What makes a private school college counselor excellent?

[Anonymous]

Reading in another thread a line about if a kid is at Sidwell (or like school) part of what you pay for is the excellent college counseling. What makes private school a college counselor great?
Please no snark or public vs private side arguements. We have kids in K-8 and are looking at high schools this year so would like to know what is important to understand about cc departments.

I get the easy differences like ratio of 1 counselor per 30-40 kids, but I’m wondering if people could share details of what “excellent college counseling” looks like at their schools. Asking for specific examples of practices a great college counseling office has that make a real difference.

[Anonymous]

They spread the kids out to avoid competing with each other for the same college spots.

[Anonymous]

How well the counselor gets to know their students, so that recommendations can truly be individualized.

Whether they provide meaningful and helpful edits to essays.

Whether they look past rankings/prestige in helping students create a list.

[Anonymous]

DC’s private school assigns the college counselor in 9th and they help students with course selection starting the summer before 9th, so they both really get to know each kid well by the time they are writing their recs, and also can start “early and often” conversations about how course selection can impact applications. Starting in 10th, students and parents fill out questionnaires and then meet individually to start talking specifically about the college process.

[Anonymous]

Recommendations based on a lot of knowledge and contact.

Real talk about admission changes versus peers also applying to the same school.

Availability through Christmas and new years weeks via email (this was huge for us).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How well the counselor gets to know their students, so that recommendations can truly be individualized.

Whether they provide meaningful and helpful edits to essays.

Whether they look past rankings/prestige in helping students create a list.

Yes, all this.

Ours had a really good handle on how kids from the school had done in the past couple of years, and guided the seniors accordingly. For example, Villanova had become a tough admit from our school ... he guided some kids to Boston College (arguably a more prestigious school) and the less stellar kids to Providence and Fairfield. It's nothing DCUM moms couldn't do. But the counselor's at my other child's public school would have had no idea. They know the in-state publics and that's it.

[Anonymous]

They are not as "excellent" as hiring your own captive college counsellor. You get more time and focus with a personal college counselor you hire by the hour.

We go to a so-called "top 3" private school in a large, competitive city that is not in DC. We have a small team of CC, and 1 college counsellor dedicated per 30-40 students. So eac sub-counsellor is shared among 35-ish kids.

It's fine. But my brother has hired his own personal CC (my nephew goes to a competitive public HS) and I think he gets a lot more attention.

While I do realize our CC at our private does have strong knowledge and some insight or connections to a few selective colleges in particular, I don't think her services is what I value most in my tuition payment. I feel I pay for the small class size and varied curriculum. The slightly better ratio of CC to student is a plus, but I don't think these CCs even at a private school can perform miracles unless you are a top donor or development person.

[Anonymous]

they coddle the kids and parents in a manner unseen at a public!

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP above who laid out the three points in two different posts (not sure if that was the same person or not). I also don’t think my kid needs that many cooks in the kitchen (us/parents, school counselor, paid counselor). Too many voices and if you pay, school counselor will come last yet that’s the person writing the recommendation. They won’t get to know your kid because they’re dealing with you (parents) and hired counselor so school counselor gets the shaft time-wise and relationship building.

That’s my own opinion. DC has too much going on and not enough free time for multiple counselors.

If they went to public school, I’d have hired one. Different situation.

[Anonymous]

Our experience at two different private schools was excellent--they put a lot of resources into it. the schools are small and the counsellors do not have 100s of kids to worry about. they know your kid, they have time for them, they help them develop options, they review everything, they are very structured with deadlines. My current senior texts her counsellor all the time with questions or updates. We did not get involved in any of the application work at all. we did have meetings with the counsellor but she worked direclty with our kid and we let that work. the counsellor can give advice and be realistic and you get to just cheerlead. its been amazing. agree with poster above, I would have hired someone if we did public school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How well the counselor gets to know their students, so that recommendations can truly be individualized.

Whether they provide meaningful and helpful edits to essays.

Whether they look past rankings/prestige in helping students create a list.

so much of this is about the school's culture and philosophy. Some big name national private feeder schools, have entire administrative processes in place so that the counselor letters are extraordinarily personal - with the type of detail that can only come from combing through school reports for 4 years, talking with teachers, hiring outside letter writers etc.

At the end of the day, its about how much $$ and support the school's administration puts into the CCO. Look at Ransom Everglades in FL. They hired a former Dartmouth AO and stacked up that CCO. For a tiny graduating class. They start 1-on-1 meetings in fall of 9th grade. Put kids on a "plan" for both ECs, summer opps and help with alumni internships. Its INSANE.

[Anonymous]

It’s just a much more personally tailored experience at our private school. From helping with creating a list of schools, strategizing about applications (EA, ED, etc), setting up timelines for completing essays, close relationships with college admissions officers, etc. Students have multiple one-on-one meetings with their college counselor junior and senior year, and families/parents are included in at least a few too. Public schools simply aren’t able to provide that level of personalized assistance due to limited resources.

[Anonymous]

Agreed that a private counselor provides much more tailored guidance! My sister worked with this one last year:
www.cambridgeadmissionsgroup.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed that a private counselor provides much more tailored guidance! My sister worked with this one last year:
www.cambridgeadmissionsgroup.com

Private *school* counselor. But nice plug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed that a private counselor provides much more tailored guidance! My sister worked with this one last year:
www.cambridgeadmissionsgroup.com

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