Choosing an independent college counselor: did you go with a company or an individual?

[Anonymous]

I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

[Anonymous]

Pp here. No idea what corrected to “hyped”. We got one!

[Anonymous]

I agree with the posters who have said to find a good one by word of mouth. Ask friends and others you know whose kids are in college. They are likely to be willing to share names and contact info for people they used and liked. Interview 2-3 and have your kid talk to them also (or the ones you like). There are very good counselors doing full service work for $5k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

Same. Consultant hurt us in ED (T10).
Kid got into Ivy (and more) with our help (redid all essays and ECs) in December.

I sometimes think these consultants take on too many people and then do a really shi*ty job with managing all the demands. They don’t set things up on the front end and just accept more clients without thinking through the consequences to the end product. As a result, I won’t ever recommend that counselor to anyone and actively dissuade people from using that counselor when the name is referenced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

Same. Consultant hurt us in ED (T10).
Kid got into Ivy (and more) with our help (redid all essays and ECs) in December.

I sometimes think these consultants take on too many people and then do a really shi*ty job with managing all the demands. They don’t set things up on the front end and just accept more clients without thinking through the consequences to the end product. As a result, I won’t ever recommend that counselor to anyone and actively dissuade people from using that counselor when the name is referenced.

Who were they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the posters who have said to find a good one by word of mouth. Ask friends and others you know whose kids are in college. They are likely to be willing to share names and contact info for people they used and liked. Interview 2-3 and have your kid talk to them also (or the ones you like). There are very good counselors doing full service work for $5k.

Can you recommend any of these very good counselors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

Same. Consultant hurt us in ED (T10).
Kid got into Ivy (and more) with our help (redid all essays and ECs) in December.

I sometimes think these consultants take on too many people and then do a really shi*ty job with managing all the demands. They don’t set things up on the front end and just accept more clients without thinking through the consequences to the end product. As a result, I won’t ever recommend that counselor to anyone and actively dissuade people from using that counselor when the name is referenced.

I hear ya! I read on DCUM that our consultant (or his company) offers application reviews after early rejection! Really? How about helping your clients who were rejected in the early round? Not a peep from him until April! I was gracious when he reached out after RD decisions were out and thanked him for his help with essays. We were happy and feeling generous. But DC was definitely less than. I won’t say what happened but my kid is a sweetheart and had realized this guy had really not helped, and maybe messed up chances.

OP at least don’t spend too much on anyone. And look for the thread where there are questions to ask a consultant. It was posted in the last couple of weeks. I wish I could help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

Same. Consultant hurt us in ED (T10).
Kid got into Ivy (and more) with our help (redid all essays and ECs) in December.

I sometimes think these consultants take on too many people and then do a really shi*ty job with managing all the demands. They don’t set things up on the front end and just accept more clients without thinking through the consequences to the end product. As a result, I won’t ever recommend that counselor to anyone and actively dissuade people from using that counselor when the name is referenced.

SAME experience here. When you have a counselor you are tacitly pressured to take their advice and go along with everything. It’s part of the deal. They’re the “experts.” But no one knows your child like you do, and no one cares more about your child than you.

If you’re a discerning person and pay attention, you truly don’t need a counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say not to get a consultant. We hyped one. DC was rejected REA. We revamped apps as consultant was done in November (essays were complete). The post-mortem helped so much and I was able to bring up topics I thought were a better fit. DC at HYPSM.

While I agree that consultants are terrible, that is a common scenario (rej REA, accepted HYPSM RD) for unhooked kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop with YCBK worship. The host is a laughing stock. Better off with Application Nation.

I sometimes wonder if they plug themselves, looking for potential clients/listeners.

Maybe they do, but I'm the one who first mentioned it upthread!
tbh, I learned about it on here about 4 years (or more ago). I am probably the guilty party who "plugs" them bc i found I have generally learned a lot from Susan (love her) and Julia, and find it educational (sorry!). I'm also the one who'd occasionally highlight/summarize something here if I thought it might be relevant to other parents. But I don't really listen to them regularly anymore.

I did see an update in my podcasts app earlier today, and mentioned it on the other thread re endowment tax. Whoops. And there was another new college app podcast, too, that I'm still listening to, but I guess there's no need for me to mention it here.

Wait! I need the name of the new podcast you found!

[Anonymous]

Our private consultant heavily pushed DC to ED to a LAC she liked but wasn't absolute #1 and we regret that. Felt like the private consultant wanted a "win" for herself rather than what was best for our child.

[Anonymous]

Get a good essay coach.
Consultants are a waste if you’re so invested that you are here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our private consultant heavily pushed DC to ED to a LAC she liked but wasn't absolute #1 and we regret that. Felt like the private consultant wanted a "win" for herself rather than what was best for our child.

That’s unfortunate. Is your child still there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our private consultant heavily pushed DC to ED to a LAC she liked but wasn't absolute #1 and we regret that. Felt like the private consultant wanted a "win" for herself rather than what was best for our child.

I know someone whose consultant pushed their DC to ED at Elon! Come on, Elon has, what, an 80% acceptance rate? They clearly just wanted to take their fee and run.