Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 10:41     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:Counselors may be useful if you are interested in SLACs, which view applicants quite differently from HYPSM or other T20. A counselor with expertise in SLACs can guide you through in this niche area.


A friend picked a counselor specifically because their child wanted a liberal arts college and they felt that the counselor was more familiar with liberal arts colleges than larger top 20 schools.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 09:32     Subject: Private college counselor
I think your kid feeling comfortable is important. I also think parents sometimes have a better eye for what is a good fit than the student. Far down the list of what matters is AO experience. Anyone can be an AO and it takes a few podcasts to learn what a random AO knows. Now, if you are talking about someone who has recently been an AO at a school very similar to your child's first choice, then of course that is a different matter. But simply checking the AO box, meaningless.



Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 09:24     Subject: Private college counselor
Counselors may be useful if you are interested in SLACs, which view applicants quite differently from HYPSM or other T20. A counselor with expertise in SLACs can guide you through in this niche area.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 09:17     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:AO this isn’t a question

For a comparable school? How long ago? Do they have AO contacts? It is a question.


They don't. If your counselor was only a reader (and not AO) more than 10 years ago, they are kind of irrelevant to know how that school's process works. However, if they have a LARGE flow of applications, they should know what works and what doesn't in the modern application era.

They will know that Harvard likes leadership (both in and esp outside of school ("unusual achievement") plus, they are looking for truly outstanding qualities of character (courage and compassion, maturity, genuineness, humility and resiliency); while Yale is heavily focused on community (remember the 4 year res college), an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to learning and those LOR (along with evidence for social impact and inclusion) while Princeton searches for innovative applicants who think first and foremost about their community.

There are obv hundreds of other schools, but your CC should be able to look at your kid's profile and suggest colleges where there is more natural alignment than you might think.


It’s more about flow (how many quality applicants they get) than being a “reader”.

Also what part of the market do they play in?
Private schools vs public.
HYPSM vs T20 vs T50?
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 14:12     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:AO this isn’t a question

For a comparable school? How long ago? Do they have AO contacts? It is a question.


They don't. If your counselor was only a reader (and not AO) more than 10 years ago, they are kind of irrelevant to know how that school's process works. However, if they have a LARGE flow of applications, they should know what works and what doesn't in the modern application era.

They will know that Harvard likes leadership (both in and esp outside of school ("unusual achievement") plus, they are looking for truly outstanding qualities of character (courage and compassion, maturity, genuineness, humility and resiliency); while Yale is heavily focused on community (remember the 4 year res college), an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to learning and those LOR (along with evidence for social impact and inclusion) while Princeton searches for innovative applicants who think first and foremost about their community.

There are obv hundreds of other schools, but your CC should be able to look at your kid's profile and suggest colleges where there is more natural alignment than you might think.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 14:00     Subject: Private college counselor
I'm a private counselor. Counseling for money. I'll do what you want me to do.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 13:57     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The bar to be an AO can be low. There is a difference between those who get a job at Harvard undergrad and a school that takes the majority of applicants.

Check their credentials, did they actually get into a good college and attend with honors? Also previous client feedback is very helpful. Memberships in professional accrediting organizations is helpful too.


lol no even at Harvard the bar is low.

Signed, a mom who read comments on DC’s Harvard admissions file and figured out where the AO went to school.

PS — here’s a tip to all. Try to be likeable rather than impressive in your applications because if your AOs were smart people, they would not be in admissions. Think about it… really.


100% - once you meet the threshold on grades and stats, it's all about being likable, showing kindness, compassion, and being a classmate these AO would have wanted to be around.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 10:11     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:AO this isn’t a question

For a comparable school? How long ago? Do they have AO contacts? It is a question.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 09:52     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:The bar to be an AO can be low. There is a difference between those who get a job at Harvard undergrad and a school that takes the majority of applicants.

Check their credentials, did they actually get into a good college and attend with honors? Also previous client feedback is very helpful. Memberships in professional accrediting organizations is helpful too.


lol no even at Harvard the bar is low.

Signed, a mom who read comments on DC’s Harvard admissions file and figured out where the AO went to school.

PS — here’s a tip to all. Try to be likeable rather than impressive in your applications because if your AOs were smart people, they would not be in admissions. Think about it… really.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 23:58     Subject: Private college counselor
The bar to be an AO can be low. There is a difference between those who get a job at Harvard undergrad and a school that takes the majority of applicants.

Check their credentials, did they actually get into a good college and attend with honors? Also previous client feedback is very helpful. Memberships in professional accrediting organizations is helpful too.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 23:33     Subject: Private college counselor
Anonymous wrote:It depends. If your former AO is from Clark University and your kid is shooting for the Ivies, the AO experience might add very little. In fact there is a former AO on Reddit (maybe from Clark) who confuses BC with BU. Would not hire someone like him. You want someone smart even if they don’t have AO experience.


Agree with this.

More than smart (but yes that’s necessary), you want someone who knows/understands the nuances between each selective school and understands the difference in what each school is looking for. It’s not all interchangeable.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 22:25     Subject: Private college counselor
It depends. If your former AO is from Clark University and your kid is shooting for the Ivies, the AO experience might add very little. In fact there is a former AO on Reddit (maybe from Clark) who confuses BC with BU. Would not hire someone like him. You want someone smart even if they don’t have AO experience.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 22:11     Subject: Private college counselor
Go with the one your DC comfortable with. AO experience is overrated, nice to have but not a must.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 22:03     Subject: Private college counselor
AO this isn’t a question
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 21:36     Subject: Private college counselor
We interviewed a few counselors and DC likes one of them but we like the other. One has AO experience, the other one doesn't but has been in MBB consulting for years before becoming a counselor. Question: Is AO experience essential when one is looking for a counselor? Or you can do it without as long as you have other stuff, strategy, essay review, application process. DC likes the MBB one.