The Do’s & Don’ts of Hiring A College Consultant

By Laurie Kopp Weingarten, CEP

Co-Founder & President, One-Stop College Counseling

As the peaceful days of summer end, students return to their busy lives balancing school classes, homework, tests, and extra-curricular activities. Parents of teenagers begin to hear talk of college applications, launching a new cycle of stress and uncertainly. Often their friends, neighbors, or relatives will contemplate hiring a college consultant. And then they anxiously wonder whether they should be engaging with someone to help them navigate this complicated world of college admissions. Should they hire a consultant for their child?

LET’S DISCUSS THE “WHO” AND THE “WHY,” FOLLOWED BY A PRACTICAL LIST OF “DO’S AND DON’TS.”

Who? When beginning your search, you’ll notice that the terminology varies. Professionals can call themselves a Private Counselor, College Coach, College Advisor, Admission Consultant, Independent Educational Consultant (IEC), and/or a Certified Educational Planner (CEP). It’s important to investigate further to determine exactly what the consultant offers, in order to ascertain whether their services fit your needs.

Why? The National Association of College Counseling (NACAC) releases their annual State of College Admission Report, and their latest (2019) version indicates that the student-to-college counselor ratio for secondary schools is a whopping 319:1 (public) and 244:1 (private). Their research also reveals that public and private school counselors only devote, 19% and 31% of their time, respectively, to college advising, since they have numerous other job responsibilities.

School counselors simply don’t have the ability to offer unlimited hours to students who seek advice on: standardized test options, developing a strategic college list, preparing for admission interviews, choosing extra-curricular activities, finding summer jobs/internships, navigating a college visit, narrowing down their essay topics, selecting Early Decision/Early Action options, and managing their application progress.

With so many facets of the admission process, it’s no wonder families feel overwhelmed. So, one reason parents hire independent educational consultants is to make sure their child receives timely and effective advising. College is one of the most expensive investments parents will make. Children often benefit from more one-on-one attention than their high school can provide.

But there are other reasons parents seek college counseling services:

• Parents understand that college admission is different today than when they applied decades ago, and they would like someone with experience to guide them.

• It’s difficult for parents to invest the time to learn the process themselves. Instead, they hire a professional to strategically guide them.

• Some parents attended colleges abroad and feel lost when trying to understand the holistic process used by so many U.S. colleges.

• Many parents observe that their child, like a typical teen, doesn’t seem to value or pay attention to their opinion. They prefer to hire an impartial expert, thereby alleviating stress (and arguments) at home!

• Families may be looking to save money on college costs by earning merit or need-based scholarships. The consultant can steer them to schools that match their financial goals.

• Families hear about high-performing students who didn’t fare as well as expected in previous admission cycles. They want to make sure their teen doesn’t make any missteps. They seek sound and strategic advice that will enhance their child’s likelihood of admission into their “best fit” colleges.

In 2009, Lipman Hearne surveyed “highachieving” high school seniors (defined by standardized test scores in the top 30%). The results revealed that 26% of them admitted to hiring an independent educational consultant to guide them through their college process. Now, over a decade later, we suspect the number is significantly higher.

Choosing to hire a counselor is a decision that students and their parents should make together. Both should be excited about the process. And if the family decides to work with a college consultant, it’s best to begin as early as possible, preferably as the student begins high school.

BELOW ARE SOME PRACTICAL DO’S AND DON’TS!

DO’S:

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS WHEN CHOOSING WHO TO HIRE! According to the 2018 IECA State of the Profession Report, since 2005, there has been a 400% increase in the number of IECs domestically and a 1,000% increase in the number of IECs internationally. It’s

important to hire someone who is experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about college admissions. There is NO barrier to entry in this field. Make sure that your counselor is affiliated with at least one of the three main organizations: IECA, HECA, and/or NACAC. Better yet, hire one of the 2% of consultants who are Certified Educational Planners (CEP). They are required to meet and document stringent continuing education requirements.

ASK DETAILED QUESTIONS: Inquire as to how often the consultant visits colleges, meets with admissions officers (webinars and Zoom meetings, in Covid times), and attends conferences to keep up with the latest news. If the consultant is not staying current with the rapidly changing world of college admissions, they might not be giving optimal advice.

REVIEW EXPECTATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALIGNED WITH YOUR FAMILY NEEDS: It’s important to discuss what you expect before signing a contract. You want to make sure your goals are in synch with the consultant’s vision, so that there are no problems later on. For example, ask whether parents are invited into the meetings, and whether the consultant copies parents on communications with the student, if that’s important to you.

MAKE SURE YOUR TEEN FEELS COM- FORTABLE WITH THE CONSULTANT! There should be some sort of initial consultation where your teen meets the consultant. Do they feel comfortable with their future counselor and are their goals aligned?

DON’TS:

STAY AWAY FROM A CONSULTANT WHO MAKES GUARANTEES! If the consultant claims they can guarantee you child’s admission into a school by using their “connections,” run away! There are no “sure things” in college admission!

AVOID HIRING SOMEONE WHO WILL WRITE YOUR TEEN’S COLLEGE ESSAYS! Unfortunately, there are still people who

do this. This is not ethical, and colleges can spot an essay written by a professional writer or a middle-aged counselor instantly.

DO NOT ENGAGE WITH SOMEONE WITH NO TRAINING, BUT WHO “LEARNED A LOT AS THEY HELPED THEIR OWN CHILDREN GET INTO HIGHLY SELEC- TIVE COLLEGES.” The admission process is complicated and ever-changing. You want to work with someone who is trained, affiliated with IECA, HECA and/or NACAC, stays abreast of current news, visits colleges regularly, meets with admission officers, and is extraordinarily knowledgeable about the process.

STEER CLEAR OF ANYONE WHO OF- FERS TO “PACKAGE” YOUR TEEN. Colleges look for authenticity in the student’s application. They easily spot slick, “packaged” students.

FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE WORTH REPEATING:

Start early! A knowledgeable consultant can guide your student to make strong choices as they enter high school!