<p>I will write you a rec! Let me know if you want to open an east coast office! :)</p>
<p>What the counselor did was help my DD fine tune her essays, help with the short answer essays which many schools ask for. The one thing that I noticed (and did not care for) was that she took some of my daughters personality out of the essays. She had her exchange “teenage language” for more sophisticated wording. I actually liked some of what my DD put down first, but the counselor took the emotion out of them. Any place that my DD exposed her weaknesses, the counselor had her take out. She said " these colleges are looking for winners, not losers". I thought that it was good to give examples of where you had grown through adversity. Also, I think that it would be a good investment of $$ for boys, who tend to not proceed at a reasonable rate through the admission process. Some one else to tell them to get their butt in gear.</p>
<p>carolyn -</p>
<p>…does that mean that we’ll all have to start paying you for all the advice you’ve been giving for free…???</p>
<p>OK, sounds good to me. You’re worth it!!!</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>carolyn,</p>
<p>I’ve researched this here in my neck of the PacNW. I cannot work in a public school here without the guidance counselor certification (sounds like the SDSU one you mentioned). The programs here through a local private U or City University take 2-3 years and something like 45 units and the practicum. Even though I have a teaching credential and lots of postgrad units (and am currently teaching), that counts for squat.</p>
<p>My exposure to private consultants are that they have been either high school GC, college GC, or college admission officers in their past lives. Do you know what experience and/or credentials a private practice would be looking for? The UCLA extension program (I could do that easily as a UCLA lifetime alumni member) sounds perfect in terms of the time commitment, but where does it make you employable? Although in your case, I agree that you already have built up a client base here on CC.</p>
<p>An admissions counselor at a college is more of a young person’s job as the traveling for 2-3 months brings you all over the country. It would be hard to do with kids still at home. I see Carolyn more as one who gets kids into the right schools for them so at a high school level. I would hire you in a minute, wait i have no more kids to send off( if my d ever makes a choice!). Actually I would refer everyone I know to you. It sounds like not only would you be great at it, it would also be very fulfilling for you!</p>
<p>What? I thought you already were a college admissions counselor? :P… </p>
<p>(Okay, I think all “veteran” parents of CC should get a college admissions credential, but that’s just my opinion… the amount of counseling they have to give us is plenty enough for a credential. :P)</p>
<p>I think it’s a great idea. You’ve helped me and a lot of other students here on CC.</p>
<p>Maybe CC should confer degrees. I really can’t imagine anyone is learning more about college in a classroom than here. Real time colloge know how!</p>
<p>As posters have noted, you already know more about college admissions than many working counselors, private or school. However, $3000 seems a reasonable price for a UCLA credential.</p>
<p>I looked into the busines of college counselling and determined that I could not in good conscience charge what I would need to charge to make it a going concern. However, it might be something that would fit nicely into your existing freelancing activity, until you built up enough referrals (that is how this kind of business builds) to make a real go of it. </p>
<p>That said, get a book out and you are golden.</p>
<p>Not a parent but I’ve been following this thread…I’m 3 yrs out of college, in law school now, but I still find the college admissions process fascinating. Of course, I’ll be practicing law fulltime upon graduation but I’ve been thinking I’d like to get involved in the college admissions game somehow [part-time for a while; would consider it full time in a few yrs depending on finances]. Any ideas on how to do that?</p>
<p>I would love to have a college counseling business of my own but its not feasible–start up capital, building a book of business, I have an undergrad degree from wharton and a soon to be JD but no education degree at all, and I don’t know how many parents would pay/trust the advice of a 24 yr old. Should I necessarily look into a college counseling credential? Anyone know others besides UCLA? What is the process for getting onto an adcom–I’d imagine there is no turnover [thus no openings] in this job because once you have an adcom job why would you leave? I assume all those folks have some degree in education?</p>
<p>I always thought my interest in helping high schoolers through the college admissions process was a passing interest since I had just done it. But as time goes by my interest hasn’t faded so maybe I should explore it either now or in a few yrs. If any of you have advice I’d be so grateful–please feel free to PM me, as I don’t want this thread to deviate from its original topic.</p>
<p>Carolyn, You would be excellent at this job! </p>
<p>I think getting this “credential” might be useful for you both in terms of background (though you already are extremely knowledgeable) but also for your bio, should you go into private practice. You have other degrees that attest to your education and then can show you have training in this specific field. After that, it will come down to word of mouth and reputation as you build up a client base. Further, as you go through the process with your own daughter in the next year, you will become even more knowledgeable through first hand experience (she is like your guinea pig). </p>
<p>Maize and Blue asked: “Do you know what experience and/or credentials a private practice would be looking for? The UCLA extension program (I could do that easily as a UCLA lifetime alumni member) sounds perfect in terms of the time commitment, but where does it make you employable?”</p>
<p>I don’t think it matters in your case about being employable because I got the impression that you want to develop your own private consulting practice. Therefore, I think this credential is useful for your own purposes, as well as enhancing your bio (for parent clients) and you do not necessarily need more degrees to satisfy this kind of job if not working in a school or for others. I think it is a small investment toward the start of your business. I think because your current degrees are in other fields, it would help your bio to have something in this field. After that, however, it is going to be more based on your experience and expertise. You have gleaned experience helping kids online with their questions. Now it is a matter of developing the entire process with each client case. I think the training will be good for you just to kinda pull it all together. Good luck and let us know how it goes.</p>
<p>Also I think this certificate training is perfect for you as you don’t want to go back to school to earn another degree between the time and money, and yet there is this program available to you to learn what you need to with very small amount of investment and then it has flexibility with your time at this point in your busy life with your children. Sounds pretty ideal to me. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Carolyn,
I don’t think that you need an official credential. I think that all you need is expertise – which you clearly have. I think it would be a waste of money to get the credential. Anyone can choose to be a counselor. Fortunately, in your case, if you hang out your shingle, you already have lots of expertise to back your claim.</p>
<p>Frankly, I bet you could be teaching that course, and don’t need to be taking it.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Carolyn,</p>
<p>Youd be great!
Told you So! ;-)</p>
<p>A couple of thoughts:</p>
<p>You love the material, and have really dived into the process, both for your daughter, as well as for the rest of us on this board. The beauty of the board, however, is that can be open, honest, and the information is free. If you decide to enter private practice, once you do the work for pay, it will become the job instead of the hobby. Will you enjoy it still? Will the clientele change from those of us who are looking for fit to those looking for prestige? Obviously that is a gross generalization, but having another service-based profession, I have found it is always a balance between sharing what you believe, and giving the client what they want. Will you enjoy being the one who is hired to light a fire under some of those students who have no interest in the process?</p>
<p>Working for a school district may be another option, albeit with much less pay, but perhaps more intangible rewards. We have a local public school where the parents actually got together to fund a college and career center, complete with incredible information, and a resource person (part-time I think). This is very rare, and obviously the school has tremendous parent support. A part-time position like this could be coupled with private clients to help balance the income. </p>
<p>Im not sure what is available in other public and private schools, but I have seen some schools (a few public, but more private) hire well-qualified personnel with related degrees to their subject matter, but not yet certified as teachers, and the school sometimes pay for classes they take toward teacher certification. Perhaps with your background, you could find a part-time position in a private school, and take the courses at the same time, building up both experience and the education?</p>
<p>Having said all that, the most obvious route seems to be securing a position in an admissions department, as previously suggested. Or perhaps the book comes first. We CC addicts would write the endorsements! Perhaps you should work w/ the CC powers to develop a joint-venture. It would advertise both their name, and yours!</p>
<p>
You might want to take a look at some of the descriptive books about college admissions–e.g., A IS FOR ADMISSION, by Michele Hernardez; THE GATEKEEPERS, by Jacques Steinberg; and ADMISSIONS CONFIDENTIAL, by Rachel Toor. Michele Hernardez, for example, talks about two basic groups of admissions officers at highly selective colleges: recent grads from that college or a similar institution, who usually move on after a few years; and “lifers,” or career admissions officers. In some cases, even a limited stint in a prestigious admissions office can be a springboard for a college counseling business and/or for writing a book (Rachel Toor was an admissions officer at Duke for three years).</p>
<p>Carolyn, so when can I hire you? ;)</p>
<p>re: college counseling certificate: Would it be completely necessary if you want to free-lance on your own, probably not. But it could help to get some clients to sign on, who don’t know of your help on this board and are wary of internet forums anyway…i.e. anyone can claim to be whoever they say they are. And you will have no track record yet of helping students apply and be admitted to college…except your son or daughter.</p>
<p>It would certainly help with a college counselor’s credibility if they have worked in college admissions before hanging their shingle. As is noted, these jobs involve lots of travel and odd-hrs (evening, weekend) time and they do not pay well at entry level, which is what you would be despite your knowledge.</p>
<p>For high school level counseling, the credential is essential if you are to be hired in public schools; though frequently it is high school teachers who get the certification in order to move into the counseling office. You would probably also have demands made of you re: general or personal counseling. School districts don’t want to spend the money on a separate college counselor alone…I guess we should be thankful they don’t require the guidance counselors to also teach a class each semester!</p>
<p>You’re best bet for gaining first hand experience or to see if college counseling is really for you, would be try the private or parochial high schools. They may not require you to have a specific counseling certificate if you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and have a college degree. Your marketing degree can be very beneficial there - particularly if they want to use college accept rates for promoting the school & development.</p>
<p>Actually if you focus on schools where the current state of college counseling leaves much to be desired, they may be very eager to have you. Or it could be a position that can be created where one didn’t exist before! However, it, too, would not pay much. But the exposure of having to work with varied students & parents, & their goals (realistic or unrealistic) for higher ed. would be invaluable to finding out if this is really something you want to do even as a private counselor. </p>
<p>However, despite what your publishing contacts have said, I think you could write your book anyway!!! Just tell it from the parent perspective…ala How I Survived the College App. Exp. and How You Can Too! Or, Everything A Parent Needs to Know about the College Admissions Process, but was afraid to ASK the Adcoms!</p>
<p>Carolyn,</p>
<p>I am wondering whether you (or anyone else in this seven year-old thread) ever received the UCLA extension certificate. </p>
<p>I am a private English and test prep tutor who has been helping students and parents with the college applications process for the past four years. I’ve been told that I am very good at assessing the situation at hand, explaining difficult things in an easy-to-understand and systematic manner, and keeping track of my students’ ever-changing progress. </p>
<p>I have learned a lot from CC and through my own experience with students, and I am wondering whether a certificate similar to UCLA has helped others on CC build a part-time college counseling practice.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>This thread is EIGHT years old!</p>
<p>Please use old threads for informational purposes only, and start a new thread if it is one you wish to discuss.</p>