College Consultants

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celiceli

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Parents, level with me here: are those uber-expensive college consultants needed? Was it helpful in any way?


Thank you!
Clueless mom of a HS Junior.
 
Start here: What do they provide that parents and the school’s college counselor don’t? Add also what Google and myriad publications don’t. There’s just so much information out there, available for free or a nominal price, that I don’t see what value these consultants add. Especially for the prices they charge.

Now, if the student is the first in their family to apply to college, or if the family is otherwise very uncomfortable and/or unfamiliar with the steps, then perhaps a consultant can help. But again, given the usually steep price, is the value there? I personally don’t think so. But, as with most things, YMMV.
 
Imo, if you are a competitive candidate, and do your research, a consultant isn’t needed. Each SA has steps laid out for applying on their websites. Curriculums from freshman year on. There are admissions forums, social media pages to follow, and service academy open houses for nominating sources to attend to gather additional info. BGO’s, ALO’s, and whatever their counterparts are called at the remaining academies. And of course, sooooo much good (and some not so good, but that is usually pounced upon by seasoned members) info here on the SAF.

AND ALL THAT IS FREE…..

3 of mine applied. Two got in (3rd had a medical issue). Without paying a penny to a consultant.

I liken them to wedding planners. Maybe I would use one if I had extra cash laying around. But I don’t. And you don’t have to have one.
 
For my older son we used a consultant. The consultant was helpful in alerting us to schools that would be a good fit and in working on essays. This son was looking at liberal arts colleges and had an unusual background due to some health issues and a gap year. In this instance the consultant was helpful.

DS2 knew he wanted to go to a military school and was focused on Army. We found that the admissions website provided good information on what we needed to do. We also went to a West Point admissions event and the admissions rep was very helpful in answering questions we had. Additionally, we visited the Academy and again met with admissions who was very helpful in reviewing the application and pointing out ways to improve the application. Finally, we found this forum very helpful. We did buy a book about the ROTC scholarships that we found helpful in laying out the process and clearing up some confusion. This board also is very helpful About ROTC issues and questions. In short, we did not see the need for a consultant and DS2 was admitted to the 2 Senior Military Colleges he applied to, was successful in receiving a 4 year AROTC scholarship, and was admitted to West Point.

Using the Academy resources, this forum, and your child’s teachers to proof and critique the essays you should have the resources you need to navigate the process. Good luck!
 
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IF you are going to hire a consultant relating to any SA application, make sure they have actual/recent experience in the SA application process including MOC NOM's. Applying to an SA is a LOT different from any civilian colleges. Some will tend to exaggerate their results or imply a better outcome when using their service. Personally, I think they are a waste of money and aren't going to be able to do anything you can't research on your own as others have mentioned above. Occasionally, you will see someone who is a recent SA graduate offering consulting services, implying some special insight into the application process. Who you know has very little to do with getting an appointment.
 
You certainly can navigate it on your own, but are you a college admissions expert? Is the person you may hire actually a college admissions expert (civilian or SA, or both)? What is the cost and can you afford it?

The true cost of a qualified person to simply help with ideas, essays, proofreading and providing insight that you and the student likely do not have is usually far less than the cost of the mistake of not knowing what you don't know, what you didn't say or simply missed.

SA or civilian school it is the same math, and it all depends on your circumstances. The cost of a mistake could be a denial of admission at a dream school, literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of tuition at the wrong civilian school or in missed scholarships, or it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars period if your child does not gain acceptance to an SA or misses the chance at an ROTC scholarship when they really want to serve as well.

When my furnace or AC has an issue, I can Google the model and find videos that show me what to do. Does that mean I am going to attempt to fix my furnace or AC when I am not an HVAC person? I guess I could, but why would I?

Do what you can do and what you feel is correct.
 
We did not use any kind of consultant. My daughter proofread my son’s essays (Mom and Dad offered but he felt that his older sister was a better writer - her 5s on both the AP Lang and AP Lit tests were more persuasive than our real world experience and my husband’s advanced degree). It seems to have worked as he was admitted to the CGA during the EA cycle. I did suggest that he ask his science teacher to submit an optional essay and he followed that advice (I’d seen the letter she had submitted for his congressional nomination packages and it was quite good so I figured it wouldn’t hurt for the CGA to see it). Never occurred to us to hire outside help, though I guess more power to anyone who can afford it and chooses to do so. You do you. But is it necessary? Certainly not. And I would suspect that doing it without a hired gun guiding the process is way more satisfying and potentially sets a candidate up for future self-directed successes in multi-layered, high-stakes endeavors. Good luck to your family!
 
I home-schooled our DD and hired someone to help us. I found their ability to see the holes in her resume, help clarify her "why", and brainstorm essay ideas was invaluable. They also alerted DD to a summer internship opportunity. I was also grateful for their insight into schools we never thought about applying to. I did all the proof reading of the essays. In total, our DD received about a million dollars in scholarship money, and acceptances to 12 out of the 14 schools she applied to. It was worth it to me. Our consultant was moderately priced. Good luck!
 
For us, here were the considerations: 1. High school counselors, like any other professional, vary in quality and workload. 2. My children were at a point at which input from a third party would be more well-received than input from me.

We did hire someone for our student whose HS counselor was carrying 400 students. Great guy, but how much time could he possibly have for our kid when many of his kids needed his help for social issues?
 
blue_bird said:
I home-schooled our DD and hired someone to help us. I found their ability to see the holes in her resume, help clarify her "why", and brainstorm essay ideas was invaluable. They also alerted DD to a summer internship opportunity. I was also grateful for their insight into schools we never thought about applying to. I did all the proof reading of the essays. In total, our DD received about a million dollars in scholarship money, and acceptances to 12 out of the 14 schools she applied to. It was worth it to me. Our consultant was moderately priced. Good luck!
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Did you daughter get into USCGA?
 
GirlGeek said:
Did you daughter get into USCGA?
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She didn't apply to USCGA. She got into WP though, one Ivy, and wait-listed at another Ivy + many state universities. She chose to attend USNA. As TigerMomNot mentioned, I felt a 3rd party was helpful in our situation. With homeschool + COVID lockdowns it was beneficial for her to interact and brainstorm with someone who was neutral, objective, and not her mother. Might have even helped with her interviews -- the ability to practice speaking over Zoom one-on-one to an adult.
 
Did it all on our own. School counselor was clueless to EA at CGA. Clueless in anything outside the norm of where the kids normally went from our HS. Learned everything from NJROTC MC, CPT, Awrvice academy forums, club coaches, and friends dad who played D1 FB and other who went to AFAcademy.
 
Excellent range of experiences from all posters! There is no right or wrong, just what works best for you. I've said it before, it's your car and you can eat gas station sushi wearing Spongebob flannel PJs. Don't swerve in someone else's lane, and everyone in your car has to be in sync or else you'll have to pull over and someone will get out screaming.

I personally loved learning the college process and my DDs really liked the help I provided. I'm going to pat myself on the back and say that was priceless, not free. However, I paid $7,000 for Huntingdon ACT, and for DDs totally worth it, after exhausting free Princeton review course, Khan Academy, and self-study. 28/1370 to 32/1510 for DD1. 29/1270 to 33/1450 and PSAT National Merit Commended for USAFA DD2. This may be really bucking the common thought - but I refuse to pay for USA club swimming, camps/clinics, or private lessons. I also was so cheap I would not buy her a fastsuit. We told DD you swim HS only, and where there is a will there is a way, but it won't be the (Club name) and $3,895.00 per year way! She made her goals - D3 level, automatic sectional cuts, and state finalist, all in a $99 lycra Yingfa kneeskin. You do You!
 
If you read serviceacademyforums.com or collegeconfidential.com you can get a ton of support for applying to colleges.
Naviance and collegeconfidential and other sources have tools that let input various factors (SAT, GPA, geographical preference, net priceetc.) and recommends schools for you as well.
 
My opinion:

For an SA candidate a college consultant might make the process easier, but is not needed and probably would not increase chances of appointment. The process is very structured and plenty of guidance is available from admissions and alumni volunteers. There may be some exceptions for some candidates or unusual situations.

For civilian colleges:
  • The civilian college application process is very diverse. Each college has its own criteria and process, and guidance is helpful for most candidates.
  • You should not need to use an uber-expensive college consultant. There are plenty of reasonably priced consultant that can provide excellent assistance - many have worked in college admissions offices and know the ropes. There is also an abundance of books, videos, and online resources for those on a tighter budget.
  • If you attend a private school (and some public schools) with a good college counseling department, a college consultant may be helpful in selecting essay topics and editing, but the job of selecting appropriate schools, completing applications, etc. would be redundant
  • Many public high schools and some large private high schools have college counseling departments student to counselor ratios that permit them to only provide minimal assistance. In such cases, a good college counseling service can help applicants develop a strategy for choosing schools, complete compelling applications, write essays, and evaluate offers.
 
I just reported above ^^^ post from a new member with the embedded link about “technology consultant.” If you don’t see it, mods have scooped it up.
 
celiceli said:
Parents, level with me here: are those uber-expensive college consultants needed? Was it helpful in any way?


Thank you!
Clueless mom of a HS Junior.
Click to expand...
I joined an FB group called Application Nation, which is focused on gaining admission to the RIGHT college. It was very inexpensive and so informative. My DS, now a youngster at USNA, and I learned so much. It's definitely worth it.
 
retiredradar said:
I joined an FB group called Application Nation, which is focused on gaining admission to the RIGHT college.
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I don’t think most students (and maybe more so their parents) see the decision this way, unfortunately.

At the door of the college counseling office of DD’s and DS’s high school was this sign: College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.
 
MidCakePa said:
I don’t think most students (and maybe more so their parents) see the decision this way, unfortunately.

At the door of the college counseling office of DD’s and DS’s high school was this sign: College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.
Click to expand...
That's perfect! Many kids will be admitted to several colleges, but they really need to find the right fit. If no they'll fail out, be miserable and/or transfer.
 
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