Some of these platinum-priced counselors seem to be as exclusive as the Ivy League schools that these clients are lusting after. Kids who the counselors feel don’t measure up are turned away. To accommodate
the demand, one highly sought-after counselor takes the overflow from her practice and funnels them into expensive application boot camps.
Of course, the use of these exorbitantly compensated hired guns
creates the impression that only the wealthy can win the admissions
race. That notion certainly displeases Thomas H. Parker, dean of
admission and financial aid at Amherst College, one of the nation’s
premier liberal arts colleges, who wrote about his disdain for private
counselors in The Chronicle of Higher Education: “What is important
to understand about families who make use of independent college
counselors is that they are both highly competitive and used to controlling
their own destinies. In their eyes, the college-admissions
process is reduced to little more than a contest. Furthermore, it is a
contest that is to be won (perhaps at all costs) and a process that is to
be tightly controlled.”
Counselors who advise the phenomenally wealthy on a fee schedule
that rivals attorneys have rightly received a lot of flack. But that
aside, there are many experts who can be a tremendous help to families
and who don’t charge outrageous prices or any at all. These experts
include high school counselors and independent college counselors,
as well as investment advisors and Certified Public Accounts, who focus
on the financial and tax aspects of paying for college and qualifying
for financial aid.
Why You Might Want a Lifeline
Independent and high school counselors can be a valuable resource
for families for the very reasons that the administrator at
Creighton University suggests. Not all families are going to want to
navigate the Byzantine world of college admissions by themselves.
This is understandable because the rules of the game can change frequently.
In fact, instead of being anchored to a sturdy stone foundation,
the admissions and financial aid rules often seem like they are
careening down a Slip ‘n Slide.
Back in the early 1990s, for instance, colleges rarely gave out merit
scholarships to any students who weren’t academically spectacular.
Many parents and kids believe that’s still the status quo. But today, it’s
possible for solid “B” students with decent standardized test scores to
walk away with merit money. Although the kid who is simply above average
has a shot at money, even that common practice can’t always be
counted on. A college may have given merit money last year to your
neighbors’ son with a 3.2 grade points average and a 1100 SAT (on the
1600 scale), but that doesn’t mean your child, whose stats are better,
could assume she’d be a shoo-in for a scholarship to the same school
this year. Multiply this one example many times over, and you’ll get
some idea of the mercurial nature of the college process.
Just as you would when choosing a college, you have to be careful
that you consult the right people. Not everybody who is eager to make
a buck in this business is competent, much less ethical. What follows
is a rundown on what kind of help is available.
Independent College Counselors
When searching for an independent college counselor, don’t be
mesmerized by a firm’s touted success rate in getting kids into the Ivy
League. High-profile counselors aren’t turning “B” students into kids
that Princeton will drool over. These advisors help academic overachievers
who could get into excellent schools without anyone’s help.
The aim of these admissions power brokers is arguably to take these
top students and turn them into the collegiate version of Stepford
Wives to boost their chances even more. Under the circumstances, the
success rate is meaningless.
Frankly, you should think twice about hiring any counselor who
doesn’t want to work with a variety of kids whether they are “C” students
or future Rhodes scholars.
Another warning sign is counselors who assume that families are
going to want to aim for the most prestigious school they can finagle
their kids into. Let’s just say this kind of knee-jerk mind-set is destructive.
The ideal counselors—and there are plenty out there—will
spend time learning about their clients and then exploring what kind
of institutions would be best for them academically, socially, geographically,
and financially.
Counselors who peddle prestige and try to Botox every blemish
off a kid’s record rather than finding the best fit encourage what
amounts to “child abuse.” That’s the opinion of Carolyn Z. Lawrence,
a wonderful independent college counselor in San Diego County. If a
counselor promises she can mold a kid into the perfect candidate,
Lawrence says, you should run.
Producing the perfect teenager all too often requires children to
surrender much of their high school lives. They are pressured to take
classes or assume extracurricular activities that don’t interest them or
will consume far too much time and provoke too much anxiety.
Finding a College Counselor
College experts aren’t clones; they offer different talents. Who
you consult will depend on what you want. Some independent counselors,
for instance, specialize in admission strategies. They are familiar
with the requirements of many campuses, and they keep track of
what these institutions are looking for and what scholarships and financial
aid are available. These counselors have spent a great deal of
time visiting campuses. You don’t want somebody, by the way, who
gets her information about individual schools strictly from the same
books that you can buy.
Other experts may specialize in filling out the financial aid forms
or working on financial aid appeal letters. They may offer families advice
on how they can increase their chances for financial aid or use
other strategies for paying the tab. Some counselors are excellent resources
for students with disabilities.
To increase your chances of getting a qualified counselor, consider
looking for experts, who belong to one of these professional groups:
• Independent Educational Consultants Association, www.educationalconsulting.org
• Higher Education Consultants Association, www.hecaonline.org
You can search for counselors by using each organization’s online
directories.
The Cost of Advice
If you eliminate the high profile counselors, many counselors do
not generate obscene bills. I’ve talked to wonderful counselors who
only charge a few hundreds dollars. And when you think what colleges
cost, being pointed in the right direction can be well worth the price.
For those who’d love the advice of a counselor without writing a
check, I’d urge you to visit AdmissionsAdvice.com. This Web site, created
by Carolyn Z. Lawrence, is an incredible font of information on
any topic related to choosing and evaluating schools. Spending time
browsing the Web site’s archives will provide you with a tremendous
education. Lawrence also maintains discussion boards on her site
where you can pose questions, as well as get the viewpoints of other
parents. When I last checked, the discussion boards had covered more
than 1,650 topics.
High School Counselors
With colleges dramatically changing the way they do business,
high school counselors can provide an invaluable service to their students.
For most students, the high school counselor is the only expert
they will ever consult, so it’s important to get as much face time as necessary
with him or her.
High school counselors will know the admission successes and
misfires of their graduates. They should also know which schools have
been financially generous to their high school seniors. The most valuable
counselors will direct students to schools they might not have
ever considered. Counselors also routinely update scholarship opportunities,
and they will maintain a schedule of colleges and universities
that will be visiting their high schools. They can also advise students
about whether the classes they are taking are appropriate for the type
of schools they hope to attend.
You obviously will want as much help as possible from a school
counselor, but you also have to realize that many are overworked.
Their work day is often consumed with juggling the needs of hundreds
of kids as they herd them through the college process that imposes unforgiving
deadlines for applications, scholarships, and financial aid.
Just filling out college recommendations for all their charges can keep
counselors busy well past school hours and into the weekends.
Keeping this in mind, students should make life as easy as possible
for their counselors. An excellent way to do this is to ask for the
college recommendations that you need well in advance. At many high
schools, counselors are deluged with recommendation requests in November
or December. Get yours in earlier. If you’re applying to any
school through early decision or early action, submit your request
even sooner.
Find out what your counselor needs to complete your recommendation.
He or she might want a list of your strengths, your educational
and career goals, and why you want to attend a particular college. You
should also provide a concise description of each school. The more
personalized the recommendation, the better.
You should provide copies of the recommendation form, as well as
preaddressed and stamped envelopes. Also express your gratitude to
your counselor with a note and—even better—a gift card to Starbucks,
a restaurant, bookstore, or theater.
While high school counselors are valuable resources, keep in mind
that not all of them have kept up with the times. Some counselors
steer kids away from excellent schools with high price tags because
they assume that their families can’t possibly afford them. What they
don’t necessarily appreciate is that for bright students who pick wisely
an expensive school can sometimes end up costing less than a public
university.
Some counselors also encourage kids to apply to “reach” schools
without appreciating the financial consequences of their advice. This
often leads to kids combing U.S. News & World Report to find colleges
where they might barely qualify for admission. If these kids are
“lucky” enough to get into a reach school, they might find that the
school is unwilling to award them any money at all. There are plenty
of academic sugar daddies out there for all sorts of students, but you
have to know where to look.
Action Plan
• Get the most out of your own high school counselor. School
counselors can be a great resource.
• Private college counselors can be invaluable, but make sure
your interests mesh with the counselor’s objectives.
Source: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price
