Anonymous wrote:I was recently talking to an admissions officer from a fairly selective university (but not Ivy or T20 or anything) who told me it's best for kids to meet with a counselor starting in 8th grade to ensure their high school academic choices are on track. I pointed out that most middle schools don't offer this, and he replied that in that case, hiring a private counselor is suggested. This is insane, right?

Not really needed if you have a driven kid and you (the parent) are willing to help guide them. A little research tells you the following:

Kid will need 2 year Foreign lang for many schools, if aiming for Top schools 3-4 is needed

Take the most advanced Math/Science your kid can handle, but don't overload them.

If kid is STEM focused/interested, then encourage a few CS courses (they will need them in college, and it might spark an interest in Robotics or some EC in HS)

But in reality, if you are a college educated parent, you can easily research what your 9th grader needs.

That being said, our College counselor charges a FLat rate for 10 hours (and you pay hourly for more) or a Flat rate for ALL 4 years. That was only $4K. We didn't start until Jan junior year, but you really get your money worth if you start in 9th. That being said, I managed kid 1 completely myself (they ended up at a T100, we knew they were not T50 material so I'm smart enough to manage their college process). Kid 2 was T25 material, definately T50. So we hired a counselor to help (and motivate the world's biggest procrastinator). They recommended SAT tutor, who was 1-1 and had the "best score" within 4 hours of tutoring.

So if you select one for all of HS, just know it should be low key. My mantra is "let your kid enjoy HS. DOn't make them do an EC or AP/IB courses that they don't really want to do".

For us, my kid focused on their EC (20+ hours/week of dancing) and STEM APs and skipped the AP FL and AP ENG/APUSH. Might have been why they got WL at T20s, might not. But in end their top 2 school choices in April BOTH do NOT allow AP credits for the "Core Curriculum" which meant my kid wasn't getting college credit for AP Eng or APUSH and that would have been only reason they were considering taking them

It really depends on your kid. Are they an underachiever? Do they lack self-awareness? Are they not a self-starter? If you think your kiddo could benefit from starting early, then go for it. Some kids don't need to start early, others can benefit from the extra guidance.

Since we are new to private, I will likely look for a coach at the end of freshman year after he's had time to adjust and get his feet wet. DS is bright, but is not a self-starter and needs someone to show him the big picture. Very goal oriented, but needs guidance.

DS expressed they are interested in potentially positioning themselves for an Ivy. I made it very clear that if that is what they want, they need to put in 110% effort starting in 9th grade. We will see how the year goes and how goals change.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People do it but yes, absurd. For what it’s worth the people I know who were most obsessed with college and hiring private counselors ended up with exactly the same kinds of outcomes as the families who did none of those things. Use common sense.

Common sense is what made me question it. On the other hand, this was an actual AO...

You do.realize that the job qualifications for these positions are not especially.demanding and the turnover is crazy, right? Perspective...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

What middle school doesn't have counselors?

One of the most common routes to West Point is through athletics, and so questions about NCAA eligibility etc . . . are important. But school counselors can answer those questions. Most public schools have counselors you can ask.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

Generally, AOs don't like independent consultant industry. Maybe you talked to a reader or something.

I am aware of who I talked to. And like I said, he never pushed a independent consultant.

School name this “AO” works for. I’m guessing this won’t be disclosed…

Oh FFS stop with the conspiracy theories. Your life must be REALLY really dull.

Anonymous wrote:People do it but yes, absurd. For what it’s worth the people I know who were most obsessed with college and hiring private counselors ended up with exactly the same kinds of outcomes as the families who did none of those things. Use common sense.

this . use common sense

Seems rather extreme and premature to me. I feel like you can do your own research at that point for general guidance. Is it really necessary to pay for a consultant to help pick classes and clubs?!

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

Generally, AOs don't like independent consultant industry. Maybe you talked to a reader or something.

I am aware of who I talked to. And like I said, he never pushed a independent consultant.

School name this “AO” works for. I’m guessing this won’t be disclosed…

I already said - West Point.

Anonymous wrote:The sooner you get one the more you can shape and secure your options because they help guide your kid into their interests and make sure all is checked along the way. Do you need that? Absolutely not.

Helpful to start the (authentic) pointy narrative at end of 8th by latest.

The sooner you get one the more you can shape and secure your options because they help guide your kid into their interests and make sure all is checked along the way. Do you need that? Absolutely not.

Anonymous wrote:I'd assume that the admissions officer is hoping to go into the lucrative business of separating fools from their money at some point in the future.

+1

Charlatans. All of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

Generally, AOs don't like independent consultant industry. Maybe you talked to a reader or something.

I am aware of who I talked to. And like I said, he never pushed a independent consultant.

School name this “AO” works for. I’m guessing this won’t be disclosed…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

This is much different from the OP statement.
Yes, your child should think about course selection in 8th grade. Yes, your child should get adult advice. But if you do your own research or use the free and abundant resources on DCUM, you don't need to hire a counselor.
Just look at the options in the school bulletin, and sketch a 4 year plan based on abilities and interests.

"..who told me it's best for kids to meet with a counselor starting in 8th grade to ensure their high school academic choices are on track. I pointed out that most middle schools don't offer this, and he replied that in that case, hiring a private counselor is suggested."

These are not THAT different.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

Generally, AOs don't like independent consultant industry. Maybe you talked to a reader or something.

I am aware of who I talked to. And like I said, he never pushed a independent consultant.

What is the difference between a "private college counselor" and an "independent consultant" ?

It Seems like you're getting confused about the terms.

Maybe. But I don't see why that matters, because the fact is, he never pushed anyone except a school guidance counselor. Barring that availability (like in some middle schools), he suggested hiring a private one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt an AO pushed this idea.

He didn't push. He suggested we started to the school's counselor in 8th grade to make sure DS was on the right track for admissions, and when I said ours didn't have one, he said he would seriously consider paying one just for track discussions.

Generally, AOs don't like independent consultant industry. Maybe you talked to a reader or something.

I am aware of who I talked to. And like I said, he never pushed a independent consultant.

What is the difference between a "private college counselor" and an "independent consultant" ?

It Seems like you're getting confused about the terms.