Anonymous wrote:All, before everyone starts the attack, put on your helmet first and then take a step back. It IS possible to write the supplemental along with the main essay. You draft the essay in a manner that easily adapted from school to the next. How do you ask? While there are unique niceties you want to include about each essay, if DC has decided he/she wants to attend a national university to attend e.g., medical school, it really is easy to draft the essay in manner such that it fits multiple schools. I don't have a DC in range for such a "Boot Camp", but if I did, at the price its being offering herein, I'd jump at it if for no other reason to have DC write the darn essay in advance as opposed to messing around with it over Christmas break.
Just a thought. But, unless you want to pay 14,000 (which is the price of these up in NY and Boston), i would look at it CLOSELY.
Anonymous wrote:I am a private college counselor in the DC area and charge between $3500 - $14k to assist students with the college admissions process. The reason for the wide range is that some students need much more help than others. I help them formulate a college list, prep for interviews, fill out common app, and write essays. Note that I am HELPING with the above- I don't do anything unethical. Most of my clients work with me to (a) give their highly qualified kids a leg up, or (b) to outsource this process to another adult entirely so that mom and dad don't have to worry about it or stress out.
All of that being said- I am thinking of offering a weekend boot camp of sorts this summer. It would involve small group and individual instruction, and students would leave with their college list completely set, plus they will have completed their main college essay, the common application, a minimum of five supplements and their corresponding essays. It would also involve a private pre-boot camp family meeting with parents to make sure that everyone is on the same page, etc. I'm envisioning two eight-hour days plus the hour pre-camp meeting. It would take place at a hotel in Tysons with catered lunches.
Any thoughts on if this would be appealing to parents, and what a reasonable cost would be? I was thinking between $1-2k depending on overhead, with a max of 10 kids.