I don’t know anything about college coaches, but my advice is take the standardized tests early. Without having an official score touring schools and looking at merit aid is based on assumptions that may be false. My D took the exam cold, never studied and did very well on the ACT.
The top reason that I hired a consultant with DD1 was that she was applying to a few top 10 and several top 20 schools plus safeties. If she was not accepted at any of her top choices, I did not want to wonder whether a consultant might have made a difference. DD1 wrote over 40 essays and applied to 16 colleges. It was a big effort, and the consultant work with her throughout the process.
There was nothing magical about the process. It was organized, and if anything, I would say that she did a great job of helping DD1 put her best foot forward and avoid mistakes. She would have had a good chance without the help, but we will never know what would have happened.
Corinthian- of course you can and should spend your money any way you wish. But when a kid is applying to college from Bronx HS of Science (public, but admitted via a competitive exam) an adcom has a knowledge base about what the HS does and does not provide, compared with a kid from a public HS in Camden NJ (likely ranked the worst HS in the state). When a kid applies from Choate, the adcom knows what experiences that school has to offer, vs. a rural public HS.
You have no disclosure when you pay for professional editing, activity-choosing, “spinning”.
That’s all I’m saying. And many of these counselors seem to be crossing the line between advising and full-on reconstituting. I’m sure yours was highly ethical. But who monitors those who are not? Certainly not the parents.
@epiphany, actually, no, I was thinking more along the lines of going through the essay and making grammatical revisions, adding transition sentences, and addressing issues like word redundancy and passive voice problems (the same types of things I do in real life for a lot of highly-paid professionals). Rather than just mark the text up with a red pen and add comments (as an English teacher would), actually edit the document.
For the record, I really don’t have an issue with a consultant providing writing prompts tailored to the client, because most writers (good and bad) have to deal with “blocks” now and then. That would fall into the “coaching” category, which I’ve already said I have no issues with, as long as the result of all that coaching is a student who can actually produce an original piece of writing. The idea of fabricating content never even occurred to me, LOL. Maybe it’s time to start a separate “College Counselor Confidential,” so we can get some of that inside scoop. 
“Editing” can mean anything from proofreading and making minor copy edits, to making extensive revisions. It sounds like what some unethical college consultants are offering is ghostwriting services. I have a serious issue with that when it comes to competitive admissions to academic institutions, and that’s why I think it would behoove admissions offices to ask for disclosure about whose “services were used in preparation of these documents.”
@blossom, that’s been EXACTLY the point I’ve been trying to make.
@Corinthian’s daughter’s counselor sounds like someone of the highest ethics; sadly, as in any profession, there are those who fall far short of that standard.
“the same types of things I do in real life for a lot of highly-paid professionals”
Do you consider those pieces to be ghostwritten? You know this as a professional editor, but many people don’t realize that close to 100% of published pieces in the marketplace have gone through a searching editing process as to content as well as form. That applies to fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, newspapers, and (almost by definition) peer-reviewed research articles in every field. JK Rowling is universally accepted as the author of the Harry Potter books. But she’s discussed how her editor went so far as to suggest changes to plot points and other meaningful alterations. Yet no one questions Rowling’s authorship or her right to claim all the books as her own work.
I don’t contribute any words, even to the extent of a rephrase or transition sentence. I DO say, “This word has a negative connotation I don’t think you mean; can you find another one?” or “Whoa, you’re changing the subject too abruptly here; you need to show the reader the connection between point A and point B.” So the student understands the problem and has to figure out a way to solve it. My commentary is usually about as long as the original piece. I typically comment on every line, especially to praise: “Nice colorful detail here! More like this, please.”
I consider this writing instruction. Most of my students, even those at elite private and public schools, have never had anyone go over their writing with this kind of care.
We never considered hiring a college counselor for either kid. Two basic reasons. First, the kids would never have participated in a constructive way; second, their parents knew a lot about colleges, could write and edit better than any college counselor, and knew the kids’ strengths and weaknesses very well. In this situation, especially given the interests of our kids, we were the best possible “college counselors” for them.
1 was also very laid back about college applications and very involved in his EC's (debate, newspapers, and [hobby] baseball stats). He had very good grades and stellar SAT's (NMSF). State-level awards in debate, journalism, math. There was never a question that he would gain admission to some very fine colleges. He was anti-Ivy and just looking for colleges "where it's safe to be a thinker" (ended up attending UChicago). He could write extremely well. I scarcely touched a sentence. #2 was a different matter because she wanted to attend art school, and so the research had to start from scratch. No overlap at all with the colleges our son applied to. Good grades and good SAT's for her interests (mid-600's). But the portfolio was going to be decisive for admissions. She "prepped" by attending summer pre-college art programs, building skills and making portfolio pieces. Won some local awards for her illustrations. What could a college counselor help her with? We all did the research, visited many art schools. She was admitted to all she applied to (attended RISD). Her writing was not as strong as her older brother's. I helped her clean up a couple of infelicities but protected her "voice" since it was authentic and conveyed her sincere feelings about making art.
I think college counselors can be useful in some situations: a) when the kids don’t have an idea what kind of colleges they are interested in or competitive for, or they are motivated to improve their odds of admission to particular colleges that are highly selective (or highly selective relative to the kids’ talents and credentials); b) when the parents don’t know the college scene or college admissions process well or aren’t capable of helping the kids to improve their applications, including essays. (This applies to many international applicants.) I don’t like it when applicants – with or without paid counselors – compose or make up a persona that’s not descriptive of the kid. Letters of recommendation may or may not validate the manufactured persona. It’s best when the kids’ achievements, in school and in EC’s, provide the definitive proof.
"I don’t like it when applicants – with or without paid counselors – compose or make up a persona that’s not descriptive of the kid. "
Nor do I. Nor would I ever condone such a thing. However, note what you say below:
“Letters of recommendation may or may not validate the manufactured persona.”
Among my colleagues and their students, I have yet to see a truly manufactured persona which contradicts the rest of the package succeed. The myth, especially among those coming into the process as immigrants (i.e., the parents are the immigrants, the children usually have grown up here), is that a false persona is persuasive. But to a student (in my knowledge) it has not been. No matter how “crafted” the essays, how coached the interview, the student’s academic profile – including the important observations of his teachers – is the check against which the essays are verified or not verified. Those who seek most vigorously heavy, paid editing assistance are those who need it most but nevertheless fail to generate an authentic product, let alone one which is harmonious with the rest of the package. (I know what the admissions results have been; they have not exceeded the predictable outcomes based on the non-assisted elements of the package-- gpa, test scores, LOR’s, e.c.'s.) Frankly, it’s a lot of wasted time and money. But again, some kinds of people are so convinced that “it’s important to try” that they will throw lots of money at futile efforts to contradict what has and has not occurred in the achievement realm of their offspring. And all that wasted time and money would have been FAR better spent doing two things: (1) creating a truly winning college list (2) visiting campuses to help sift that list, learn about the actual programs there, and establish a trail of authentic interest – should one or more of those schools end up on the final application list. There’s far too much time put into the essay efforts by far too many families. More time should be spent on the front end, less on the back end.
“It’s best when the kids’ achievements, in school and in EC’s, provide the definitive proof.”
They ARE the definitive proof.
Hannah, you sound like a great coach.
The people here questioning ethics have undoubtedly encountered kids who end up with a topic chosen by the counselor, anecdotes and examples selected by the counselor, and heavily edited line by line “curating”.
This is not JK Rowling having to modify her books with the help of professionals whose job it is to make books stand out in the commercial marketplace. JK Rowling doesn’t pretend that she didn’t have the help of dozens of people bringing her literary product to the market- editors, agents, PR and media pros, etc.
We’re talking about 17 year old kids who dutifully submit the work of another person- who they’ve paid to “counsel” them, and consider this their 'best effort" getting into college.
Meaningful difference, IMHO. And if the counselors were upfront about their services- calling themselves writing tutors, writing coaches, editorial assistants- then hey, great. But you’ve seen the brochures and the implication is that they know some magic that will get the BU- bound kid across the river to Harvard. So a few years later, after the parents have signed the kid up for fencing classes and dumped soccer (soccer doesn’t work unless you are at the tippy top, but even an average athlete can become a good fencer in a few years), spent the summers doing what the counselor has chosen as stand-out activities, and turned an experience selling candy bars for a local charity into “created a 501-C-3 to fund early intervention programs for at-risk youth”, is it any wonder that parents don’t balk when the counselor then ends up writing the darn essay?
Especially when that means that the nagging and tug of war (which is part and parcel of adolescence) has now been outsourced to someone who is happy to cash your checks? What parent wants to nag their kid to write a college essay?
“…could write and edit better than any college counselor,”
That’s a pretty universal and absolutist statement. You personally know every college counselor on the planet?
blossom, regarding your post 127: Please see my post 126. Counselors/editors who do this do not necessarily have great success. Yes, it’s unethical. Yes, it’s predatory. (See my many posts on that subtopic.) But claims do not equal reality. Same thing (as you aptly remark) that occurs with other commercial enterprises, such as other kinds of companies claiming that they can make things happen for consumers that they cannot. But the idea of a BU-profile student jumping the river is a fantasy. Show me evidence of where this has happened successfully, and I will share in your outrage. The biggest outrages to me are three (1) the cheats on the SAT; (2) the exclusive focus on the USNWR, (3) the self-deceiving college lists. As to (1), fortunately most of the top colleges take the SAT with a grain of salt, anyway. And as to (2) and (3), such students will reap what they sow, and they do reap, by the way.
I have published 100 articles and two books. Why should I entrust editing of my kids’ essays to anybody else?
mackinaw,
Many college counselors are also published. They’re just not the ones connected with commercial counseling companies, and they don’t make outrageous claims.
No one should “entrust” anything to anybody that they cannot do themselves, in my opinion. Plenty of families do perfectly well without any assistance in the college application process, ending up with excellent results. There are particular reasons, enumerated in this thread, why even parents who are excellent writers might choose a neutral third party to share, less passionately, in the process, strictly for pragmatic reasons and having nothing to do with parental capability.
Epiphany, my point is simple. My kids did not need a college counselor for any purpose, least of all to assist in writing.
If you had read my post instead of just trying to score points you might have noticed that I do see a role for college counselors in some situations. Not ours.
Not arguing, mac, but some private counselors know the admissions context well. DH suggested some edits to D1’s essay that could only make sense for a classroom assignment. The app essay and other writing are for a specific need. Not too high-falutin’, not too casual, just right.
I like to think a kid is empowered by a good counselor and learns some life lessons about self-presentation and how writing can be an effective communications tool- not just whatever comes off the top of his mind. And not just treated like a hs assignment for that teacher who already knows him.
That’s different than spoon feeding.
Btw, not all published authors agree to editing.
I wasn’t trying to “score points.” It’s unfortunate that you read it that way. I’m correcting perceptions, one of which is that no counselor could be as good as a published parent, when the universe of that field is unknown. Second is that I acknowledged your point about legitimate use but disagree with your (and others’) concerns about this:
"I don’t like it when applicants – with or without paid counselors – compose or make up a persona that’s not descriptive of the kid. "
I addressed it specifically. I’m telling you it doesn’t work. There are other checks against such phony personas.
I did read your post. Apparently you missed my quoting you.
I’m tired of parent paranoia being mistaken for passion.
My son applied to four schools, managed to get into two and chose one. He would have applied to at least seven more, and if he didn’t get into them, he would have applied to a few more where he was basically automatically accepted.
Paranoid parents are like my friend who worries both about his daughter not being challenged enough in school and her not having time to do all her work so he does her school projects. And she could get suspended because her dad wanted her to get an A. (middle school but has been doing this for years for her)
I would say that if it is truly important to your social status that your child attend an Ivy, especially a HYP, sure, spend some of your copious cash to hire a college consultant. Otherwise, let your child do their own work, with some guidance from you, and encourage them to begin their independence by ending up at a college appropriate to not only their academic capabilities, but their drive.
Our help for my son was to insist he bring his draft college application essays to school and let his English teacher or guidance counselor review them. When he “didn’t have time” to do that, he got us to help him instead. Our help was suggestions on word choice, reminding him to keep tense consistent, and also we were able to help clarify his memories of anecdotes.
If a parent is not educated enough to help out their child, they should encourage their child to get help at their HS. And if their child does not get help at their HS, how can one expect them to survive going to a competitive college? Yes, my children will have a bonus because their mom is a college professor. And yes, a lot of kids don’t have that. But that just shows you that drive has to replace education and money, and it is very clear that is necessary for those who have done without. The only way a poor kid succeeds is reading books and/or getting real world experience. A kid who has money can have less drive, and using money to pay for college consultants is just another way to add up to getting into a better college.
But rhandco, not all private counseling is about Ivies or other tippy tops. We even see that on this thread. And not all GCs have a clue- or enough to sit with a kid and mentor. It can be very YNMV (your needs may vary.)
In many fields, if not nearly all, it is important to know when to seek help or feedback. There isn’t necessarily benefit of any sort from a sink or swim attitude. DH was a prof and his essay “help” was way off track from what I know, from reviewing apps. (Btw, my kids wouldn’t let me help them, except with broad tips and pointing out some missing commas, etc. Kinda frustrating, but they did well.)
I sometimes help CC kids and the goal is to empower them, not do it for them. Two other posters here who do counsel, I respect very much, based on what they have said, over time.
Absolutely! But I’m ghostwriting letters, speeches, etc., and the “published works” I ghostwrite for are marketing materials (annual reports, etc.), not academic publications.
Of course most published authors have editors, and most ACKNOWLEDGE them in lengthier published works.
You sound like a wonderful person to work with, @Hanna. You’re essentially tutoring your charges, not ghostwriting for them. There’s a HUGE difference between the two things, and I just don’t think the latter should have any part in selective admissions to academic institutions.
Is it any wonder that there’s so much confusion about what is and isn’t plagiarism among college students today? The standards in the academy are different than they are in other industries.
And I still haven’t heard an explanation that rings true for why admissions offices don’t seek this kind of information from applicants. Apparently it’s a can of worms that they can’t bear the thought of opening.
“But rhandco, not all private counseling is about Ivies or other tippy tops.”
As is usually true, LF, I agree with you.
And not all college counselors would even CONSIDER ghost-writing, so there are an awful lot of straw men being burned in this thread, for heaven’s sake. Some of us see our roles as mentors, guides, teachers, and fellow-travelers, regardless of the outstanding backgrounds of some of us in the area of writing.
Hi, Lucie.
“And I still haven’t heard an explanation that rings true for why admissions offices don’t seek this kind of information from applicants. Apparently it’s a can of worms that they can’t bear the thought of opening.”
I think they probably assume opening the can of worms would emit lies, that’s all. When students are so bold as to cheat on standardized tests, who would expect them to tell the truth about professional assistance?
FWIW, there’s a question, Lucie, on the Questbridge application, which asks if students have received application help from a non-profit agency. (Curious that there’s no question about a for-profit agency.)