Anonymous
03/10/2025 15:01
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'd start by reading "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeff Selingo. It's a fascinating, and often sobering, look into modern college acceptance. It's not a "how to crack the code" but rather a candid insight into how decisions are made. He's a former journalist so makes for a very quick read. Start there and then you'll have a stronger base to make some other decisions.
Yes. A few years ago someone suggested these books to me. All were great reads - but you can skim a bunch of them.
Who Gets In and Why
Soundbite
Valedictorians at the Gate
The Gatekeepers
Inside Stanford Admissions
The Exceptional Applicant
The Years That Matter Most
Looking for more resources for people new to the process. Where else should I look?
Parents at your DC’s school whose kids got the outcomes you want. IECs can be a bit of a hush-hush topic depending on your school’s CCO, but satisfied parents are the best referral. I hired ours based on this criteria, and DC got into first choice HYPSM early this cycle.
Anonymous
03/10/2025 14:40
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m quite overwhelmed by this process, but feel that $5-10k might be better spent in my kids college fund than for a consultant. On the other hand, we need some advice…
Thoughts?
High stat kids that need to stand out against top stat kids could use a consultant if you are aiming for schools with a 10% admit rate. Otherwise, probably not needed.
Any truly competitive T20 application could use counseling help. By the time you figure out how to stress the main 3 points essential for a compelling Northwestern application, it might be too late. Best to get professional help early so you know how to accentuate the key ethos of a school.
I’d advise getting help from counselors who have actually served as AO if aiming for T20.
We hired someone for my oldest, who got into a couple top 20s, and he didn't give that kind of ultraspecific tip at all. Do counselors really do that?
I think you can pick up most of this stuff in other places - here, Reddit, and podcasts (Ingenius Prep; Yale; The Game; YCBK; Crimson Education webinars; Admittedly; CEG webinars).
There's also a weird guy who does "The College Admissions Process Podcast" and he interviews the head AO at many top schools. If you listen to those interviews, you will get a ton of info on the type of student they are looking for (Duke; Wake Forest; Northwestern; Amherst; Midd, and Cornell were all particularly good and relevant for us). I find this all fascinating - so it's really not "work" for me to dig into this but your experience may differ.
It's my 2nd rodeo now and I see all the things we missed when we did have an (inept) private counselor the 1st time around because I've spent weeks of my life researching and memorializing what I've discovered (everything did work out well for DC1 but now I see why some of those RD apps were destined to be rejections).
Schools have different things that they look for in applicants and different focuses for an "ideal" student. It's not as simple as focusing on an open curriculum at Brown - it's deeper than that. In my opinion, so much needs to be changed and tailored for RD apps to make sure the "Why Major essay" at Brown works at Penn (it won't work without a different type of focus). Do kids get in without all of this extra work - absolutely! But sometimes they have something else going for them too, or they are not in a crowded field or xyz. You never know.
Many of us can help our kids do the research necessary so that they tailor essays to align with the mission and values of the college; research the institution’s culture/vibe, programs, and initiatives that matter to them; and then, most importantly, incorporate these insights into a cohesive story or narrative - so it looks like the school is a natural fit to everyone and anyone who reads the app. There are some older posts on here with some excellent information. I did do some searching through the archives here.
I think the experienced private counselors who have massively staffed offices filled with dozens of former AOs and a flow of applicants probably have more info readily available among them than we do. Note we didn't use one of them - but in hindsight, I may have wished we did. I did pay for "Application Reviews" from a national firm. I found the quality of the feedback and the detail to be exceptional.
Which national firm did you use for your application review?
Bumping this. Which national firm for application review?
Np:
We used Ingenius Prep (bought an application review package for 3 schools right after ED decision came out - but I'd been in touch around Thanksgiving to get info on the package for the 3 schools; learned about IP here (along with CEG but went with IP)). They got information from me in mid-December on what draft applications I might send for review on my DC's behalf, so they could match us with a former AO from one of those 3 schools for the review.
The Application Review: It was helpful and detailed. Also included line by line essay review (DC didn't incorporate all changes but did incorporate some). Detailed suggestions for the following sections in common app: (1) awards/honors; (2) career plans; (3) tightening up ECs and reordering; (4) additional info section and (5) endings for certain supplemental essays - in addition to edits for each set of essays in Google Docs.
Helpful to get another set of professional eyes.
Other Advice: Also advised on soliciting a 3rd LOR from private school headmaster for deferred ED school, and suggestions for which specific RD schools that might take that letter and view it favorably or neutrally.
Anonymous
03/10/2025 14:40
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:i would say, save your money and pay some agreed amount like $2K or something to an ivy league current student to review the essays for your target schools. These students has been vetted out and got into some of the top schools most of them, were accepted to ivy, ivy plus and public ivy's. Redditt and CC has a bunch of threads about these resources. More genuine unlike former AO's trying to tell how stupid we are.
Sorry, terrible idea.
Have the app reviewed by someone who has seen thousands and knows how to help yours.
It can be as simple as the syntax of the activity list. Not saying that will make a difference or not, but if you are looking to improve...
Anonymous
03/10/2025 13:52
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
i would say, save your money and pay some agreed amount like $2K or something to an ivy league current student to review the essays for your target schools. These students has been vetted out and got into some of the top schools most of them, were accepted to ivy, ivy plus and public ivy's. Redditt and CC has a bunch of threads about these resources. More genuine unlike former AO's trying to tell how stupid we are.
Anonymous
03/10/2025 13:07
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m quite overwhelmed by this process, but feel that $5-10k might be better spent in my kids college fund than for a consultant. On the other hand, we need some advice…
Thoughts?
High stat kids that need to stand out against top stat kids could use a consultant if you are aiming for schools with a 10% admit rate. Otherwise, probably not needed.
Any truly competitive T20 application could use counseling help. By the time you figure out how to stress the main 3 points essential for a compelling Northwestern application, it might be too late. Best to get professional help early so you know how to accentuate the key ethos of a school.
I’d advise getting help from counselors who have actually served as AO if aiming for T20.
We hired someone for my oldest, who got into a couple top 20s, and he didn't give that kind of ultraspecific tip at all. Do counselors really do that?
I think you can pick up most of this stuff in other places - here, Reddit, and podcasts (Ingenius Prep; Yale; The Game; YCBK; Crimson Education webinars; Admittedly; CEG webinars).
There's also a weird guy who does "The College Admissions Process Podcast" and he interviews the head AO at many top schools. If you listen to those interviews, you will get a ton of info on the type of student they are looking for (Duke; Wake Forest; Northwestern; Amherst; Midd, and Cornell were all particularly good and relevant for us). I find this all fascinating - so it's really not "work" for me to dig into this but your experience may differ.
It's my 2nd rodeo now and I see all the things we missed when we did have an (inept) private counselor the 1st time around because I've spent weeks of my life researching and memorializing what I've discovered (everything did work out well for DC1 but now I see why some of those RD apps were destined to be rejections).
Schools have different things that they look for in applicants and different focuses for an "ideal" student. It's not as simple as focusing on an open curriculum at Brown - it's deeper than that. In my opinion, so much needs to be changed and tailored for RD apps to make sure the "Why Major essay" at Brown works at Penn (it won't work without a different type of focus). Do kids get in without all of this extra work - absolutely! But sometimes they have something else going for them too, or they are not in a crowded field or xyz. You never know.
Many of us can help our kids do the research necessary so that they tailor essays to align with the mission and values of the college; research the institution’s culture/vibe, programs, and initiatives that matter to them; and then, most importantly, incorporate these insights into a cohesive story or narrative - so it looks like the school is a natural fit to everyone and anyone who reads the app. There are some older posts on here with some excellent information. I did do some searching through the archives here.
I think the experienced private counselors who have massively staffed offices filled with dozens of former AOs and a flow of applicants probably have more info readily available among them than we do. Note we didn't use one of them - but in hindsight, I may have wished we did. I did pay for "Application Reviews" from a national firm. I found the quality of the feedback and the detail to be exceptional.
Which national firm did you use for your application review?
Bumping this. Which national firm for application review?
Anonymous
03/10/2025 12:01
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'd start by reading "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeff Selingo. It's a fascinating, and often sobering, look into modern college acceptance. It's not a "how to crack the code" but rather a candid insight into how decisions are made. He's a former journalist so makes for a very quick read. Start there and then you'll have a stronger base to make some other decisions.
Yes. A few years ago someone suggested these books to me. All were great reads - but you can skim a bunch of them.
Who Gets In and Why
Soundbite
Valedictorians at the Gate
The Gatekeepers
Inside Stanford Admissions
The Exceptional Applicant
The Years That Matter Most
Looking for more resources for people new to the process. Where else should I look?
Anonymous
01/23/2025 22:54
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m quite overwhelmed by this process, but feel that $5-10k might be better spent in my kids college fund than for a consultant. On the other hand, we need some advice…
Thoughts?
High stat kids that need to stand out against top stat kids could use a consultant if you are aiming for schools with a 10% admit rate. Otherwise, probably not needed.
Any truly competitive T20 application could use counseling help. By the time you figure out how to stress the main 3 points essential for a compelling Northwestern application, it might be too late. Best to get professional help early so you know how to accentuate the key ethos of a school.
I’d advise getting help from counselors who have actually served as AO if aiming for T20.
We hired someone for my oldest, who got into a couple top 20s, and he didn't give that kind of ultraspecific tip at all. Do counselors really do that?
I think you can pick up most of this stuff in other places - here, Reddit, and podcasts (Ingenius Prep; Yale; The Game; YCBK; Crimson Education webinars; Admittedly; CEG webinars).
There's also a weird guy who does "The College Admissions Process Podcast" and he interviews the head AO at many top schools. If you listen to those interviews, you will get a ton of info on the type of student they are looking for (Duke; Wake Forest; Northwestern; Amherst; Midd, and Cornell were all particularly good and relevant for us). I find this all fascinating - so it's really not "work" for me to dig into this but your experience may differ.
It's my 2nd rodeo now and I see all the things we missed when we did have an (inept) private counselor the 1st time around because I've spent weeks of my life researching and memorializing what I've discovered (everything did work out well for DC1 but now I see why some of those RD apps were destined to be rejections).
Schools have different things that they look for in applicants and different focuses for an "ideal" student. It's not as simple as focusing on an open curriculum at Brown - it's deeper than that. In my opinion, so much needs to be changed and tailored for RD apps to make sure the "Why Major essay" at Brown works at Penn (it won't work without a different type of focus). Do kids get in without all of this extra work - absolutely! But sometimes they have something else going for them too, or they are not in a crowded field or xyz. You never know.
Many of us can help our kids do the research necessary so that they tailor essays to align with the mission and values of the college; research the institution’s culture/vibe, programs, and initiatives that matter to them; and then, most importantly, incorporate these insights into a cohesive story or narrative - so it looks like the school is a natural fit to everyone and anyone who reads the app. There are some older posts on here with some excellent information. I did do some searching through the archives here.
I think the experienced private counselors who have massively staffed offices filled with dozens of former AOs and a flow of applicants probably have more info readily available among them than we do. Note we didn't use one of them - but in hindsight, I may have wished we did. I did pay for "Application Reviews" from a national firm. I found the quality of the feedback and the detail to be exceptional.
Which national firm did you use for your application review?
Anonymous
01/23/2025 22:25
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
I’m not a college consultant. Just helping a kid mostly with essays. Has received interviews from 4 of HYPSM. Crazy how an outside adult looking at essays can help so much.
When I read her first essays, I was like you sure you want to apply to MIT? Because this essays says you don’t want to go there! She had not realized. Just so many more stories like that. I helped her put her best foot forward and wondering if I should do it for $ now. Tbf she had a few not-so-spectacular awards, but her app would have been put into the reject pile based on her essays. It might be worth it to ask someone outside your circle to read essays. The rest you can do yourself!
When I read her first essays, I was like you sure you want to apply to MIT? Because this essays says you don’t want to go there! She had not realized. Just so many more stories like that. I helped her put her best foot forward and wondering if I should do it for $ now. Tbf she had a few not-so-spectacular awards, but her app would have been put into the reject pile based on her essays. It might be worth it to ask someone outside your circle to read essays. The rest you can do yourself!
Anonymous
01/23/2025 10:47
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
We didn't spend a lot on a counselor, just a few hours with us and our kid. But what we learned about the expectations of Ivy League colleges, was really helpful in terms of not wasting any time trying to apply to them. The CC wanted our son to jump through hoops in order to make himself seem like a viable candidate and we knew this was for him, totally unrealistic and unachievable without enormous pressure and the help of tutors in several subjects that don't come naturally to him.
So in a sense, the perhaps ill advice of the CC helped us find clarity in the process and know better where we should be aiming for.
So in a sense, the perhaps ill advice of the CC helped us find clarity in the process and know better where we should be aiming for.
Anonymous
01/23/2025 10:42
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
A college consultant can often help with creating an academic narrative or admissions hook, junior/senior class choice (especially if a lot of electives are available at your HS) and choosing majors.
More strategic than it seems.
More strategic than it seems.
Anonymous
01/23/2025 10:11
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:Yes, they are worth it but I'n tired if giving names and accused by the ignorant of beong a shill. set up an emaill and i will respond
Agree. I am a college consultant who works ala carte and is reasonably priced. Would happily send an email and offer references, but feel odd about anonymous self promotion.
Anonymous
01/23/2025 10:06
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
To the OP- if you are primarily concerned with finding good fit colleges, hop over to College Confidential (which tbf isn't as great as it used to be) and post in the chance/match me me forum. There are some very knowledgeable people on there who give great insights, and a few of them are private college counselors and test prep counselors. Or post your student's stats and interests on this thread and see what you can crowd source. It sounds like your student has the grades and testing part down, and if you can cultivate a good list of colleges, I honestly don't think you'll need a CC, the only thing I could see being worth spending $ on would be essay editing.
Anonymous
01/23/2025 09:40
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:I'd start by reading "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeff Selingo. It's a fascinating, and often sobering, look into modern college acceptance. It's not a "how to crack the code" but rather a candid insight into how decisions are made. He's a former journalist so makes for a very quick read. Start there and then you'll have a stronger base to make some other decisions.
Yes. A few years ago someone suggested these books to me. All were great reads - but you can skim a bunch of them.
Who Gets In and Why
Soundbite
Valedictorians at the Gate
The Gatekeepers
Inside Stanford Admissions
The Exceptional Applicant
The Years That Matter Most
Anonymous
01/23/2025 09:10
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
Anonymous wrote:This is OP, thanks everyone, and I’ll check out the podcasts.
Definitely not planning to spend any money on test prep, as kid doesn’t need it and tests extremely well off the bat. He has very, very strong academics but spends so much time on them that his extra curriculars are nothing special. He’s also introverted.
What I find most overwhelming and a counselor might help with, is narrowing which colleges would be a good fit. TBH I want him to grow and have fun at college - he’s so academic focused, in such a competitive environment and tough classes in high school that it would be good to find more to life in college. So I need help working out the trade off between getting a well respected degree and being burned out.
Don’t really need help with deadlines or getting organized, he’s good at those too. Can you go “a la carte” with college counselors? Maybe that’s what I need rather than a package!
You can research yourself and figure out the “trade off.” Save yourself some money!
Anonymous
01/23/2025 09:02
Subject: Are college consultants worth it?
I'd start by reading "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeff Selingo. It's a fascinating, and often sobering, look into modern college acceptance. It's not a "how to crack the code" but rather a candid insight into how decisions are made. He's a former journalist so makes for a very quick read. Start there and then you'll have a stronger base to make some other decisions.