If you have a private college counselor…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:… are you more or less hands off as a parent? Do you still find you have to help with the application and school list? Does your counselor help figure out good fit schools and guide DC on the nitty gritty stuff in the application? Brainstorming essay ideas?

Trying to figure out the best type of counselor and how much it costs for someone who truly helps guide DC on all aspects. (Or are parents pretty involved regardless?). Not looking for someone who writes the essays or changes DC’s voice.

Yes the counselor is very helpful but yes we are also involved. Involved more with Kid#2 than Kid#1 because kids are different and some need more support than others.

Counselor did a fit list for both kids. I still did my own research. Counselor's list for one kid was spot on, not so much for the other kid, so I had to do more work on that one.

Counselor does work with them on essay topics, editing, and gives to do lists between meetings to keep them on track. I still edit essays but after the counselor has done her thing to get them into pretty good shape. I don't agree that an essay she thinks is done really is. While she brainstorms topics with my kids, she also doesn't know that all that well, so I have done a lot of that with both of them.

I also feel pretty confident in my own judgment. I'm an HYPSM graduate, I've done a lot of research, and I'm a good editor (in a profession where I write and edit a lot).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been staying on track with essays and all due to the weekly meetings with college counselor. So, that is good. But, I just read some of her supplementals, which have been reviewed and “approved” by the CC I do not like them for various reasons. I also reviewed the common app, and there are mistakes and typos. ECs should have been drafted better. It looks like I need to be involved.

Yes to staying involved. I too have found a lot of errors in counselor's work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been staying on track with essays and all due to the weekly meetings with college counselor. So, that is good. But, I just read some of her supplementals, which have been reviewed and “approved” by the CC I do not like them for various reasons. I also reviewed the common app, and there are mistakes and typos. ECs should have been drafted better. It looks like I need to be involved.

Yes to staying involved. I too have found a lot of errors in counselor's work.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the kid finally enters a competitive college, and the various types of parental/tutor support are unavailable, would that kid then struggle? Or is the secret that while it’s tough to get in, the school work is actually manageable without any extraordinary effort?

I love everything about college admissions and help a few kids, so a little experience with a variety of kids.

What you are saying spoke to me today. I am working with a brilliant kid that I have also seen in the classroom setting. But his executive function skills leave so much to be desired, I am worried about how he’ll function in college. He wants to drop out of high school or college, but parents want him to get a degree. Interesting….

[Anonymous]

Independent College Counselor here.

Just want to throw in a little warning to parents about over-editing your kids' essays.

I am fastidious about grammar and punctuation on essays so I would never call something "finished" if it had grammatical errors or typos. However, not only is it inappropriate for me to re-write essays, it would very much count against the students if I were to do that. Colleges (yes, even Ivies) are wary of too much polish, which could indicate AI or a different writer. Every time I read an essay, of course I think about what I might have said differently, but it is not my essay and not my voice. I might brainstorm with a student. I might give feedback in the form of questions or encouragement to reflect on what an experience meant to a student. I might suggest that the student include a specific example here or there. But I am careful not to insert myself into the essay. If the essays are great in the end, it is because the student really took the time to write and rewrite. I think parents may not realize, though, that sometimes the little style imperfections lend some authenticity.

For what it is worth, I don't think students *need* private college counselors. I think most parents hire one for the executive function support and to preserve their relationship with their student. Just don't mess it up for them!