Anonymous wrote:OP here - Thank you all for the feedback.

I've been doing some of the "free" stuff already (on Reddit - helping some FGLI kids as well as scholar match). Will look into other suggestions now - thank you!!

For the PP, who doubted me - how weird?
I have two kids (my own) who I've helped get into multiple T20. Through a local org supporting low-income kids (similar to B&G club), I've read drafts and completed apps for several (yes, plural) kids.

And then, yes, if you are our age, you have a LOT of friends and family who come to you once they see the success your kid has had in the process (read this, help review draft app, revise EC list, suggest summer activities to support major, develop a "theme").

My own kids actually didn't have perfect stats or profiles AT ALL - and one actually had some "flaws". I'm not even advertising here - why the HATE or disbelief? My own kids didn't have the perfect stats for HYPSM, but other friends & relatives did (and were eventually successful). Why is that hard to believe?

Anyway, to the actual helpful responders, thank you. I'll explore opportunities for application reading this summer, along with perhaps trying to get some experience with a more legit private counseling firm.

You do? Honestly and with all due respect I have never seen this happen with anyone in our large family and friend group ever. Lots of parents have kids who are admitted to top colleges who are not inundated like you say you have been. It’s just not typical. If it’s happening the way you describe, it’s because you were taking the lead other parents - not the other way around.

I literally know of no one who has ever gotten involved with any of their kids’ friends’ parents over the details of their college applications the way that you have described. Not once.

PP here, stats and decent LORs needed. The essays and interview skills can be honed with help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Joe’s hiring readers: https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179152543&Title=Application%20Reader%2C%20Enrollment%20Operations

Requires at least a previous year of reading apps. OP is out.

OP could email their dean and explain her situation, they could be able to substitute prior experience.

Lol she doesn’t have nearly the experience that they require. I helped my four kids and a couple of nieces and nephews apply to college. They makes me and OP about even. I don’t think that makes me a qualified reader!

Readers for undergraduate colleges aren’t very qualified. Do you have a professional degree? Work experience?

I’m a reader this fall for a top ranked law school.

Anonymous wrote:So many moms think just because they assisted their kids and family members they are qualified to be a college counselor. But it’s highly unlikely you can replicate your results next year because you’ve never worked in an admission office so do not actually know why your students were admitted. OP start volunteering with college match or similar group before trying to become the next Nina Marks.

NP. I disagree. I did the research and helped my kid get into schools that are unheard of for our local public. I volunteered for the heck of it and helped kids get into HYPSM and many prestigious SLACs. You know what I learned? Most kids write shitty essays that seem to be what gets them rejected. I don’t think a good essay can get you in, but an essay that is acceptable will at least not put you in the reject pile. So if you have the stats, you can get in by having an adult who understands what colleges are looking for review your essays and other application components. I am in the UCLA program and having fun. OP - sign up! You might love it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Joe’s hiring readers: https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179152543&Title=Application%20Reader%2C%20Enrollment%20Operations

Requires at least a previous year of reading apps. OP is out.

OP could email their dean and explain her situation, they could be able to substitute prior experience.

Lol she doesn’t have nearly the experience that they require. I helped my four kids and a couple of nieces and nephews apply to college. They makes me and OP about even. I don’t think that makes me a qualified reader!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You:

- helped kids (plural) this last cycle (2024-2025) look into under the radar schools

- Have 2 kids admitted into T20s in last 2 years

- and this last cycle (‘24-‘25) helped 3 kids get T10/Ivies

Who are all these friends coming to you for help? (You mentioned your kids (example 2) and friends and family for example 3) — so example 1 (all friends) and 3 at least partially friends). All these friends and family members (at least 5) during the last cycle are coming to you for advice on narrative development, essays, EC development, Supp brainstorming- all the way to LOCIs.

So so so weird and seems unbelievable. And your kids get T20 but you got 3 others into ivies/T10s?

You will do well bc much of college app advising is unregulated and people can say whatever.

The OP seems 100% believable to me, and the weird antagonism in this comment is what reads as weird to me. Stop griefing on people.

OP, I'm the one who posted earlier about having to redirect parents away from Stanford, etc., and had two thoughts as to how you can scratch the itch a bit more as you mull over hanging out a shingle or whatever path makes sense. First is to get involved in College Confidential, where there's more of a community of like-minded parents-who-have-been-through-it and where you can continue to talk shop. The moderation there and the "anonymous but with an account name" setup prevents bad actors from taking over threads the way they do here. Second is to think about getting involved with https://www.scholarmatch.org/, where they help FGLI kids with the application process. It won't be the same high-fliers you've worked with so far, but could have a really positive impact.

I’m a volunteer with SM and have read emails from other coaches on the listserv about finding out that they are working with rich kids. SM does not verify low-income status (so if a kid says their parents make 75K, they are ion and get free counseling) so essentially sometimes the volunteer work we do helps a rich kid get admitted to elite schools OVER the low-income kids we are trying to help. I’ve read emails from other volunteers where they are wondering why rich kids are in this program, and I have not seen anything from SM to clarify what’s going on. So volunteer if you want to, but know that you might be helping a kid take away a spot from a more deserving candidate.

OP, I really like your post, your energy and enthusiasm, and your willingness to put yourself out there for advice before this sometimes smart and sometimes rough crowd.

One question or bit of advice. If your goal is to work with families at top independent schools sending lots of kids to top colleges, you may have a tough time breaking in. As others have said, those counselors have generally put in several years in admissions at top colleges and sometimes additional years at other independent schools. Expectations by parents are very high and they want a former Tufts or Penn admissions officer instead of a smart but inexperienced parent.

But if you really want to make a difference, then consider the many schools that aren't serving UMC families and where the college counselor may be the guidance counselor and working with kids going to tech schools, military, community colleges, as well as to bigger universities. My big rural public high school had one counselor for 450 seniors, while my kid's Big3 independent has four counselors for 125 seniors.

Maybe start out by volunteering to help out in a big high school that doesn't have huge resources. You'll be helping kids figure out enlisting into the military or getting technical training more often than helping a kid weigh brown versus Dartmouth. But you might make a bigger difference in some kid's life to help him or her to see themselves at any college and then get into a GMU or another child get into some tech apprenticeship than to help some umc kid at an independent school et into Penn instead of Cornell.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue with this industry is it like real estate: everyone thinks they can do it as the bar for entry is low. However, to really make it, you need to be excellent.

If you really want to do this, then get a job in admissions and read files. Or work at a large company that does this type of consulting and learn the ropes.

You could also consider a college counseling certification and join groups like IECA for networking.

+1. The clients in this space are highly sophisticated and aware of thebvalue you’re adding added. Many have listened to the same podcasts and seen the same Reddit the ads you have OP. You’ll need to work for cheap long enough to develop a following and build a track record. If you deliver value, families might pay more for siblings.

I disagree. I don’t think most people in my circle are as sophisticated as the parents on here. This is a highly educated group. And most people on here, I think, wouldn’t hire a counselor. Most of us are here looking for that info for free.

However, most people at our private haven’t heard of the podcasts/books or even checked out A2C. They do hire counselors bc other people have - it’s a weird word of mouth thing.

Anonymous wrote:Being a part time reader isn’t going to teach someone how to help a student with the college search. It isn’t even going to give you much insight unto how that college makes decisions. They’re very low-level workers who aren’t involved in committee decisions. No education about scholarships or financial aid, either.

Knowing how St. Joe’s processes a new application isn’t going to help the kid who is just getting started and needs help building a list.

No question…but how do you think so many people at so many advising companies says “former AO of fill in the blank/Stanford?”

Being a part time reader isn’t going to teach someone how to help a student with the college search. It isn’t even going to give you much insight unto how that college makes decisions. They’re very low-level workers who aren’t involved in committee decisions. No education about scholarships or financial aid, either.

Knowing how St. Joe’s processes a new application isn’t going to help the kid who is just getting started and needs help building a list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Joe’s hiring readers: https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179152543&Title=Application%20Reader%2C%20Enrollment%20Operations

Requires at least a previous year of reading apps. OP is out.

OP could email their dean and explain her situation, they could be able to substitute prior experience.

Not really

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Joe’s hiring readers: https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179152543&Title=Application%20Reader%2C%20Enrollment%20Operations

Requires at least a previous year of reading apps. OP is out.

OP could email their dean and explain her situation, they could be able to substitute prior experience.

Anonymous wrote:St. Joe’s hiring readers: https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179152543&Title=Application%20Reader%2C%20Enrollment%20Operations

Requires at least a previous year of reading apps. OP is out.

UCLA program

https://www.uclaextension.edu/education/higher-education-adult-educators/certificate/college-counseling

Almost everyone on here fails to understand that a good counselor first and foremost is good at working with students. Reading Reddit posts and working with your kids is great, now you need proof you’re good at working with all the other kids. Low income, low motivation, etc. Start taking classes from the UCLA program and volunteering in public schools if you really want to do this work.