Anonymous wrote:We can figure out the schools to apply to ourselves. No brainer.

We used a test prep individual (not with a company) who is fantastic once a week during the summer.

Their private has an excellent 2 week post Jr year workshop that handles essay help, etc.. If we need to hire someone additionally for that will do.

Already done with ACTs last month and hit target score (Jr) so it will just be apps focus/essay and keep up the grades.

I really can't see shelling out $4k-6k for this. My friend used one (paid $8-10k) and ended up at a school the counselor didn't even recommend and they scrambled to apply to last minute regular decision when they realized the one the counselor pushed was not a good fit 'personality wise', waste of$.

What SAT test prep company or person do you recommend?

We can figure out the schools to apply to ourselves. No brainer.

We used a test prep individual (not with a company) who is fantastic once a week during the summer.

Their private has an excellent 2 week post Jr year workshop that handles essay help, etc.. If we need to hire someone additionally for that will do.

Already done with ACTs last month and hit target score (Jr) so it will just be apps focus/essay and keep up the grades.

I really can't see shelling out $4k-6k for this. My friend used one (paid $8-10k) and ended up at a school the counselor didn't even recommend and they scrambled to apply to last minute regular decision when they realized the one the counselor pushed was not a good fit 'personality wise', waste of$.

NP. Both of my kids were ignored by their Big 3 college admissions office. I was rather shocked by that, frankly. I figured out belatedly that because of our high income/net worth, the college counselors assumed that we were using outside help. Our dilemma is whether we should use outside help for our third child, since it is obvious to us that the school won't do much.

Anonymous wrote:We paid $4800 and it was a complete waste of money and time. In MD suburbs.

which company felt like a waste? please help those in decision mode.

Anonymous wrote:We paid $4800 and it was a complete waste of money and time. In MD suburbs.

Same. Complete waste of time.

College admissions has shifted and none of the college consultants have any actionable advice. Gone are the days where creating an admissions "package" matters. For many colleges, they care most about factors that are "set" (race, gender, athletics, 1st gen status, etc), so Counselor can't impact much of anything with any advice. If you hire a counselor, they'll tell you something similar, along with a lot of 'no one really knows what the schools are going to do."

Save your money.

$150 an hour, our kids were good at coming up with lists (each had a few schools added by consultant), and she kept them on track with deadlines and reviewing essays (which they have all proudly shared with us).

Met for an hour once a week until all applications in. I don't think it was more than $2,000, probably more like $1500

Can anyone recommend their counselor?

OP here - I happened to attend a recent webinar on the admissions process basically encouraged you to start getting your act together around eighth or ninth grade. The webinar kind of scared me (obviously the goal, right?), But I also realistically know that the admissions landscape has changed SO much since i applied.

I was expecting it to be a situation where I pay something like $250 an hour for help and maybe I end up spending $10,000 over the next couple of years… which i could live with. I was picturing maybe some advice on extracurriculars and a testing schedule and some essay review and college selection and application timing help. Instead, i was sent info on a more all-encompassing program for 4 years worth of help with a price tag that was MANY multiples of my expectations.

I’m just not sure that i trust the school counselor who has so many students. When i applied (90’s), I had a cousin at a well know boarding school who didn’t get in anywhere, waitlisted only, and i had a GPA below a 3.5 and my CCO said I could apply to Johns Hopkins and Wellesley as safeties. I guess I am scared that even at private schools where they should know better, these things can still happen…

We paid $4800 and it was a complete waste of money and time. In MD suburbs.

We are paying about $4,000 for college counselor. Test prep was separate at $200 hour. Child attends local Big3 private. College counseling was not great for older sibling, so we hired a counselor for #2.

What do you want from a consultant? High merit money, probably worth it. A state school? Probably can do it on your own IF you have the interest and have the time to forge through the endless information. Many consultants offer different packages depending on your needs.Treat this like any other estimate, meet with them (bring your child) and learn about their services. Does your current school offer any informational meetings on college advising?

Thank you for starting this thread.

Could someone speak to the benefit (or not) of paying for a college consultant when the private high school has a good CCO office? I am still concerned that each counselor has 30 + students assigned to them.

In the Virginia ‘burbs, about 8 years ago, I knew of a family with many kids that was paying about $4k per kid. That number may have also included some ACT/SAT coaching.

My cousin is doing this. She is charging about $6000. Most of her clients are in the San Francisco area. She also has a home in Manhattan and the rates there are closer to $8K.

Also wondering about this. I recently spoke with a friend who said it was the best money they ever spent. (Can’t remember the cost — ~$2,000?) In addition to substantive help with school selection, essay-writing, etc., he said it allowed the parents to be in a purely supportive position (not nagging, second-guessing, etc.) and dialed down the stress of the whole thing.

Ultimately, I think it’s probably a balance of the kid’s personality, the parents’ attitude, and financial burden.

I know no one admits to using one in person, but on an anonymous forum…

Would anyone be willing to share their experience? Particularly cost, when you started and if you felt it was worth the expense?

I am torn between “are you kidding me?? Clearly we can do this our own” and feeling really intimidated by how the process and expectations have changes so much since my college days.