Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 22:43     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
We’re at about 1.3M HHI and are paying slightly less, about 35K for 4 yrs. I make about 70% of that HHI. Yes, a ridiculous sum, but I consider it a luxury purchase for my benefit— to improve my own mental and emotional health by having a third party be the one to keep my kid and spouse on track instead of me badgering them. I know a lot of the information and could give the same advice, but the kid and spouse don’t believe it when I say things, but will listen when same things coming from the hired counselor. I don’t care for luxury cars, designer fashions, beauty treatments etc etc, but this is a luxury splurge for ME, not for the kid. And worth every penny in terms of relieving mental and emotional load.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 20:25     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
DH and I make $900K combined, I am looking for a counselor in the $40K range. I interviewed a couple of the companies that charge $100K but could not pull the trigger. My kids are in public school so $40K seems relatively affordable compared to what my colleagues all spend each year on tuition.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 19:23     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
I have two friends who went to HYS undergrads and law schools and then got burnt out from big law and became high end college consultants. One changes 150k for the 4 years of high school.
Anonymous
Post 07/21/2025 18:58     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We have a seven figure HHI and I would not consider paying anything like that.


I probably would, at that level.


We are right at $1M in the Bay Area, and this sounds like an utter waste of money. I might think differently when DC is working on applications in a couple of years, but I seriously doubt it.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 23:21     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Just saw it today, 300K for a college campus visit tour.
https://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/private-jets/300k-luxury-college-admissions-tour-includes-private-jet-ivy-league-visits

Honestly, I don't think you will be getting any useful "guidance" from these counseling service if you are on a 40k budget. Whatever advices you got from them will be generic. Just self-study the application process.


Command Education is charging 750K to get kids into Harvard.
I am sure whatever they put on their website is not going to worth much.
https://www.commandeducation.com/press/the-ultra-wealthy-are-paying-up-to-750000-for-counseling-to-get-their-kids-into-harvard/


Is that guaranteed? A few years ago when we spoke to him, he had an idea for expanding one of DCs activities across several states. He thought Dc could get into Yale. We did not go with them and did nothing with that EC except continue it — DC is at Harvard!


Too bad Yale didn’t work out.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 23:18     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:The college consultant fee is basically therapy for the family to resign themselves to the fact that Lehigh is their only real option.


Lehigh is a great school. Most DCUM posters who are so high and mighty about schools are living vicariously through their kids aspirations but they themselves went to a school inferior to Lehigh.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 23:17     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We have a seven figure HHI and I would not consider paying anything like that.


Same. I would never.


+1

Never pay for a college consultant. It’s just not necessary. There is sooo much information out there.

Stop chasing prestige. Find a school that is the right fit for you kid. Do your own research. It’s not worth $40K.

Most of these posters are correct.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 23:17     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:would have to be a top 25 for that money - Bucknell or better!


How do you do better than Bucknell?
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2025 22:57     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
I don't have time to read the above. We hired by-the-hour. Helped our DD get into Oxford for an MPhil, a DPhil and just got into Harvard Law. Richard Montauk. He's a paid advertiser on this site. Total for each application was about $3,000 for everything.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 13:58     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:TLDR: Everyone who hired a college consultant regrets it. Everyone who didn't hire a college consultant and their child does well in the process, is smug about it.


True
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 13:54     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Agreed. Scam at worst, huge waste of money at best.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 13:49     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Anonymous wrote:And I realize that’s not even what the most expensive charge. Just wondering what kind of income level / net worth makes people comfortable spending this amount


No amount of income that I could phathom
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 13:35     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
Even if I had over $40 million, I'd never waste $40k on a college consultant. They just are not worth it. Maybe $400 tops.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 10:28     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
TLDR: Everyone who hired a college consultant regrets it. Everyone who didn't hire a college consultant and their child does well in the process, is smug about it.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2025 08:50     Subject: How much would you have to make to be comfortable spending $40,000 on a college consultant?
The college consultant fee is basically therapy for the family to resign themselves to the fact that Lehigh is their only real option.