Anonymous wrote:Every parent I know goes through this and thinks they will be a great counselor.

It’s the new mom MLM.

I helped my unhooked kids senior year with apps and essays and they did really, really well. Both are at Ivies (RD admissions).

But, I knew both of my kids inside and out which is what helped them with topics and authenticity. I cannot imagine doing this with strangers. My kids also had all of the pieces and are motivated. Imagine working with kids who don’t really want to be there and their parents hired you.

Frankly, AI will put you out of a job.

It reminds me of how people think they want to be wedding planners after planning their own wedding. It’s not quite as fun when you have to deal with crazy, demanding people with unrealistic expectations.

I don’t live in the DC area and it’s not quite as big a phenomenon where I am, but the people who have used the one main person in my area who does this have had really middling results. I truly don’t understand what they paid for.

Anonymous wrote:Word of mouth in the right circles. The best individual counselors get booked quietly via word of mouth in my town.

Don't bother with the certificates.

This is an industry like selling real estate or being a headhunter--connections matter a lot and there are no barriers to entry if you are a fast learner, and know enough and they feel comfortable with you. People don't want to hear that, but it's true.

+1

I have three friends who are graduates of various HYPS universities (for both undergrad and grad). To spend more time with their kids, they took the off ramp of their demanding careers (doctor, lawyer and McKinsey consultant) and built lucrative practices on admissions counseling. The doctor has a focus on helping students with admissions to medical school. Lawyer and former McKinsey consultant have a broader focus, both deal a lot with international students who are willing to pay for guidance. People see their resumes and assume they're good (and they are.)

One of my friends takes on just 20 students at a time (starting grade 10, til admissions season is over in grade 12), and seems to have no problem paying for her household.

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Anonymous wrote:OP here. Reached out to some contacts who know my work and have my first payment and contract.

I'm charging a little less than the PP above, but in range.

I think you're only thinking about half the job - the application part. A good part of the work is putting together an appropriate list for a student and that can be hard, especially if the parents (and students) have outdated or unrealistic expectations.

You need a really expensive knowledge of colleges around the country. IECs spend some time on the road visiting colleges so they can advise clients about them.

NP… while this is good, not everyone wants an IEC to make a balanced list for them. And if we’re talking demographics that you don’t share, your list can be way off!

Op here—I have worked with a lot of kids who have a certain profile in NOVA and NYC suburbs (where I am from) and they all allow me to share their data w/others with the same profile.

The kids I work with also tend to apply to a small set of schools I’m very familiar with.

I have a lot of success with kids with a certain profile (who know that a lot of kids are similar to them on paper) and that’s who I’m targeting.

Congrats!! That’s a huge part of it.
Come back in a year and let us know how your business is going!

Thank you! Most of the kids I have worked with attend a handful of high schools, want the same 2-3 majors, and target the same 25 or so schools. I have pretty detailed notes and get consent to share information in my circle, so sometimes I’m also able to do things like set up meetings with kids who are applying with current students who I know are similar (I’ll buy them lunch as a thank you when they come back home), that sort of thing.

So you aren't a counselor at all or you'd be finding those kids schools that actually fit their needs instead of the same 25 colleges that everyone targets.

Good luck.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Reached out to some contacts who know my work and have my first payment and contract.

I'm charging a little less than the PP above, but in range.

I think you're only thinking about half the job - the application part. A good part of the work is putting together an appropriate list for a student and that can be hard, especially if the parents (and students) have outdated or unrealistic expectations.

You need a really expensive knowledge of colleges around the country. IECs spend some time on the road visiting colleges so they can advise clients about them.

NP… while this is good, not everyone wants an IEC to make a balanced list for them. And if we’re talking demographics that you don’t share, your list can be way off!

Op here—I have worked with a lot of kids who have a certain profile in NOVA and NYC suburbs (where I am from) and they all allow me to share their data w/others with the same profile.

The kids I work with also tend to apply to a small set of schools I’m very familiar with.

I have a lot of success with kids with a certain profile (who know that a lot of kids are similar to them on paper) and that’s who I’m targeting.

Congrats!! That’s a huge part of it.
Come back in a year and let us know how your business is going!

Thank you! Most of the kids I have worked with attend a handful of high schools, want the same 2-3 majors, and target the same 25 or so schools. I have pretty detailed notes and get consent to share information in my circle, so sometimes I’m also able to do things like set up meetings with kids who are applying with current students who I know are similar (I’ll buy them lunch as a thank you when they come back home), that sort of thing.

to be encouraging: I dont know anyone who has tried this who doesn't make a pretty good amount of money at it. maybe not a "support a family" on it amount of money, but a nice job that you can do in your 50s to late 60s imo, working 20 hours a week 40 weeks a year, and 35 hours a week 12 weeks a year.

also, I don't actually know that many people who have done this - or MLMs for that matter. so may be about the company I keep. the people who are serious, do well.

it helps a lot to get a season in as a reader while also helping a few kids on the side. then launch in 2027

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Reached out to some contacts who know my work and have my first payment and contract.

I'm charging a little less than the PP above, but in range.

I think you're only thinking about half the job - the application part. A good part of the work is putting together an appropriate list for a student and that can be hard, especially if the parents (and students) have outdated or unrealistic expectations.

You need a really expensive knowledge of colleges around the country. IECs spend some time on the road visiting colleges so they can advise clients about them.

NP… while this is good, not everyone wants an IEC to make a balanced list for them. And if we’re talking demographics that you don’t share, your list can be way off!

Op here—I have worked with a lot of kids who have a certain profile in NOVA and NYC suburbs (where I am from) and they all allow me to share their data w/others with the same profile.

The kids I work with also tend to apply to a small set of schools I’m very familiar with.

I have a lot of success with kids with a certain profile (who know that a lot of kids are similar to them on paper) and that’s who I’m targeting.

Congrats!! That’s a huge part of it.
Come back in a year and let us know how your business is going!

Counselors are for people who don’t want to help their kids (like we all did). You guys are so dense. Most people I know don’t research or spend time here.

There are so many of them and spending $5-10-15-25k is not a big deal. Your demographic is not the target.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Reached out to some contacts who know my work and have my first payment and contract.

I'm charging a little less than the PP above, but in range.

I think you're only thinking about half the job - the application part. A good part of the work is putting together an appropriate list for a student and that can be hard, especially if the parents (and students) have outdated or unrealistic expectations.

You need a really expensive knowledge of colleges around the country. IECs spend some time on the road visiting colleges so they can advise clients about them.

NP… while this is good, not everyone wants an IEC to make a balanced list for them. And if we’re talking demographics that you don’t share, your list can be way off!

Op here—I have worked with a lot of kids who have a certain profile in NOVA and NYC suburbs (where I am from) and they all allow me to share their data w/others with the same profile.

The kids I work with also tend to apply to a small set of schools I’m very familiar with.

I have a lot of success with kids with a certain profile (who know that a lot of kids are similar to them on paper) and that’s who I’m targeting.

Anonymous wrote:Every parent I know goes through this and thinks they will be a great counselor.

It’s the new mom MLM.

I helped my unhooked kids senior year with apps and essays and they did really, really well. Both are at Ivies (RD admissions).

But, I knew both of my kids inside and out which is what helped them with topics and authenticity. I cannot imagine doing this with strangers. My kids also had all of the pieces and are motivated. Imagine working with kids who don’t really want to be there and their parents hired you.

Frankly, AI will put you out of a job.

I agree with you. I also helped my unhooked senior and she did really well throughout the process. She also did the majority of the work, as it should be. And, unlike your child, she didn’t “have all the pieces.” She did well nonetheless, and I can’t see how she would have benefited from a counselor.

And you’re right about AI, too. While AI essays are easy to spot, AI can help with the questions (schools to apply to, application issues, etc.). And AI is free.

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Anonymous wrote:So far you have no true actual results of your help. I would not even entertain paying you without verifiable positive statistics.

Right now you are just a bored mom who likes to write essays.

I agree with this. Build up a success story resume. You might like it but not actually make an impact on acceptances. Then use that to attract paying clients.

She’ll build a roster quickly. You’d be surprised how much money there is sloshing around in this industry sector.

Op: make yourself hard to pin down/book. They’ll come running to you.

Why are you busybodies so negative? She doesn’t want your business.

Anonymous wrote:So far you have no true actual results of your help. I would not even entertain paying you without verifiable positive statistics.

Right now you are just a bored mom who likes to write essays.

I agree with this. Build up a success story resume. You might like it but not actually make an impact on acceptances. Then use that to attract paying clients.

Anonymous wrote:Every parent I know goes through this and thinks they will be a great counselor.

It’s the new mom MLM.

I helped my unhooked kids senior year with apps and essays and they did really, really well. Both are at Ivies (RD admissions).

But, I knew both of my kids inside and out which is what helped them with topics and authenticity. I cannot imagine doing this with strangers. My kids also had all of the pieces and are motivated. Imagine working with kids who don’t really want to be there and their parents hired you.

Frankly, AI will put you out of a job.

I have a kid at yale (scea) and a kid into Princeton (scea) this year. We didn't use a counselor and my kids are not hooked, and I dont think I'd be a great counselor.

But you said every parent you know so I guess this is just your friends. And I guess you don't think much of your friend. What a nice life!

Every parent I know goes through this and thinks they will be a great counselor.

It’s the new mom MLM.

I helped my unhooked kids senior year with apps and essays and they did really, really well. Both are at Ivies (RD admissions).

But, I knew both of my kids inside and out which is what helped them with topics and authenticity. I cannot imagine doing this with strangers. My kids also had all of the pieces and are motivated. Imagine working with kids who don’t really want to be there and their parents hired you.

Frankly, AI will put you out of a job.

Anonymous wrote:So far you have no true actual results of your help. I would not even entertain paying you without verifiable positive statistics.

Right now you are just a bored mom who likes to write essays.

I hope you dont talk to your friends like this. Every single successful college counselor was doing something else prior.

It mostly just says this is how you think about your own life, your own endeavors, your own fear of public failure. It's got nothing to do with the OP, that's for sure.