College Consulting

[Anonymous]

I am a former selective liberal arts admission officer and have recently started offering college preparation services in the Washington, DC region. I am interested in hearing from parents of juniors and seniors who are applying to top tier colleges and the Ivies. As many college counselors are overburdened in both public and private high schools, there seems to be a need for customized assistance to help eliminate the stress of the college search/application process and make it manageable and rewarding for the entire family. What are the areas where your child could use extra assistance (ie, developing a list of appropriate schools, navigating the college search, planning visits, writing a compelling personal statement, selecting an appropriate high school curriculum, etc.?). Also, would parents and students be interested in Saturday sessions that address various topics related to college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, etc.?

In other words, are the gaps in this crucial process that are not being met by your child's school? Thanks for your input.

[Anonymous]

There is a need for your services. How much will you charge?

[Anonymous]

The market for your services is more likely to be public rather than independent school based. The independent school ratio varies from 30-50 students per counselor, much lower than the public school ratio. At an independent and very happy with college counseling office.

[Anonymous]

Very true. DC is at a large public where the counselors do not have expertise with regard to getting kids into elite universities. We heed help.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your feedback. I charge $85 per hour for short-term engagements (developing a list of "best fit" schools, assistance with writing the personal statement, conducting mock scholarship interviews, etc) and also have full-service packages for juniors and seniors that can be customized based on their needs.

I like to think of my services as complementing and not competing against what is available for students and their families in school. At times, objective feedback from someone who has read hundreds of admission application can complement the advice provided by guidance counselors who may have never worked on the other side of the table.