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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It just seems so unfair to me that some parents are spending a lot of money for college counselors to package their kids for acceptance into college. 
Just wondering if this really gives them any advantage over the rest of our kids - or if the admission committees can spot these applicants ans that is why the counselors are bemoaning the low acceptance rates for their clients.  If our kids stats were golden (including a major talent) why would we need you anyway?[/quote]

Typical suburbanite UMC white lady here who spent the longest meal of my life seated next to another UMC white lady whose kid got into HYP with stats that were very strong but indistinguishable from those of her classmates. They used a counselor, and she was really pushing me to use the same person. So maybe there is some magic with the resultant packaging? Or maybe the university had a track record with this counselor?[/quote]

Or maybe her kid had better recs.  Mom doesn’t know, so she credits the counselor.  But what could/did the counselor do?  No way in hell that the for-hire counselor’s word got the DC admitted.  The counselor barely knows the kid.  [/quote]

With enough research on your own, you and your kid can do your own packaging. I'm fully convinced that's partially how my kid got into a USNWR top 5. Kid was in public school and the counselor really only understood and pushed UMD, so we realized we needed a little extra help. So DC and I read up on College Confidential and got a few books (DC was really into it and drove a lot of this). There are a few obvious things, like don't write your essay about your inspirational grandma or your service trip, if it's in a major city don't wax eloquent about the city at the expense of the college, present yourself as a kid with a "passion" rather than the "well-rounded" kid colleges were looking for in our generation. DC's grades and stats were great (that's basically a pre-requisite) and DC's EC's and awards naturally pointed to a passion. So DC knocked the essays out of the park with a consistent theme about pursing the passion at the college. The "why do you want to attend our college?" essay was basically all about how DC could only really pursue that passion at that college, which was actually true, so it was all the more convincing (colleges love kids who love them, because it helps yield).

Of course, if you don't have the time but you do have the money, then pay an advisor.[/quote]

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