Recommend your college consultant (pretty please)

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with 14:17.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this. Did any of your children end with any Bs on their transcript?


Yes. One B in an AP class. Also an added note, two of my kids attended private and one attended public for HS.

another note I wanted to add. I would pay at least a little bit of attention to where kids in the past have gotten in. One of my children did not do this and still got into the school they did ED at. However, one did. She was between to ivies and, ultimately, decided to go with the one that seemed to have a better track record with her school. Also, ED significantly increases chances.

Thank you! Do you feel your child at the public HS was at a disadvantage?
Did the Ivy admitted kids have Bs on their transcript?
Are you saying that if there is no track record of kids getting in then it will be tougher?

I'm also a mom of 3 about the enter the process and these are all questions I'm thinking about as one kid is one the verge of their first B. We have legacy and will do early but still a lot of things have to fall into place (ECs and scores) before DC makes the final decision.



here.

HAHA- Thank you to whoever said I should start a side business! I have considered it, but would rather just help friends I do love strategy, research and branding, so it is right up my alley. I felt like I was educated enough on schools and the process that we did not need a consultant by kid 2&3. BUT, my kids had to be willing to listen to me LOL!

Honestly, I am not sure if my child at a public school was at a disadvantage. I see many pros and cons. At the end of the day, it was the best fit for them.

One child did have a single B (might have been a B+), and one did not.

If you would like more personal details, you can share a dummy email and I will reach out.

[Anonymous]

AND another add on because I simply keep having more to share!

Before we began the process I did not know colleges have certain class requirements.

Look into these.

Ex... Business majors must get to AP Calc. All applicants must have four years of a language.

These might differ from HS requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AND another add on because I simply keep having more to share!

Before we began the process I did not know colleges have certain class requirements.

Look into these.

Ex... Business majors must get to AP Calc. All applicants must have four years of a language.

These might differ from HS requirements.

This is basic stuff. Your HS counselor should have advised on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AND another add on because I simply keep having more to share!

Before we began the process I did not know colleges have certain class requirements.

Look into these.

Ex... Business majors must get to AP Calc. All applicants must have four years of a language.

These might differ from HS requirements.

This is basic stuff. Your HS counselor should have advised on this.

yeah right, we are in a great public school but no one aid anything about stopping FL as junior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AND another add on because I simply keep having more to share!

Before we began the process I did not know colleges have certain class requirements.

Look into these.

Ex... Business majors must get to AP Calc. All applicants must have four years of a language.

These might differ from HS requirements.

This is basic stuff. Your HS counselor should have advised on this.

“Should” being the operative word. A lot of HS counselors, especially in public schools where they are advising tons of kids and may not really get to know many of them, are really not that good, or are overwhelmed. What you might think of as basic others may never have heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AND another add on because I simply keep having more to share!

Before we began the process I did not know colleges have certain class requirements.

Look into these.

Ex... Business majors must get to AP Calc. All applicants must have four years of a language.

These might differ from HS requirements.

Thank you so much for being so helpful, its just nice to see people offering free advice-not as saving money but rather as a sense of humanity in the world...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you’re absolutely clueless, I don’t recommend one. I have a “good” one and pretty much think it’s a scam. Save your money and hire an essay coach and do SAT prep.

This response and the first response on this post say it all. Thousands of dollars later and I had to become the essay editor and all the Colleges they said would love my child absolutely didn't care. I will repeat post 1: Keep up your grades, study for the SATs or join a prep course, have a passion project which starts early show leadership and read voraciously so you can write well. There are lots of former admissions officers online offering essay coaching services online, pick one or hire someone from Oxbridge. Pick a mix of schools; safety, targets and reaches and then apply. For anything else ask in this forum or the hundreds of Facebook groups dedicated to College admissions.

I don't understand these responses. If you had a disappointing experience with a doctor or a contractor or a babysitter, would you swear off of using them forever? Couldn't it be possible you hired one that was bad, or just fine but not worth the cost to you, or a poor fit for your kid or your family? I'm a consultant with a long line of interested potential clients, almost all referred by previous families, so I don't think only "absolutely clueless" people find value in my work.

I had a single chance and won't be going through the process any longer but I have also educated myself about the process and would feel pretty comfortable guiding a second child without using a counselor. I am not dismissing the profession and would probably consider becoming a certified counselor in the future. Another thought comes to mind, it is worth meeting up with a counselor as early as possible if you decide to use one. 9th grade is not too early because they have limited impact the later they're engaged. Using a former admissions officer from a selective school is also a plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

we just finished the process with DD and couldn’t agree more. DD had tutors throughout upper school, got national recognition for her “passion project” started summer after 8th grade, had a part time job, tons of leadership and a perfect ACT score. We didn’t hire a college counselor but she did have one on one test prep and an essay coach. She had full ride and ivy offers. I’m glad this process is over and urge others to follow pp’s advice as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I anticipate that this post will bring in a lot of trolls/haters, and that is okay. But, some might find it helpful. I am the mom to three kids. Two are at different ivy’s and one is at a top public university. I realize we had resources to utilize (Ex… tutors) and we did that. I also learned a lot in the process. They are three very different kids. All are naturally smart to some extent.

Grades are the #1 most important thing. Consistency is key. Learning even the small assignments matter is HUGE. If a grade is slipping, get a tutor. Talk to teachers and communicate. PLAN. This makes a big difference in the long run. There is a difference between an A and an A-. Ex… If you are on semester grades and get a B one quarter, be extremely diligent the next quarter to average it to an A. It is important to take hard classes, and hard classes in the area of interest, but grades are more important. An A in a regular class is better than a B in an AP (unless maybe it is whatever subject they want to major in).

Branding/ Personal Project- Find a way, if possible, to either tie in personal adversity or personal interest to community service. I have one child who faced a specific challenge that turned into a passion project of advocacy, service, etc… I have one child who had a specific interest that he/she created a service initiative for, went on a trip for, and tied into what they hoped to study. Make meaningful and real impact.

Extracurriculars- Find leadership positions, even if that means starting your own club or organization. Show consistency. Show passion. Find awards that correlate to major. Do service. Have a job even if it's just in the summer.

Essay- write a common app essay about personal projects, or notable experiences that relate to values. Supplemental - Tie in personal story to personal/school values and further experiences.

Test scores- practice, practice, you can learn the test. Fwiw one of my children at an ivy went test optional.

we just finished the process with DD and couldn’t agree more. DD had tutors throughout upper school, got national recognition for her “passion project” started summer after 8th grade, had a part time job, tons of leadership and a perfect ACT score. We didn’t hire a college counselor but she did have one on one test prep and an essay coach. She had full ride and ivy offers. I’m glad this process is over and urge others to follow pp’s advice as much as possible.

public or private HS? congrats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I am a tutor and help edit college essays and guide students through the admissions process. My former students have ended up in their dream programs at places like Harvard, Wake Forest, and Oberlin. You can see more info here: https://sites.google.com/view/learndeeply

Thank you.
I’m saving this…

You're welcome! Please reach out if you would like to learn more. This is my intake form: https://forms.gle/3J467QswFWmPo7KF8 I always start with a free 15-min call.

[Anonymous]

100% agree with the first response. This isn't rocket science but it is a lot of planning and common sense. My youngest is a senior now and we didn't use a counselor -- thought about it and met with one but wasn't willing to pay her exorbitant price. She did give us some free advice that I thought was really spot-on:

1) Extracurriculars: go deep on interests/passions (as much as high-school kids have actual passions) -- not broad

2) Don't bother with pricey summer programs unless you're getting college credit

3) And one from me: "Optional" supplemental essays are actually required, assuming you'd like to be admitted. Have a trusted reader (who is ideally a good writer) proof essays before you click "Submit". For real.

[Anonymous]

Green Apple Kelly Fraser easily the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100% agree with the first response. This isn't rocket science but it is a lot of planning and common sense. My youngest is a senior now and we didn't use a counselor -- thought about it and met with one but wasn't willing to pay her exorbitant price. She did give us some free advice that I thought was really spot-on:

1) Extracurriculars: go deep on interests/passions (as much as high-school kids have actual passions) -- not broad

2) Don't bother with pricey summer programs unless you're getting college credit

3) And one from me: "Optional" supplemental essays are actually required, assuming you'd like to be admitted. Have a trusted reader (who is ideally a good writer) proof essays before you click "Submit". For real.

The “exorbitant” counselor hopefully pays their taxes (1/3 of the quoted fees), regularly visits colleges, participates in professional development opportunities such as conferences and workshops, uses technology in their work (1/3-1/2 of the quoted fees). You are paying for their years of experience and their professionalism, not simply the time spent editing a Google doc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

hahahahaha