With the school year gearing up, many parents of rising high-school juniors—and even younger students—are entering what may well be the most stressful period of parenting a teenager: the college admissions rodeo. Suddenly, a torrent of doubt sweeps in, despite all the money that’s been spent over the years on private tennis lessons, Russian Math classes and performing arts camp to help shape a well-rounded dynamo. Did my kid take enough AP’s to get into a top college? Have they wasted the past five summers loafing around the house instead of starting non-profit organizations? Should they take the SAT or do the schools that say they’re test-optional truly not care? Etc.
To alleviate these concerns and help families navigate the increasingly perplexing world of applying to college, independent college counselors are at the ready to help students stand out amongst a sea of similarly polished candidates all clamoring for a finite number of freshman slots. But this can bring even more stress. The number of independent college admissions consultants has ballooned in recent years as companies and individuals sell themselves as VIP concierges to the Ivy League for, in some cases, exorbitant fees. This one worked in admissions at Columbia. That one has three degrees from Harvard. Someone else has less academic pedigree but clicks with my kid and has great ideas. So how to pick one? And how to know if you actually need to pick one or can go it alone? Important caveat: Many families are just fine without one, particularly if their child’s high school college counseling department is strong and their child is motivated and organized about the application process.
But for those who don’t fall into that category, Scott Garbini, former president of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and an independent counselor based in Connecticut, has advice for confused and anxious parents.
Having an Ivy League degree can be helpful. But it’s not everything.
A number of consultants tout their own credentials as proof that they understand how to land a spot at an Ivy better than anyone else. But Garbini says other factors are important when it comes to identifying a “well-rounded” consultant (the goal) who understands the ins and outs of admissions and has a long track record of helping place students.
“Yes, if they worked in Ivy League admissions that will give them more clout… But I would also want to know, how many colleges they’ve visited? How well do they know what’s been going on in the higher education landscape? With everything going on, that landscape is shifting dramatically. We had the FAFSA debacle this year. There was the Supreme Court decision (banning affirmative action). Consultants had to go back and understand what that meant” for admissions.
Blair Hall at Princeton University.
As for consultants who have been “readers” for Ivy League admissions offices, he says, “To get a job as a reader at a university is a great thing. But if all you’ve done is read an essay, what are your other qualifications to help guide a student through the process? Because once you’re done reading that essay, all you’re doing is handing it over to admissions officers.”
There are also companies who advertise their success rates, claiming that, say, 98 percent of their students have been admitted to their top choices. Garbini says to get them to unpack that number. “How did they get that number? What does it mean?”
Make sure a consultant is affiliated with an accredited organization.
Basically anyone can set up shop and call themselves an independent college counselor. To discern who’s truly legitimate, research whether a consultant is a member of organizations such as HECA and the IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association).
“Both HECA and IECA have tremendous ethics policies that we follow,” says Garbini. “And as an independent consultant you must follow them or you will be released from the organization. Most people probably have it listed on their website, but just asking the question: Are you affiliated with any organization that offers an ethical component?,” is good to do.
Being a member of HECA or IECA means that a consultant is abiding by guidelines such as not actually writing an essay for a student, but helping them brainstorm ideas and giving feedback. And it means that they will never guarantee that a student will be offered admission to an institution.
“Anybody that says, ‘We’re guaranteeing admission if you work with us”—walk away,” says Garbini. “Or if they say, ‘If you follow our lead, you’ll get in.’ No. I can have one of my students follow my lead all the way to the November 1st Early Decision deadline, and then it is in the college’s hands and what they see as a fit. It has nothing to do with me anymore.”
Find someone who specializes in your goal.
Garbini primarily works with LGBTQIA students and students with learning differences. He is knowledgable in what schools provide learning accommodations and has even researched what schools have reduced noise settings and less fluorescent lighting—which can be disturbing for students with autism. He jokes that anyone looking for the best school for an athlete would “fire me immediately. It would be very clear that that’s not my speciality.”
Some college admissions consultants specialize in helping high school athletes find the perfect school.
Similarly, other consultants focus on athletes looking to be placed on college teams, first-generation or performing arts students. On HECA’s website, parents can hone their search using filters that sort consultants by expertise and where they’re located. Getting a spot on a college sports team as a high-schooler is perhaps the most specialized and unique path in that the process starts earlier than junior year and involves discussions amongst recruiters and coaches. “That’s a whole different area,” says Garbini. “You want to find a consultant who works specifically with, say, D1 athletes. There are people who will take a client who’s a DI athlete and the parent and student would realize very quickly if they were trying to wing it or were Googling things.”
You don’t have to break the bank
It’s no secret that hiring a consultant can run in the tens of thousands of dollars—and even more—over the course of a few years. But there are ways to keep costs down, particularly if only certain services are needed. For example, by hiring a consultant just to work with a student on essays, parents can avoid a full-freight fee. There are also consultants who specialize in the financial aid piece of a college application and figuring out the Byzantine in’s and out of the FAFSA form.
“If you already have a list of schools and you say, ‘We really just need help coming up with some good ideas and brainstorming some essays—there are consultant who will do that,” says Garbini. “They might have an hourly rate or a block of time” you can buy.
In general, Garbini says to be cautious of exceedingly high numbers when hiring someone to work in a more soup-to-nuts way. “If you’re starting junior year and a firm is going to charge you $100,000—that is a red flag to me, because, what are you doing? I’d say, do your due diligence. Seek out a few different consultants and ask, What are you charging? If you’re finding that five are charging $10,000 for the package—i.e. the start-to-finish process—and one is $100,000 but offering the same exact services, be wary.
“It’s like everything in life—do your research.”