Why Would You Use a College Admissions Consultant?

Why would/should/could you use a college consultant? This is a question that I have wrestled with, since I didn't use a consultant to help with the process for my 3 oldest children (the jury is out on what I will choose to do with the last one!). Actually, I wish I had used someone to help with the first one. He was stubborn and unfocused, and didn't really want to hear what we had to say because we were his parents, and what did we know, anyway?

Using a consultant is a big expense, especially when you are looking down the road to paying college tuition, room and board. Which is exactly why a consultant can make sense: College is a huge investment in your child's future, and one which you don't want to leave to chance. Would you buy a house without using a real estate agent or lawyer? Yes, your school has someone who works as a college counselor, and if you are lucky enough to have someone who is knowledgeable, up to date (goes on college tours), and who takes the time to get to know your child, then count yourself as very lucky. (SHOUT OUT here to J Cole at Edmund Burke, who is all of these things and more).

But sadly, according to a new report sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/03/03/counselors) most high school counselors are overworked, and just don't have the time to help students find the best fit for them.

As the report notes, student-to-counselor ratios have grown in recent years, making it more difficult for counselors to spend enough time with students. The national average ratio is about 265 to 1, but in some states the ratio is much higher, and the California figure is close to 1,000 to 1.

But enough bashing on the schools, which need as much support as they can get in this age of cutting budgets, teaching to the test, and eliminating funding for extracurriculars.

So what do you get by hiring an independent consultant to help with the college application process?

Information: Applying to college has changed a lot, even in the past few years. You can get advice from your next door neighbor, but chances are it won't have the depth of training and experience you can get from a consultant.

• Yes, the SAT still dominates, but now you can choose which scores to send, and take other tests instead or in addition to the SAT to show knowledge and breadth. Also, there are lots of schools which are testing optional... 
• The Common App has changed the way students apply to college. Now with the push of a button (and a credit card) students can apply to twenty colleges at once. But would you want or need to? A consultant can help target that list, so that applying is less scattershot, and more focused. 
• Yes, you can search for every college online and take a virtual tour. But a good consultant has probably visited every college you are considering, and can give you the inside scoop on schools that can look remarkably similar on paper. 
• Specialized information can make all the difference for students with special learning needs, for athletes and artists. It can take extra effort to track all this information down. 
• Testing and applying aren't the only things that have changed... don't forget about all the forms and hurdles of the merit aid and financial aid process!

The Right Fit: Getting to know the student is one of the most important parts of the process.  From personality testing (if needed) to exploring a variety of options, putting together a list of colleges and universities that are good matches is an important part of the process. This doesn't mean that the teen will be accepted at all their choices, but by tailoring the list to the individual, there is a higher probability of success, and the end result will be a student who is genuinely happy and productive at college.

Save Time: Outsourcing the research and information gathering part of the application process can save famillies time and energy. And who couldn't use a little extra time? High school juniors, especially, are overwhelmed by the day to day demands on their time, and can use every extra second to study or sleep! 

Lower Stress Levels: There is no getting around it. Applying to college is a stressful process for parents and teens. An impartial consultant can help change the process from something else parents have to nag their teens about, into a more collaborative effort. Everyone wins when there is less tension at home, and teens learn to take control of choices and decisions about their future.

For all these reasons and many others, think twice about making an investment in your child's future!