and Oberlin. You can see more info here: https://sites.google.com/view/learndeeply

Thank you.
I’m saving this…

[Anonymous]

Me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

I wrote it. I'm a 55 yr old female living in Los Angeles and he's a 70+ male living on the East Coast, so no he didn't write it. Your party trick is getting old and worn out PP, try something new.

+1
It’s a weird mom who feels the need to “police”….

New poster: this person always recommends him with zero back up. Nothing about him seems impressive, so if she’s not sockpuppeted, she knows him on a personal level.

Well you're wrong because I've recommended him once. On this thread.

Yes...on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?

Yes. One B in an AP class. Also an added note, two of my kids attended private and one attended public for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?

Yes. One B in an AP class. Also an added note, two of my kids attended private and one attended public for HS.

another note I wanted to add. I would pay at least a little bit of attention to where kids in the past have gotten in. One of my children did not do this and still got into the school they did ED at. However, one did. She was between to ivies and, ultimately, decided to go with the one that seemed to have a better track record with her school. Also, ED significantly increases chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

you are ready to start your side business! totally agree with this, and our family uses tutors as much as we can , to get an a, keep an a and in areas of interest to soar way beyond an A..i know DCUM has angst againt kids having tutors who are not behind in school....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?

Yes. One B in an AP class. Also an added note, two of my kids attended private and one attended public for HS.

another note I wanted to add. I would pay at least a little bit of attention to where kids in the past have gotten in. One of my children did not do this and still got into the school they did ED at. However, one did. She was between to ivies and, ultimately, decided to go with the one that seemed to have a better track record with her school. Also, ED significantly increases chances.

Thank you! Do you feel your child at the public HS was at a disadvantage?
Did the Ivy admitted kids have Bs on their transcript?
Are you saying that if there is no track record of kids getting in then it will be tougher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?

Yes. One B in an AP class. Also an added note, two of my kids attended private and one attended public for HS.

another note I wanted to add. I would pay at least a little bit of attention to where kids in the past have gotten in. One of my children did not do this and still got into the school they did ED at. However, one did. She was between to ivies and, ultimately, decided to go with the one that seemed to have a better track record with her school. Also, ED significantly increases chances.

Thank you! Do you feel your child at the public HS was at a disadvantage?
Did the Ivy admitted kids have Bs on their transcript?
Are you saying that if there is no track record of kids getting in then it will be tougher?

I'm also a mom of 3 about the enter the process and these are all questions I'm thinking about as one kid is one the verge of their first B. We have legacy and will do early but still a lot of things have to fall into place (ECs and scores) before DC makes the final decision.

[Anonymous]

We used the team at dccollegecounseling.com and I’m very glad we did. We already had DD’s list pretty well set, so they did not affect that, but they were very helpful managing the process and keeping her on track with writing the huge pile of essays.