How much will I pay for an educational consultant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You trust a stranger to know your kid better than you?

I wouldn't bother paying for a educational consultant, but then again I waste hours here on dcurbanmoms and obsess about private school admissions with other neurotic moms and know the process well. I've also heard lots of gossip about various schools in my area and have a good sense about each of them.

That being said, lots of moms aren't like me and could use help to sort through the myriad of choices, hype, slick marketing, and cheerleading parents. Oh, and have money to burn.

Doesn't mean they don't know their child. More like they are confused about the process and their choices. Lighten up. It's not your money or time.

[Anonymous]

Georgia Irvin is great and/but would be the first to tell you she can't "get your kid into school X," nor can any consultant. They're consultants. You consult with them and get advice, like talking to a lawyer or financial services type. Sure, you could do it yourself, but you may get some advice that helps you along the way. Or you may not. If you don't feel you need/want it, you have your answer.

[Anonymous]

We used Georgia and found her to be good.

[Anonymous]

Let's put this in perspective. Those of you planning to send your kids to private schools in the DC area from K through 12th grade, are planning to spend more than $250,000 (even using conservative tuition estimates) on one child's education. More, of course, if you have more than one kid.

Spending $4,000 to get advice on how best to spend $250,000, seems more than reasonable to me. If you have the money to burn, of course.

[Anonymous]

PP, I'm w/you. And to the poster who asked if I trusted a stranger to know my kid better than them--no. That's why my consultant observed my kid in every setting possible, sat down for over an hour with my kid, reviewed every scholastic paper on my kid, and spoke daily w/me for half a year. What she did know that I didn't, was the insides of every private school in this area, knew the heads and admission directors for years, lunched with them, and had an 'in' with them so that whenever she called they (the heads or admission directors themselves) took her call. After all of that, she (our consultant) advised me on where she thought my child would best thrive. So I know my kid best, but she knew the rest. And she was right on the $ for school suggestions, as we (my child and I) are very happy with the school placement. And a tip: consultants can push an indecisive admissions office toward an acceptance when they are on the fence or considering their client over another child.