The insanity of 1%er East Coast parents and college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

My kid has too many activities. He is kind of all over the place but genuinely is interested. He plays 3 sports, model UN, science Olympiad, mock trial, robotics, is interested in science, engineering, history and art. I think a counselor could help steer him and maximize his summer potential junior year.

yes, he needs more focus. what is his major interest?
agree, this is where a college counselor can help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m soooo glad I kept my popcorn popped. Some of you are unreal. Unreal.

😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

These are great ideas, just be mindful that the impact of these is minimal for top schools. We all know you need near perfect score, top of class with most rigorous classes. Whether you crochet or plant trees, or best sumo wrestler in country, is not what will get your kids in to top school no matter how great the suggestions are. Obviously the kids with perfect scores who are more interesting have an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

My kid has too many activities. He is kind of all over the place but genuinely is interested. He plays 3 sports, model UN, science Olympiad, mock trial, robotics, is interested in science, engineering, history and art. I think a counselor could help steer him and maximize his summer potential junior year.

yes, he needs more focus. what is his major interest?
agree, this is where a college counselor can help.

He will likely study STEM, not sure what. He loves history and art. He is an amazing artist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

These are great ideas, just be mindful that the impact of these is minimal for top schools. We all know you need near perfect score, top of class with most rigorous classes. Whether you crochet or plant trees, or best sumo wrestler in country, is not what will get your kids in to top school no matter how great the suggestions are. Obviously the kids with perfect scores who are more interesting have an advantage.

OFC. They have to be smart. Is anyone debating that?
For some privates that's a min 3.8uw - for some its higher.

Its a given that you need top grades and rigor/scores as a gating item for T25. Its the #1 point in admissions. If you don't have that, AO won't even read the activities list......
But, once you get past that gating threshold for academic scoring, the story/narrative and activities do matter to distinguish you. That nationally ranked top judo/fencing/wrestler might be needed if even its not a recruited sport (we see that ALL the time). Smart kids who do unusual things are more interesting.
I learned that the academic score is actually a small part of the entire admissions review equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

A high-priced consultant is white glove service.

The won't just suggest teaching ukele or starting a local band...they will arrange for you to volunteer at a prominent music NPO teaching ukele
If your kid loves birding and crocheting, they will incorporate your kid's business (literally, they will file the papers and what not) and put you in contact with a web designer and a shopify account to launch your own business
If your kid loves nature, they will arrange for you to intern with with Sierra Club
If your kid loves politics and is an artist, they will arrange for you to intern with your local council member and/or arrange for an internship with an art gallery

This is why folks don't care about spending $50k or $100k or whatever. It's beyond just suggesting do X, Y or Z...they will literally help make X, Y or Z happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

My kid has too many activities. He is kind of all over the place but genuinely is interested. He plays 3 sports, model UN, science Olympiad, mock trial, robotics, is interested in science, engineering, history and art. I think a counselor could help steer him and maximize his summer potential junior year.

yes, he needs more focus. what is his major interest?
agree, this is where a college counselor can help.

He will likely study STEM, not sure what. He loves history and art. He is an amazing artist.

I'd definitely focus on the art.

https://www.ivywise.com/ivywise-knowledgebase/the-value-of-a-steam-education/
https://www.collegevine.com/faq/6667/should-my-artistic-background-play-a-big-role-in-my-application-if-i-m-applying-for-a-stem-major
https://www.crimsoneducation.org/nz/resources/ask-crimson/t/stem-vs-humanities-who-wins/1571/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

A high-priced consultant is white glove service.

The won't just suggest teaching ukele or starting a local band...they will arrange for you to volunteer at a prominent music NPO teaching ukele
If your kid loves birding and crocheting, they will incorporate your kid's business (literally, they will file the papers and what not) and put you in contact with a web designer and a shopify account to launch your own business
If your kid loves nature, they will arrange for you to intern with with Sierra Club
If your kid loves politics and is an artist, they will arrange for you to intern with your local council member and/or arrange for an internship with an art gallery

This is why folks don't care about spending $50k or $100k or whatever. It's beyond just suggesting do X, Y or Z...they will literally help make X, Y or Z happen.

So? Someone's always got more money to do things. Let them do this.
Im not so worried about "white glove college counseling".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the PP point wasn't whether it is a good use of YOUR money, but it's value period. Most kids who I see getting into top schools do it on their own, naturally bright and gifted, no test prep or "curating" activities needed. I think the admissions officers know who got their on their own and who got their with excessive support. Like it almost works inversely, the more you spend the worse off your kid is-- they look bad to top schools and if they make it past-- cant keep up with the naturally brilliant kids who didnt need all the extra help.

I don’t disagree with what you say, but know UHNW folks that think nothing of spending these sums.

I think this is a naive view.
Look at the curated activities list from Crimson. Do you really think that hasn't helped their applicants?

From my perspective with one in junior year and one a freshman at different ivies, the majority are indeed naturally gifted, without heavily curated activities such as the purposefully unique birdwatcher types, the pay to play research and founding nonprofits seen on DCUM. Instead they were concertmaster at their high school, or were all-state band, did some local theater, or editor of the school's poetry journal, or state-level debater or worked for years with a local nonprofit that they truly cared about, or were head counselor at a summer camp. Additionally they had top scores and based on class placement the number who took AP physics C, Chem, BC calc, and even post BC math is extraordinarily high. Even the non-stem ones took a huge amount of difficult courses, some of which our private did not offer. The number who were valedictorian or salutatorian is very high. They joke about how they "used" to be smart/top and are now just average like everyone else, yet to hear all of the things they do on campus in addition to intense classes is exhausting. Even their fun is typically scheduled, though they seem to be quite content with their choice most of the time. It has become quite evident that there are small pockets of students who really struggle in the ivy environment. Whether these few are more likely TO or hooked or propped up by parents/tutors is unclear: some just seemed to have burnt out. It takes a lot of confidence to thrive at these schools. I would never send a student who had not chased and accomplished their high school goals on their own and shown ability to be resilient. Until you have one in these schools, it is hard to grasp, especially those of us with older ones who went to a top flagship just outside the-T25. The pressure is another level at ivies and I assume other T15 types. The resources and funds for undergraduate research/opportunities are unbelievably lavish, but it comes with an intensity that does not fit typical "average excellent" students

Yes, the kid I know at an Ivy now is super smart and developed a unique niche interest and deep expertise related to an unpopular major. Totally different from “curating” a few clubs an a service trip to Africa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

A high-priced consultant is white glove service.

The won't just suggest teaching ukele or starting a local band...they will arrange for you to volunteer at a prominent music NPO teaching ukele
If your kid loves birding and crocheting, they will incorporate your kid's business (literally, they will file the papers and what not) and put you in contact with a web designer and a shopify account to launch your own business
If your kid loves nature, they will arrange for you to intern with with Sierra Club
If your kid loves politics and is an artist, they will arrange for you to intern with your local council member and/or arrange for an internship with an art gallery

This is why folks don't care about spending $50k or $100k or whatever. It's beyond just suggesting do X, Y or Z...they will literally help make X, Y or Z happen.

So? Someone's always got more money to do things. Let them do this.
Im not so worried about "white glove college counseling".

You clearly aren't following the thread...just trying to explain why people pay these kinds of amounts. It's not just for suggestions on activities or colleges and essay help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

this is true.

if you kid has love ukelele for years, they might say, hey: maybe start teaching ukelele or start some sort of local band?
if your kid loves birding and crocheting, hey, make little birds with crochet and sell on etsy.
if your kid loves nature and started the environmental club, they might say, hey, these 2 summer programs are great, and you might want to get a job planting trees this summer.
if a kid loves politics but is also an artist, hey, there's this local/state art council with your lawmakers your junior should apply for, and a job at an art gallery. and don't forget to max out on those advanced art credits so you can create the art portfolio next year.

its not manufacturing "trendy" or "hot" ECs out of thin air. the interests are already there. sometimes there isn't someone at home to help thread everything together.

there's one clueless, dense know-it-all "ivy mom of 2" on here who LOVES to spew her nonsense about her fabulously gifted and amah-ZING kids. She needs a life.

Lol. OP here. the is exactly the kind of crazy talk I mean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that the activities should be ones that the students themselves find, pursue, and succeed at on their own, and not ones a consultant and parents select for them.

You don't seem to understand how those activities are selected.
They don't give you a list of lessons to sign up for, they go through your current interests and highlight the ones you might want to focus on and guide you towards other activities that are similar or close to what you already love.

Maybe you have 6 activities and you are just OK at all of them, but your sumo wrestling is about to become an NCAA women's sport and you would be recruitable in your weight class if you could reclaim some time by putting your competitive jenga and lemonade stand on hold for a bit.

Maybe you love playing D&D because you love playing D&D because you really enjoy immersing yourself into the character. They might suggest you pursue drama club or something.
Of maybe you love D&D because you love weaving together worlds for your players to adventure in, so maybe you should take some writing classes to learn how to turn those ideas into stories.

You do not understand college admissions better than an experienced college consultant.

With that said, most of the time, they don't really add a whole lot of value aside from helping you pick out some schools that you would be extremely happy at but aren't on your radar.

Yes! If you make a good effort as a parent to research the college process, you know what courses your kid needs to be competitive. For us, it's really about challenging the kid and making a balance of school work with their desired ECs. I know how to select colleges, but liked the CC help as for our 2nd kid, they found several schools I was not really aware of. They know the ins/outs of schools and are aware that blindly applying to 15of the top 25 is not a good approach (no way your kid really would be a good fit at all of those). So they help you find schools that are a good fit (for location, size, class size, opportunities (want to do research sophomore year +? ) and to find schools that let your kid change majors easily. My kid is engineering, wanted the ability to select any engineering without having to "compete" and if they wanted to switch out, wanted business or Chemistry as a viable option (at many Direct admit/impacted major schools that is simply not an option). So the CC helped us come up with a list of 10+ schools that met all criteria.

The next best part of a CC is they manage the schedule so you don't have to nag. Ours required the Nov 1 (and Nov 15) to be submitted 4-5 days prior. So no stress/rushing and no last minute "oh shi$ the system is down wTH do we do" And supplementals were teed up for RD to submit shortly after Dec 15, if ED1 was not an Accept. That meant Nov and Dec were less stress, and our senior got to enjoy their senior year. Better essays because they were done in advance. But in reality, other than the List of colleges, you can do most of it yourself (our CC told me I could be a CC if I wanted to_----no desire to deal with parents but I have the skill set to help)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in FCPS and moved away after college. Fast forward almost 30 years and we moved back for a job for a few years. My mind was blown when my kid came home and said her classmate’s family paid $30,000 for college prep for each kid. If you have to pay for a kid to get guided to a certain college, perhaps that college isn’t the right fit🤷‍♀️ You can’t hold your kid’s hand in college. Give them encouragement, but let their own motivation be what leads their way. My heart breaks for these kids who are under so much pressure from their parents. I hear you, OP.

x1000 We did not do any of the $ or tutors to stay in the top math group or other snowplow parenting and somehow they still got in to ivies unhooked.
Yet based on FB parent groups, some of the parents still helicopter and try to over-manage in college, angst over med school or law apps. No parent ever tried to help with college classes or med school back then. It is sad, their kids must have horrible self esteem. Ivies are competitive enough without constantly wondering if you would have gotten in without all the help or other hooks.

I guess I view the expense differently. If you make a ton of money, then what’s $30k, $50k even $100k to spend on these consultants. Once you decide to use one then you go for the best/the one that eases the path.

It’s hard to grasp when for 99.5%, that $30k is real money.

I don’t disagree with what you say, but know UHNW folks that think nothing of spending these sums.

we are UHNW, and I would NOT spend that type of money on college consultant. We spend $4.5K on CC and another $1K on SAT tutoring (10 individual sessions), and that was for all 4 years (but we only used it for 14 months). Because I agree, that if you have to spend that much, then perhaps that isn't the school for your kid (or my kid)

I wrote that I would get a college counselor. I have no idea the cost. My oldest is a sophomore in HS.

it an be done for 4-5K. For us that was "all in for 4 years, unlimited visits". They help you plan HS courses (we didn't need that) and most importantly help you find the right Reach, Target and Safeties for your kid. Of my kid's final Top 3 choices (2 targets and a gem of a safety), I would have only considered 1 of them. They also help your kid stay on schedule without you having to nag them---senior year is stressful enough. And the 1-1 SAT tutoring is best use of time and money. After 1 baseline test and 4 hours of review (based on results) my kid was essentially at their final score (+/-10 points). we could have been done then. But did a few more practice tests and review sessions. They teach the tricks for how to approach the test, help your kid see where they are making silly mistakes and in general just the taking of 4-5 practice tests help prepares your kid. For ex, all practice tests were to be done at 8am, just like the real SAT. Because yes, I'm certain my go to bed at 2am et up at noon kid would do better with a 2pm test but that isn't reality. So practice under real world conditions helps you

Can you recommend your sat prep? I bought my kid a psat book he didn’t open last summer and now sat book that is collecting dust.

not local, so no. But look for an individual company (not a national chain), ask for references and see their track record. A good one will sell to you by the hour--we did only 8 or 10 hours and were done. at that point they honestly told us, "if you want to spend 20-30 hours more and focus on the Verbal, with a ton of outside work you might raise that 700 to a 750, but it's not worth it (and my kid didn't want to). So basically, a good tutor knows that it only takes 8-10 hours(or less) to arrive at your kid's ideal score. If they want to sell you a 30 hour+ package, run away.

For ex: my kid started with 1330 baseline, after 4 hours of 1-1 (3 verbal and 1 hour math), they scored 1480 on next practice test. That was their final score. All other practice tests and real tests were within 20 points +/-. So in reality, those 4 hours was all that was needed---just an overview of where their main issues were, and pointers/tricks for understanding the structure of the test and how to approach it. The next 4-6 hours were just reviewing additional practice tests and identifying errors. And practice, because the more real life situation tests (simulations okay) you do the better prepared you are for the real arrive at 7:15am to the test center on a Sat situation.

So my kid got a 150 point increase. With only 4 hours of work. Our tutor says that is normal. If you start at a lower score, then you might need 8-10 hours to reach a final score (a smart kid who only gets 1200 on baseline has more room to improve/errors to find). But nobody really needs 20-30 hours.

If you need much more than 6-12 hours, you are probably doing homework during tutoring time and you are paying someone to walk your kid through homework.

Exactly---the 6-10 hours is enough to address your kid's deficiencies and issues on the test. Then the kid practices and you should be at their "ideal score" fairly fast. However, know that only so much can help---If your kid starts at a 1100 or 1200, you are not likely to get to 1500. And if you start at 1450, it will be much harder to get a 150 increase (unless it's literally all silly mistakes). So mileage may vary, but yes, the 20-30+ hour programs are overkill.
and Also, if you need to do that to get the SAT needed for a school, are you really a candidate for that school? is it really the best place for your kid? Might they struggle once they get in?
Just something to think about. Because not everyone at a T20 in Chem 101 is going to get an A, there will be a curve and some will get Bs&Cs. And yes, for most doing so, that will be the first time in their life they haven't gotten an A/been theTop5% of their class. But at a T20, someone has to be at the Bottom 25-50%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in FCPS and moved away after college. Fast forward almost 30 years and we moved back for a job for a few years. My mind was blown when my kid came home and said her classmate’s family paid $30,000 for college prep for each kid. If you have to pay for a kid to get guided to a certain college, perhaps that college isn’t the right fit🤷‍♀️ You can’t hold your kid’s hand in college. Give them encouragement, but let their own motivation be what leads their way. My heart breaks for these kids who are under so much pressure from their parents. I hear you, OP.

x1000 We did not do any of the $ or tutors to stay in the top math group or other snowplow parenting and somehow they still got in to ivies unhooked.
Yet based on FB parent groups, some of the parents still helicopter and try to over-manage in college, angst over med school or law apps. No parent ever tried to help with college classes or med school back then. It is sad, their kids must have horrible self esteem. Ivies are competitive enough without constantly wondering if you would have gotten in without all the help or other hooks.

I guess I view the expense differently. If you make a ton of money, then what’s $30k, $50k even $100k to spend on these consultants. Once you decide to use one then you go for the best/the one that eases the path.

It’s hard to grasp when for 99.5%, that $30k is real money.

I don’t disagree with what you say, but know UHNW folks that think nothing of spending these sums.

we are UHNW, and I would NOT spend that type of money on college consultant. We spend $4.5K on CC and another $1K on SAT tutoring (10 individual sessions), and that was for all 4 years (but we only used it for 14 months). Because I agree, that if you have to spend that much, then perhaps that isn't the school for your kid (or my kid)

I wrote that I would get a college counselor. I have no idea the cost. My oldest is a sophomore in HS.

it an be done for 4-5K. For us that was "all in for 4 years, unlimited visits". They help you plan HS courses (we didn't need that) and most importantly help you find the right Reach, Target and Safeties for your kid. Of my kid's final Top 3 choices (2 targets and a gem of a safety), I would have only considered 1 of them. They also help your kid stay on schedule without you having to nag them---senior year is stressful enough. And the 1-1 SAT tutoring is best use of time and money. After 1 baseline test and 4 hours of review (based on results) my kid was essentially at their final score (+/-10 points). we could have been done then. But did a few more practice tests and review sessions. They teach the tricks for how to approach the test, help your kid see where they are making silly mistakes and in general just the taking of 4-5 practice tests help prepares your kid. For ex, all practice tests were to be done at 8am, just like the real SAT. Because yes, I'm certain my go to bed at 2am et up at noon kid would do better with a 2pm test but that isn't reality. So practice under real world conditions helps you

Can you recommend your sat prep? I bought my kid a psat book he didn’t open last summer and now sat book that is collecting dust.

not local, so no. But look for an individual company (not a national chain), ask for references and see their track record. A good one will sell to you by the hour--we did only 8 or 10 hours and were done. at that point they honestly told us, "if you want to spend 20-30 hours more and focus on the Verbal, with a ton of outside work you might raise that 700 to a 750, but it's not worth it (and my kid didn't want to). So basically, a good tutor knows that it only takes 8-10 hours(or less) to arrive at your kid's ideal score. If they want to sell you a 30 hour+ package, run away.

For ex: my kid started with 1330 baseline, after 4 hours of 1-1 (3 verbal and 1 hour math), they scored 1480 on next practice test. That was their final score. All other practice tests and real tests were within 20 points +/-. So in reality, those 4 hours was all that was needed---just an overview of where their main issues were, and pointers/tricks for understanding the structure of the test and how to approach it. The next 4-6 hours were just reviewing additional practice tests and identifying errors. And practice, because the more real life situation tests (simulations okay) you do the better prepared you are for the real arrive at 7:15am to the test center on a Sat situation.

So my kid got a 150 point increase. With only 4 hours of work. Our tutor says that is normal. If you start at a lower score, then you might need 8-10 hours to reach a final score (a smart kid who only gets 1200 on baseline has more room to improve/errors to find). But nobody really needs 20-30 hours.

If you need much more than 6-12 hours, you are probably doing homework during tutoring time and you are paying someone to walk your kid through homework.

The truly naturally gifted smart kids are getting 1200 on the SAT in 6th grade. They don’t require any tutoring. They get near perfect or perfect scores in one sitting on the first try when they take the test as a junior or senior for college admissions. They don’t need to spend hours and hours studying or hiring tutors in High School - even at the most competitive schools taking the most rigorous courses. I know this because I have this kid. And as a parent you really only understand what I’m talking about if you have a kid like this. Our other kids are smart - work really hard and get good grades, study, tutoring, etc to get good test scores. But it is not the same. There is no comparison.

AOs can’t tell the difference between the SMART kids and the ones that prepped and got tutoring and took the SAT 3 or 4 times. (Not saying there’s anything wrong with kids working super hard to improve). So I imagine at top schools you’re surrounded mostly by hard workers (and/or kids of parents who can hire the best of the best to tutor, curate etc) not necessarily the brightest kids out there.