Getting into college counseling

[Anonymous]

Not OP but I am also interested in doing this, niche would be bright kids with ADHD, focus on not just getting in but finding fit based on interests, learning style, and financial fit. I would actually love to provide coaching for *parents* of kids with ADHD throughout high school, because there isn't enough support or understanding of what works and how to make choices that make sense when the basic parameters of the college landscape are the same, but different for the students.

Also coming at it from a mom angle: 3 kids with ADHD, one ended up at her absolute dream school -- as a transfer. One got a full tuition scholarship at a mid-tier school she adores and is living her best life. #3 is preparing for fall applications as we speak and will likely have some solid choices -- in large part because of a robust 504 plan and really great collaborative choices we made as a family, in coordination with MCPS.

I'm self-employed in a totally unrelated field and would do this only if it could emerge organically from existing contacts and connections, so we'll see. That said, OP, I relate to the insight that after spending hours and weeks and months and years learning about all of this, and seeing how it plays out for different students and families, understanding that you have something of substance to offer. I know I do! I don't know if I want to do what's needed to convert that insight into an actual business, but-- well, I am posting mostly to affirm that there is nothing weird about this, lots of people develop professional interests after deep engagement with a situation or circumstances in their personal lives. Makes it make sense, IMO.

Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Also -- PP here -- for those who assume that we support our kids by micromanaging them, my big flex was doing NOTHING with child #2 college-related until like October of senior year, when all of a sudden, she came to ME. THEN it was hands on. But just a freebie for ADHD parents: Sometimes the best way to support is through mild disengagement. Which is crazy-making, but with some students it is really the best way for them to make the process work for *them*

Ok sorry just wanted to brag for a moment lol. feel free to resume trolling now y'all have at it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also -- PP here -- for those who assume that we support our kids by micromanaging them, my big flex was doing NOTHING with child #2 college-related until like October of senior year, when all of a sudden, she came to ME. THEN it was hands on. But just a freebie for ADHD parents: Sometimes the best way to support is through mild disengagement. Which is crazy-making, but with some students it is really the best way for them to make the process work for *them*

Ok sorry just wanted to brag for a moment lol. feel free to resume trolling now y'all have at it

Supporting your kids (in a variety of ways) is normal and wonderful. What is odd to the point of being almost unbelievable is saying you've helped 4 others through the process and credit yourself for ensuring they picked good schools (based on their stats) to apply to. How does this organically come about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also -- PP here -- for those who assume that we support our kids by micromanaging them, my big flex was doing NOTHING with child #2 college-related until like October of senior year, when all of a sudden, she came to ME. THEN it was hands on. But just a freebie for ADHD parents: Sometimes the best way to support is through mild disengagement. Which is crazy-making, but with some students it is really the best way for them to make the process work for *them*

Ok sorry just wanted to brag for a moment lol. feel free to resume trolling now y'all have at it

Supporting your kids (in a variety of ways) is normal and wonderful. What is odd to the point of being almost unbelievable is saying you've helped 4 others through the process and credit yourself for ensuring they picked good schools (based on their stats) to apply to. How does this organically come about?

what? who cares? maybe they just think they've helped someone because the application looked better but their advice didn't move the needle? does anyone here really care? i think it's a weird thing to harp on. we aren't going to be hiring each other for college counseling help off of this board anyway! and from this thread, now i have some good ideas on applying to be an application reader!

i think there are many of us here like the OP. i've also helped relatives (who were clueless about the common app) with the tips I've learned here. there was a great post here in the fall about last-minute review of the Common App or something that I copied into an email and sent on to 2 cousins who also had senior kids last winter (note: find that thread if you have a rising senior - lots of good nuggets there).

is that weird that ive helped other people? i don't think so, and i do think it helped their applications given the before and after state of their applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:sounds great!

I would chart out a three year plan:
year one - get a job as a reader, any college
year one - volunteer as a college counselor for under resourced kids. there are several national orgs, maybe some local two

year two - get a job as a reader, but try for prestige this time
year two - continue working with kids as a volunteer

year three - same and same and post on Facebook. try to get 3-4 private clients at low-ish rates.

then it's off to the races. I'd try to add 5 kids a year, increasing rates til you get to market rate

I think this is good advice!

great advice. np here, and im stealing it!
and applying to be a reader! saw the u-miami listing. through some google searching, i see a few other colleges are hiring as well.
gl everyone! if anyone gets a job, remember to post back here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U-Miami is looking for a seasonal part-time reader.

https://careers.miami.edu/us/en/job/R100087740/File-Reader-for-Undergraduate-Admission-Domestic-Applications-Temporary-Position-%C2%A0

And Wellesley:

https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/wellesley/wellesley-staff/job/Wellesley-College/Seasonal-Reader--2-Openings-_R0006359

For those of you applying, good advice here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/highereducation/comments/179iow3/admissions_reader/

[Anonymous]

I'm the ADHD mom and I *wish* I had shared what I had known with a friend: Their son is graduating from a private high school on the west coast. The parents are educators and they have some money for college but also very real financial limitations. Their son was advised by the college advisor at his school to apply to a wide range of schools that... was heavy on out-of-state flagship public universities.

We all know where this is going, right? He got into some of the top programs in the country for his major -- and his parents had to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend. Luckily they ended up with one (just one!) solid and affordable option, but WOW they got terrible advice from the school counselor, who was focused entirely on where he could get in and not at all on what they could afford.

My friend is kicking herself for not getting a second opinion and for so thoroughly trusting this highly-regarded private school professional. But just didn't know what she didn't know, and felt that she was already paying for this service and should have been in good hands.

Anyway, she didn't want to second guess a fellow educator, and I didn't want to drop unsolicited advice. But... man. Just because people get paid to do a professional job of things or have certain credentials really doesn't mean they know what tf they're doing, and that some of us couldn't really provide valuable service.

For what it's worth, I have a friend who does this on the west coast and does very well. SHe also got into it after her first two teens successfully (on their terms) went through the application process. She came at it from a background first in personal fitness coaching, and then in small business coaching. So while the knowledge base came later, she had a solid foundation of working with with clients to develop clarity on their own goals, priorities, challenges, etc. And because she has that experience and focus, and not just a tendency to default to some generic "what's best," people love working with her and her business is thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the ADHD mom and I *wish* I had shared what I had known with a friend: Their son is graduating from a private high school on the west coast. The parents are educators and they have some money for college but also very real financial limitations. Their son was advised by the college advisor at his school to apply to a wide range of schools that... was heavy on out-of-state flagship public universities.

We all know where this is going, right? He got into some of the top programs in the country for his major -- and his parents had to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend. Luckily they ended up with one (just one!) solid and affordable option, but WOW they got terrible advice from the school counselor, who was focused entirely on where he could get in and not at all on what they could afford.

My friend is kicking herself for not getting a second opinion and for so thoroughly trusting this highly-regarded private school professional. But just didn't know what she didn't know, and felt that she was already paying for this service and should have been in good hands.

Anyway, she didn't want to second guess a fellow educator, and I didn't want to drop unsolicited advice. But... man. Just because people get paid to do a professional job of things or have certain credentials really doesn't mean they know what tf they're doing, and that some of us couldn't really provide valuable service.

For what it's worth, I have a friend who does this on the west coast and does very well. SHe also got into it after her first two teens successfully (on their terms) went through the application process. She came at it from a background first in personal fitness coaching, and then in small business coaching. So while the knowledge base came later, she had a solid foundation of working with with clients to develop clarity on their own goals, priorities, challenges, etc. And because she has that experience and focus, and not just a tendency to default to some generic "what's best," people love working with her and her business is thriving.

Look, with all due respect, sure you did a nice job with your kids, but it makes you an expert on nothing. Many people do a nice job with their kids. It’s all about economics. Recognize your privilege. Unless you’re talking about doing this for poor kids for free, you’re not adding anything of value that isn’t already there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the ADHD mom and I *wish* I had shared what I had known with a friend: Their son is graduating from a private high school on the west coast. The parents are educators and they have some money for college but also very real financial limitations. Their son was advised by the college advisor at his school to apply to a wide range of schools that... was heavy on out-of-state flagship public universities.

We all know where this is going, right? He got into some of the top programs in the country for his major -- and his parents had to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend. Luckily they ended up with one (just one!) solid and affordable option, but WOW they got terrible advice from the school counselor, who was focused entirely on where he could get in and not at all on what they could afford.

My friend is kicking herself for not getting a second opinion and for so thoroughly trusting this highly-regarded private school professional. But just didn't know what she didn't know, and felt that she was already paying for this service and should have been in good hands.

Anyway, she didn't want to second guess a fellow educator, and I didn't want to drop unsolicited advice. But... man. Just because people get paid to do a professional job of things or have certain credentials really doesn't mean they know what tf they're doing, and that some of us couldn't really provide valuable service.

For what it's worth, I have a friend who does this on the west coast and does very well. SHe also got into it after her first two teens successfully (on their terms) went through the application process. She came at it from a background first in personal fitness coaching, and then in small business coaching. So while the knowledge base came later, she had a solid foundation of working with with clients to develop clarity on their own goals, priorities, challenges, etc. And because she has that experience and focus, and not just a tendency to default to some generic "what's best," people love working with her and her business is thriving.

Look, with all due respect, sure you did a nice job with your kids, but it makes you an expert on nothing. Many people do a nice job with their kids. It’s all about economics. Recognize your privilege. Unless you’re talking about doing this for poor kids for free, you’re not adding anything of value that isn’t already there.

NP. Look, with all due respect, stop yucking someone else's yum. Four-year-olds can get that; I'm not sure why you can't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the ADHD mom and I *wish* I had shared what I had known with a friend: Their son is graduating from a private high school on the west coast. The parents are educators and they have some money for college but also very real financial limitations. Their son was advised by the college advisor at his school to apply to a wide range of schools that... was heavy on out-of-state flagship public universities.

We all know where this is going, right? He got into some of the top programs in the country for his major -- and his parents had to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend. Luckily they ended up with one (just one!) solid and affordable option, but WOW they got terrible advice from the school counselor, who was focused entirely on where he could get in and not at all on what they could afford.

My friend is kicking herself for not getting a second opinion and for so thoroughly trusting this highly-regarded private school professional. But just didn't know what she didn't know, and felt that she was already paying for this service and should have been in good hands.

Anyway, she didn't want to second guess a fellow educator, and I didn't want to drop unsolicited advice. But... man. Just because people get paid to do a professional job of things or have certain credentials really doesn't mean they know what tf they're doing, and that some of us couldn't really provide valuable service.

For what it's worth, I have a friend who does this on the west coast and does very well. SHe also got into it after her first two teens successfully (on their terms) went through the application process. She came at it from a background first in personal fitness coaching, and then in small business coaching. So while the knowledge base came later, she had a solid foundation of working with with clients to develop clarity on their own goals, priorities, challenges, etc. And because she has that experience and focus, and not just a tendency to default to some generic "what's best," people love working with her and her business is thriving.

Look, with all due respect, sure you did a nice job with your kids, but it makes you an expert on nothing. Many people do a nice job with their kids. It’s all about economics. Recognize your privilege. Unless you’re talking about doing this for poor kids for free, you’re not adding anything of value that isn’t already there.

With all due respect, my kids ARE poor kids! Not food-insecure poor, but Pell grant poor. Am I misunderstanding?(very possible!) What privilege you referring to?

Saying college counselors don't add anything of value is like saying fitness coaches don't add anything of value--because the information is out there. The thing is, there is a TON of information out there, even overwhelmingly so, and it's not actually intuitive to everyone to analyze the available info, evaluate their own circumstances ,and apply the information thoughtfully to their own situation--and THEN break that down into actionable steps and do the work of executing that plan over time without guidance.

Everyone is busy and many are overwhelmed -- whatever their financial circumstances. There are plenty of reasons people seek out support and benefit from it--though I, probably much like you, did not, and that was the right thing for our family.

That said, I would urge anyone contemplating doing this professionally to be entirely above board about your experience and what you bring to the table. It would certainly be wrong for me to hold myself out as an expert.

And also, unlike this paid private school professional, I could spot the issues with their list a mile away! And would never freaking advise a student from a middle class family on a budget to apply mostly to out of state flagships in the absence of some specific hope idea or plan.

Again this stuff is "common knowledge" among a certain subset of people. And a much larger group is entirely clueless and would like to hire someone to clue them in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the ADHD mom and I *wish* I had shared what I had known with a friend: Their son is graduating from a private high school on the west coast. The parents are educators and they have some money for college but also very real financial limitations. Their son was advised by the college advisor at his school to apply to a wide range of schools that... was heavy on out-of-state flagship public universities.

We all know where this is going, right? He got into some of the top programs in the country for his major -- and his parents had to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend. Luckily they ended up with one (just one!) solid and affordable option, but WOW they got terrible advice from the school counselor, who was focused entirely on where he could get in and not at all on what they could afford.

My friend is kicking herself for not getting a second opinion and for so thoroughly trusting this highly-regarded private school professional. But just didn't know what she didn't know, and felt that she was already paying for this service and should have been in good hands.

Anyway, she didn't want to second guess a fellow educator, and I didn't want to drop unsolicited advice. But... man. Just because people get paid to do a professional job of things or have certain credentials really doesn't mean they know what tf they're doing, and that some of us couldn't really provide valuable service.

For what it's worth, I have a friend who does this on the west coast and does very well. SHe also got into it after her first two teens successfully (on their terms) went through the application process. She came at it from a background first in personal fitness coaching, and then in small business coaching. So while the knowledge base came later, she had a solid foundation of working with with clients to develop clarity on their own goals, priorities, challenges, etc. And because she has that experience and focus, and not just a tendency to default to some generic "what's best," people love working with her and her business is thriving.

Look, with all due respect, sure you did a nice job with your kids, but it makes you an expert on nothing. Many people do a nice job with their kids. It’s all about economics. Recognize your privilege. Unless you’re talking about doing this for poor kids for free, you’re not adding anything of value that isn’t already there.

NP. Look, with all due respect, stop yucking someone else's yum. Four-year-olds can get that; I'm not sure why you can't.

New poster: i am guessing most people look at the cost of attendance at some point. This is in no way a secret nugget you imparted. It’s like telling someone to make sure they can afford: organic food, a home, a vehicle, a vacation, private school, designer items, etc. hopefully people get that along the way of life (to investigate large aNd/or ongoing expenses) and if they don’t, it is usually them being an ostrich (choosing to ignore the $ issue), not actually having zero idea to investigate costs and ability to pay.

This is not about yucking or yumming. It is providing you feedback because it appears you need it.

[Anonymous]

College counselor here. I'd arrange several informational interviews with independent counselors to hear more about our work.

[Anonymous]

If you don't know how financial aid works yet, start studying. That's essential to make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Thank you all for the feedback.

I've been doing some of the "free" stuff already (on Reddit - helping some FGLI kids as well as scholar match). Will look into other suggestions now - thank you!!

For the PP, who doubted me - how weird?
I have two kids (my own) who I've helped get into multiple T20. Through a local org supporting low-income kids (similar to B&G club), I've read drafts and completed apps for several (yes, plural) kids.

And then, yes, if you are our age, you have a LOT of friends and family who come to you once they see the success your kid has had in the process (read this, help review draft app, revise EC list, suggest summer activities to support major, develop a "theme").

My own kids actually didn't have perfect stats or profiles AT ALL - and one actually had some "flaws". I'm not even advertising here - why the HATE or disbelief? My own kids didn't have the perfect stats for HYPSM, but other friends & relatives did (and were eventually successful). Why is that hard to believe?

Anyway, to the actual helpful responders, thank you. I'll explore opportunities for application reading this summer, along with perhaps trying to get some experience with a more legit private counseling firm.

You do? Honestly and with all due respect I have never seen this happen with anyone in our large family and friend group ever. Lots of parents have kids who are admitted to top colleges who are not inundated like you say you have been. It’s just not typical. If it’s happening the way you describe, it’s because you were taking the lead other parents - not the other way around.

I literally know of no one who has ever gotten involved with any of their kids’ friends’ parents over the details of their college applications the way that you have described. Not once.

Asian parent here. Kid at T5. People we barely know ask for advice when they ask where DD attends. Like the NP at CVS minute clinic wanted to know what clubs DD had done (so her son could join those). A white ortho whose kid attends a boarding school and is legacy at T5 wanted to know which activity of DD’s made a difference. The Asian moms I meet at parties are all of a sudden interested in getting to know “me” but ask what DD did and what advice I would give their kids. I am actually advising two kids for fun! But realizing these parents just love to brag and think their kids are the BEST ever. Something about the way these kids are being raised turns me off —like whatever happened to humility? If this is what college counselors have to deal with in a regular basis, they are earning their money!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Thank you all for the feedback.

I've been doing some of the "free" stuff already (on Reddit - helping some FGLI kids as well as scholar match). Will look into other suggestions now - thank you!!

For the PP, who doubted me - how weird?
I have two kids (my own) who I've helped get into multiple T20. Through a local org supporting low-income kids (similar to B&G club), I've read drafts and completed apps for several (yes, plural) kids.

And then, yes, if you are our age, you have a LOT of friends and family who come to you once they see the success your kid has had in the process (read this, help review draft app, revise EC list, suggest summer activities to support major, develop a "theme").

My own kids actually didn't have perfect stats or profiles AT ALL - and one actually had some "flaws". I'm not even advertising here - why the HATE or disbelief? My own kids didn't have the perfect stats for HYPSM, but other friends & relatives did (and were eventually successful). Why is that hard to believe?

Anyway, to the actual helpful responders, thank you. I'll explore opportunities for application reading this summer, along with perhaps trying to get some experience with a more legit private counseling firm.

You do? Honestly and with all due respect I have never seen this happen with anyone in our large family and friend group ever. Lots of parents have kids who are admitted to top colleges who are not inundated like you say you have been. It’s just not typical. If it’s happening the way you describe, it’s because you were taking the lead other parents - not the other way around.

I literally know of no one who has ever gotten involved with any of their kids’ friends’ parents over the details of their college applications the way that you have described. Not once.

Asian parent here. Kid at T5. People we barely know ask for advice when they ask where DD attends. Like the NP at CVS minute clinic wanted to know what clubs DD had done (so her son could join those). A white ortho whose kid attends a boarding school and is legacy at T5 wanted to know which activity of DD’s made a difference. The Asian moms I meet at parties are all of a sudden interested in getting to know “me” but ask what DD did and what advice I would give their kids. I am actually advising two kids for fun! But realizing these parents just love to brag and think their kids are the BEST ever. Something about the way these kids are being raised turns me off —like whatever happened to humility? If this is what college counselors have to deal with in a regular basis, they are earning their money!

lol. Same here.
Also Asian parent. t10 and Ivy.
It’s kind of funny - people send me their kids ECs and ask for help or suggestions.
The problem is a lot of people are not open or receptive to thinking differently about the application. They think more is better. But not always.

Agree parents would be nightmares & high maintenance. Also this forum group is way more educated than the average person who is gunning for a T20.