College Admissions Consultants: To hire or not to hire?

The admissions process can be a daunting and complicated labyrinth for many parents and students, but is it necessary to hire a college admissions consultant to help with this process?

Consider the priority list of items that a student needs to complete during the college application process:

• All the application forms
• Personal statements
• Supplemental statements and forms
• Requesting letters of recommendations
• Taking last rounds of SAT / ACT exams
• Interviews
• College Visits
• Financial Aid Process
• And the list goes on…

While all the above are equally a priority, so is coming up with a college list that best reflects your child’s profile. All of these tasks can be extremely daunting during a time when students are suppose to celebrate the excitement in planning for college. However, the joy of the college process has been overwhelmed by anxiety and stress. Many parents begin to worry about the admissions process, and perhaps, secretly question those who do decide to hire a consultant for their college bound student. The truth is that navigating the college admission process is complicated. There are so many factors that weigh into how an admissions team will read your child’s application profile.

Consider hiring an independent educational consultant so that there is peace of mind as you begin this process. Having an expert on your side can only be an added value. A consultant can provide the family with feedback and help determine whether or not a student should retake standardized tests, suggest a strategic academic plan in selecting the right courses, share about colleges that have a major that would interest your child, and even help assess your child’s future career goals and aspirations. Steering students in a direction that can capitalize on their strong suits is one driving force in hiring an educational consultant. If you think the stress of the college admissions process can sever the relationship between you, the parent and the child, perhaps hiring a consultant will be the ticket to your child’s success.

For some additional thoughts about whether you might want to hire an educational consultant, read this helpful New York Times article, I Said We’d Never Hire a College Admissions Adviser. Then We Did.