College Admissions Counseling

[Anonymous]

We are trying to decide between a locally-based company like Rebecca Claster with Claster Educational Services or a nationwide company like Collegewise, Prepory or InGeniusPrep. If you were in a similar situation, could you please share who you ended up going with and why? Or why you ended up not selecting any of these to help with the process?

Also, I've searched the forum and don't see any posts regarding experiences with any of these options so would welcome hearing about actual experiences (i.e., how they helped your student, what wish was different, etc).

We are looking to hire someone because our junior year kid is not welcoming of our guidance and is not organized enough/procrastinates too much to do on their own and while we are researching colleges, we also would welcome some expertise about what colleges could be good options for our strong but not stellar student.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thought I'd try bumping this to see if anyone might have a response. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I can’t answer but thought I’d add a question of what hourly rates typically are for someone not looking for a package? Not sure how they compare with local individual vs company. And quality - assume you’re more likely to work with a principal at a local company.

[Anonymous]

I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

[Anonymous]

Go with Kelly Fraser at Greenapple absolute the best. High level, personal attention, and reasonable packages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

Ditto! If your kid won't listen to you, they definitely won't take outsider opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

Ditto! If your kid won't listen to you, they definitely won't take outsider opinion.

That simply isn’t true. I have a well behaved, low kid kid…but he most definitely will take guidance from coaches, teachers, and random dudes on TikTok more easily than he’ll take mine.

[Anonymous]

I’d consider going local. Reason being a local counselor should have a more accurate picture of admission trends for students in your kid’s school/area. Also, be mindful if the investment and suspicious if they start overselling “their” placements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d consider going local. Reason being a local counselor should have a more accurate picture of admission trends for students in your kid’s school/area. Also, be mindful if the investment and suspicious if they start overselling “their” placements.

Reasonable advice.

When I assist applicants, I encourage them to use their school counselor for their state schools due to the counselor's familiarity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

Ditto! If your kid won't listen to you, they definitely won't take outsider opinion.

That simply isn’t true. I have a well behaved, low kid kid…but he most definitely will take guidance from coaches, teachers, and random dudes on TikTok more easily than he’ll take mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

I entirely agree and this is what I did with my senior.

However, I did freak out last year when he was in junior year and TOTALLY UNINTERESTED! And I knew it was too late for a college counselor!

Let me reassure you, OP. He's my oldest, and just couldn't imagine what the whole deal with college was. So the summer before senior year, instead of going on our usual vacation, we went on a college tour in the northeast and Canada. Actually walking on campus, listening to the tour guide, seeing the dorms, woke him up pretty quickly. He'd already sat for the ACT, but his score increased significantly after the college tours. He started visualizing where he saw himself (urban or semi-urban campus, smaller-sized college or university), and he even picked a major. It all clicked in August before senior year.

So don't despair. At this point, college counselors will charge an arm and a leg to help you. You might as well immerse yourself in the process, and if you bring your kid to tour colleges, I guarantee he'll be more amenable.

Now if your kid was younger, I'd recommend a local college counselor. You could still ask them, of course. But even if get someone to say yes, you'll pay through the nose for an emergency end of junior year intervention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

Ditto! If your kid won't listen to you, they definitely won't take outsider opinion.

????
Have you been living under a rock, or maybe know only your teen and a few of their Eddie Haskel like friends? MOST teens go through a period of thinking that their parents "don't know anything" about whatever the topic at hand is. It is developmentally normal, and desired(!) from a healthy development standpoint, and part of becoming independent at that age.
Many kids will listen to a "professional" and do what that person says over that their parents say in terms of the details and timeline and getting things done by certain dates for college planning and applications.

Most people start college planning in 10th or 11th grade...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I interviewed a whole bunch of admission counseling folks that are talked about in this forum. I found -
- I can do it better myself. There are enough books, seminars, newsletters, parent workshops available. You need to put in the time.
- It is useful of parents who have not educated themselves in their kids K-12 journey.
- No counselor can get your kid to Ivy or top colleges. The kid who gets in will already have the hooks and the profile that colleges are looking for.

I would certainly not try and help out a parent who has a rising Junior kid or a kid who is already a Junior. The correct time to have a plan for the academic trajectory is in Middle School in IMHO. Of course, it goes without saying that K-5 is to make sure that kid has good study habits and also doing very well at school. Hopefully parents are not relying entirely on the school to educate their kids.

I entirely agree and this is what I did with my senior.

However, I did freak out last year when he was in junior year and TOTALLY UNINTERESTED! And I knew it was too late for a college counselor!

Let me reassure you, OP. He's my oldest, and just couldn't imagine what the whole deal with college was. So the summer before senior year, instead of going on our usual vacation, we went on a college tour in the northeast and Canada. Actually walking on campus, listening to the tour guide, seeing the dorms, woke him up pretty quickly. He'd already sat for the ACT, but his score increased significantly after the college tours. He started visualizing where he saw himself (urban or semi-urban campus, smaller-sized college or university), and he even picked a major. It all clicked in August before senior year.

So don't despair. At this point, college counselors will charge an arm and a leg to help you. You might as well immerse yourself in the process, and if you bring your kid to tour colleges, I guarantee he'll be more amenable.

Now if your kid was younger, I'd recommend a local college counselor. You could still ask them, of course. But even if get someone to say yes, you'll pay through the nose for an emergency end of junior year intervention.

There are many who will take on 11th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We are looking to hire someone because our junior year kid is not welcoming of our guidance and is not organized enough/procrastinates too much to do on their own and while we are researching colleges, we also would welcome some expertise about what colleges could be good options for our strong but not stellar student.

Thanks.

One parent's opinion. Started with a consultant and then stopped. Evereything worked out.

First, it's OK. This is quite common. It can be overwhelming for kids to imagine graduating high school, let alone plan for the future.

Have you spoken to anyone at school? This is literally the job of a school college or guidance counselor. They've seen tons of kids in similar situations and should be able to advise the student directly. Just be aware that some counselors may be more concerned with getting your "not stellar" kid in wherever it's easiest/high acceptance and then selling them on it like it's their ideal school.

1. Take a break from researching until after May 1st at least! Seriously. There's too much noise about colleges before decision day. Everybody knows somebody who did or did not get into a school because of blah, blah, blah. Ignore it. Instead, spend time researching financial options and impact on your family's budget. Don't make financing a mystery for your kid. If they don't know what goes in the FAFSA, now is the time to tell them. Even if they're fortunate enough not to need aid, they still should be aware of what it takes for everybody else. Don't scare

2. Academics. Keep your child focused on getting the absolute best grades or scores they can. Showing themselves they can improve grades or scores, even incrementally, is important for self-esteem and for life. Effort pays off. It can be intimidating seeing the astronomical GPAs and scores. Even if they don't get to those levels, they should feel good about their ability to continuously learn and improve while also being the great kid they already are.

3. Summer. Find a pre-college 2-week summer program away from home on a college campus with a topic of interest. Give them a small taste of what "college" looks like through dorm-life, socializing with a group of strangers, hearing about real college life from undergrads working as counselors, etc. Your kid may get really engaged in the subject or location/region which will help focus research or at least reset expectations. Another upside, the program could be fodder for a future essay like "I've always loved [subject], but spending time doing [whatever] away from home taught me a new way to [something]." The essay writes itself.

Reality check: Yes, it's mainly for kids with privilege and it won't improve odds of getting into a school. These are money-makers for empty campuses and some are glorified summer camp. But at least it offers a degree of independence and takes away some of the mystery about "going to college."

4. Research with Reverse Psychology. After May 1st, let your child take the lead in drafting a list using search tools like Common App, Niche.com, etc. It doesn't matter what they pick as their main criteria. (One of mine started by sports teams he wanted to follow. Ended up with strength of econ as priority. lol) Try to ignore rankings, acceptance rates, and unsolicited advice from family or friends who don't have a kid in college at this very moment. Encourage your student to look at school academic website for special programs or unique learning experiences that sound intriguing. A lot of schools sound the same and all offer hundreds of student organizations and some variant of study abroad. What stands out to your student from their first impressions? Let them find some reasons for the supplemental essay "why XYZ college"?

Be wary of "love at first visit" for in person or online tours. If something seems way too perfect, ask your child to picture themselves there on a bad day. For example, what happens if you wake up late for a test, dropped your computer, feel homesick or concerned about substance use for yourself or a friend? If your child is an URM, how accessible are resources or other students in a crisis?

Mostly, keep an open mind. A school is only "good" if it's a good fit for your child.

5. Perspective. None of this is about your child. In this century, the admissions industry, especially private consultants, have everything to gain from making the process appear personal, exclusive, and high stakes. It's not. It's become a lottery of sorts. Thanks to the Common App and the internet in general, test-optional policies, and a looming demographic drop in students, access to college has increased tremendously and some schools are aggressively using corporate marketing strategies amid fierce competition. (Yes, even the Ivies.)

Your child will be just fine. Afterall, they have you as a parent to love and support them no matter what.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d consider going local. Reason being a local counselor should have a more accurate picture of admission trends for students in your kid’s school/area. Also, be mindful if the investment and suspicious if they start overselling “their” placements.

Reasonable advice.

When I assist applicants, I encourage them to use their school counselor for their state schools due to the counselor's familiarity.

Do your research on one-man shops. College advising is a trendy way for teachers and counselors to earn a "side hustle" - what are their credentials? Are they taking credit for placements made in their main day job? How long have they been operational and how many students have they helped THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS NOT THEIR DAY JOB. Be wary of shelling out $$$ for an overworked, underpaid HS teacher who will spend 10 min on your kid's essay and charge you 400 for it.