We used one for our first child, and it was a huge help, especially with the essays. Brainstorming and deciding what angle to take with them really helped my son pull together very strong applications. She also kept him on schedule with meeting deadlines to complete various tasks. Better someone else be doing that than me.

We plan to use one again for our younger child for similar reasons. She is much more organized and responsible, but keeping us, as parents, out of it to certain extent makes things much more peaceful in our household. It is nice to have that experienced third party as a voice of reason.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

I wrote it. I'm a 55 yr old female living in Los Angeles and he's a 70+ male living on the East Coast, so no he didn't write it. Your party trick is getting old and worn out PP, try something new.

+1
It’s a weird mom who feels the need to “police”….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

I wrote it. I'm a 55 yr old female living in Los Angeles and he's a 70+ male living on the East Coast, so no he didn't write it. Your party trick is getting old and worn out PP, try something new.

There are some mentioned in that other link/bumped up post. Check there. The thread is 10 pages long.

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.

Anonymous wrote:I know there have been other threads in this, but since we’re at the time of year when many kids have gotten admissions decisions, please be generous by sharing with me what you’ve learned working through the admissions process with your kids and recommending any specific consultants that you worked with who provided value.

Don't waste your money.

https://www.scholarco.com/admissions

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

Richard Montauk definitely did not write this.

Richard Montauk

https://www.richardmontauk.com

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

There are some great college consultants at top-tier tutoring services like Cambridge Coaching.

Getting someone to review application materials/essays is the best move, start early if possible. We hired a grad student with an amazing admissions track record, and she helped a lot

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.

I know there have been other threads in this, but since we’re at the time of year when many kids have gotten admissions decisions, please be generous by sharing with me what you’ve learned working through the admissions process with your kids and recommending any specific consultants that you worked with who provided value.