Common App: EC list review and counseling
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| How much should we expect to pay for a comprehensive counseling review and line by line edit of the 10 common app activities list and additional info section? |
Anonymous
|
You really don't need someone to do this for you.
TBH, I've never heard anyone break out this job. I've heard of an overall counseling package, and I've heard of essay review. This section isn't hard. Just write actively and pull out specific details that show involvement. |
Anonymous
| Are there any normal people left on this forum? |
Anonymous
|
The ad-hoc services are the way to go imo. Will cover ECs and Honors. Usually 1-2k depending on how much work is needed. If its on the higher end, it will usually come with more “packaging” for the applicant’s overall story?
You want to have the honors & ECs show alignment w/major, impact, passion, personality and evidence of your “story”. Ex. Sara H charges $2k for 2 hours on EC /Honors review 1-on-1. |
Anonymous
|
Honestly, if you really want a line by line edit of ECs, save your money and run it through AI.
This isn’t going to make or break the application. These aren’t even verified unless your kid had some huge nationally recognized published thing. |
Anonymous
| Chat gpt will do it for free. |
Anonymous
It actually can be a huge miss. Our CCO showed us 2 - one was a very tippy top student who did Student Govt, MUN, debate, Math, research, soccer, a passion project, and it was a scattered hot mess of 10 entries and 5 honors. All of the parents were confused too, bc it seemed like the kid threw everything they did in (and they were all great things) but none of them matched the major. Then showed us one for a top 25% student who was very purposeful in only showcasing certain things which supported their story/major or whatever you want to call it. Only had 8 entries and 4 honors. The 2nd one was so much stronger. There's a lot written online about how to do this well. |
Anonymous
But it's so bad that way. It then sounds like chatgpt and robotic. Good EC descriptions sound like your kid revealing a little bit of themselves to you, one entry at a time. |
Anonymous
So can your actual kid, presumably. |
Anonymous
| Oh my gosh, please stop lighting money on fire. If your kid is smart enough to go to college, they can write one line about each of their activities. |
Anonymous
|
This one costs $40. Im currious how great the outcome would be?
https://nextadmit.com/portal/order/activities-list This one is $750, which seems about right: https://www.nscollegeconsulting.net/resources/p/common-application-activity-list-review This one is a lot more but it looks like they cover the activities list: https://www.commandeducation.com/college-application-booster/ |
Anonymous
+1 It really changes my perspective on wealthy people. How are they so foolish? |
Anonymous
Bc its not a lot of money for someone who makes millions and wants to make sure their kid doesn't short themself in the process unintentionally? |
Anonymous
there's so much written online about this that - shocker - AI is pretty good at cleaning up activities lists, using action verbs, demonstrating and quantifying impact, highlighting "Story" blah blah blah |
Anonymous
|
Here's why this matters:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1lntuj1/admitium_dont_sleep_on_your_activities_page/ I'll just offer three reasons, but there are more: (1) In the age of ChatGPT, what you do matters more than what you say. A really impressive activity--one that is objective and verifiable--can carry more weight than the best personal essay. (2) AOs usually read your Activities Page before they hit your essays. So, it's an opportunity to separate from most kids who don't think of this as "writing." If your writing here is killer--descriptions that are fun, interesting, show impact--your AO will like you. And if you have the goods, they're thinking you're a contender now and reading your essays carefully because they view you as a possible admit. If the activities aren't there, your reader is probably skimming. (3) If AOs want to advocate for you, they have to convince their colleagues in committee. If you do an excellent job with your Activities Page, that's often the key doc we'll pull up in committee a few months later to remember you and rattle off why you're amazing. The other AOs will see the ratings showing your testing and rigor and grades are good enough. So, sometimes all it takes is talking about your top three activities and people are like: "OK, OK, we've heard enough. Ready to vote?" You don't even get to talk about their amazing essay or activity 4 or that killer LOR. So, don't spend all summer on the Personal Essay. Give your Activities Page some love. --Admitium |