Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish DCUM's College and University Discussion forum really had a list of recommended counseling firms to use based on user feedback. It's crazy that many use such firms but don't want to recommend any, even in an anonymous forum like this. Strange!

Its because very few counselors provide true value. We used one for our son and it was a waste of money. I give information to friends but tell them that it made no difference. It is a predatory industry that prey on the anxieties of parents but everyone hires one because they are afraid of taking risks.

I think the wrong people use consultants.

The top students don't really need as much help figuring out which schools to apply to but a slightly less competitive engineering student might need to hear about stevens institute of technology or the colorado school of mines

The whole business of a college counselor curated childhood is not common or desirable by families with resources. But a counselor could inform a less wealthy family that their athletic child might want to try sprint football as a hook for U Penn or Cornell.

THe super smart kids and the super wealthy kids are not the ones that would benefit from counselors but it is the supersmart kids that are ALSO super wealthy that hire them because of FOMO.

Disagree with the bolded.

From my observation, it's the kids who have always had tutors to keep their grades at A-/B+ that are most likely to use private counselors. The self-motivated and super smart kids who get A on their own don't use private counseling. Similar to what's I've noticed in youth athletes (our DCs play ice hockey and baseball). The superstars are not the ones who hire private coaches for hitting and skating lessons, it's the kinda good kids but not top scorers whose parents pay for private lessons.

We used them for two kids. I thought they were good at helping craft the overall narrative for both of them. They helped identify a successful ED strategy for one and were really helpful with school-specific suggestions for supplementals for the other.

Never heard of them. Admissions consultant? My kids just completed apps for the schools they wanted to attend. Am I doing this wrong?

Anonymous wrote:Our friend was rejected by Solomon. She said they only take kids who are already strong. They won’t take weak kids so they won’t look bad. They want kids who will help their reputation. Not sure if accurate.

Do they actually say “weak” kids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish DCUM's College and University Discussion forum really had a list of recommended counseling firms to use based on user feedback. It's crazy that many use such firms but don't want to recommend any, even in an anonymous forum like this. Strange!

Its because very few counselors provide true value. We used one for our son and it was a waste of money. I give information to friends but tell them that it made no difference. It is a predatory industry that prey on the anxieties of parents but everyone hires one because they are afraid of taking risks.

I think the wrong people use consultants.

The top students don't really need as much help figuring out which schools to apply to but a slightly less competitive engineering student might need to hear about stevens institute of technology or the colorado school of mines

The whole business of a college counselor curated childhood is not common or desirable by families with resources. But a counselor could inform a less wealthy family that their athletic child might want to try sprint football as a hook for U Penn or Cornell.

THe super smart kids and the super wealthy kids are not the ones that would benefit from counselors but it is the supersmart kids that are ALSO super wealthy that hire them because of FOMO.

Our friend was rejected by Solomon. She said they only take kids who are already strong. They won’t take weak kids so they won’t look bad. They want kids who will help their reputation. Not sure if accurate.

We signed with Solomon. One thing that is helpful is that our kid listens to his counselor. The counselor is a former admissions officer at one of my kid’s top choice schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish DCUM's College and University Discussion forum really had a list of recommended counseling firms to use based on user feedback. It's crazy that many use such firms but don't want to recommend any, even in an anonymous forum like this. Strange!

Its because very few counselors provide true value. We used one for our son and it was a waste of money. I give information to friends but tell them that it made no difference. It is a predatory industry that prey on the anxieties of parents but everyone hires one because they are afraid of taking risks.

It's called FOMO

Solomon will survey your kid in a variety of ways, and then offer a few specific options for undersubsribed majors that match your stated interest. THen, they counsel you to do activity X and Y in pursuit of the one you choose. I think a lot of your satisfaction depends on the personality fit and responsiveness of your specific counselor, which is subject to chance. But whether the offering of specific paths is worthwhile to you or not is really dependent on your kid and their sutation. Like I feel like I have heard of several business-oriented boys doing "sustainability." Is it becoming cliche if even I know 2-3 examples? (They hired either Solomon/Crimson/or national consultants at that price point).

I didn't have the money they were asking for. Instead, I spent around $5,000 on someone who will hold my kid's hand and get stuff done. But this person is definitely not telling the kid to major in X or Y, or steering her into specific, undersubscribed substantive areas. They are also not giving us links to places who will help the kid do a research project after we pay $10K. They seem to get along with my kid and are helping us find a good fit for schools. For me, that's worh $5,000.

Anonymous wrote:I wish DCUM's College and University Discussion forum really had a list of recommended counseling firms to use based on user feedback. It's crazy that many use such firms but don't want to recommend any, even in an anonymous forum like this. Strange!

Its because very few counselors provide true value. We used one for our son and it was a waste of money. I give information to friends but tell them that it made no difference. It is a predatory industry that prey on the anxieties of parents but everyone hires one because they are afraid of taking risks.

Talked to Solomon a while back. Too scammy for our taste. Didn’t match our values.
Initial meet with a counselor … she was awful and took no interest in DD. Didn’t go with them.

I wish DCUM's College and University Discussion forum really had a list of recommended counseling firms to use based on user feedback. It's crazy that many use such firms but don't want to recommend any, even in an anonymous forum like this. Strange!

I have a friend who used them this cycle. Very disappointed. Experienced counselor turnover and got poor advice.

Anonymous wrote:Is it just me, or do they not really have this s#$ together? I've had a horrible time with their initial screening team between trying to coordinate a time and then actually getting that time right for the meeting invite. With so many other consultants out there, I'm wondering why I'm trying so hard with them.

Because they are wise.

Is it just me, or do they not really have this s#$ together? I've had a horrible time with their initial screening team between trying to coordinate a time and then actually getting that time right for the meeting invite. With so many other consultants out there, I'm wondering why I'm trying so hard with them.