Sad to see DD prep high school didn't make the Forbes top 20 prep school!

<p>pacheight,</p>

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<p>Well, it is a little odd then to respond to 2CHILLaZiN about going to college for acting when his/her post/point had nothing to do with that.</p>

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<p>As far as your mention of Yale, I was referring to THIS post:</p>

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<p>You referred to my “clients” and where I “sent them” and since I help high school students with the college admissions process, I assumed, forgive me, that you were referring to Yale undergrad.</p>

<p>sooz, you don’t need to defend yourself. Anyone who’s read the last 4 pages of this thread can clearly see which of you knows what they’re talking about. After the “hack” comment, I’m done with this bozo.</p>

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<p>pacheight, you offer a lot of “advice” about the acting profession and about theater college programs. You have a "yes list " of schools with good theater/acting programs. Why is it that you even have such a list? Do you have a kid in the field? Are you an actor or employed in the industry in some capacity? Why stay cloaked about where your point of view emanates from? If you do keep a list of strong college theater programs (though you often also suggest that a student not go to college for theater but go straight to LA/NYC and learn on the job and/or take classes), do you have schools such as Carnegie Mellon your list, as it is not in NYC or LA and yet it is regarded as one of the BFA Acting and Musical Theater “Ivies.” By the way, Tisch is not spelled “Tish.”</p>

<p>POIH:</p>

<p>Your citation also lists as synonym for ‘cosmopolitan’: catholic and planetary. That’s news to me. My point is not that they are wrong, but that what is listed in dictionaries and common usage do not always coincide.</p>

<p>I think the fact that every other poster in this thread questioned pacheights usage of the term ‘rural’ in the way s/he did is proof enough that pacheights usage was not standard. </p>

<p>Enough said. I will bow out of this particular discussion.</p>

<p>ihs76: Thanks for pointing that out and certainly that takes any fun out of this discussion.
I’ll leave Pacheight on his own as now I know that I was not familiar with all of the synonyms of the word “cosmopolitan”.</p>

<p>here’s a good place to start understanding the problem with the paid college counseling industry:
Ethics and Private Admissions Counseling
[News:</a> Ethics and Private Admissions Counseling - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/02/04/counselors]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/02/04/counselors)</p>

<p>And I always like what Llyod has to say, I’ve met him a few times:</p>

<p>[Education</a> Conservancy](<a href=“http://www.educationconservancy.org/]Education”>http://www.educationconservancy.org/)
“As soon as you accept money directly from parents, you become their agent, and you are doing it for the money and to serve the parents’ interest,” he said. He said that more than once when he told parents information they didn’t want to hear about their children, they would go out and hire a private counselor, and only return to him when “there was a mess to clean up” as the private counselor couldn’t deliver.</p>

<p>Thacker also found dubious the idea that parents are hiring counselors to find good matches, as opposed to prestigious colleges. “Parents would try to hire me – they still try to sometimes – saying ‘I know you have pull at this school,’” he said</p>

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<p>Although probably a somewhat esoteric use of the term, “catholic” and “cosmopolitan” are similar in meaning in that they imply universality as opposed to provinciality, hence that label is applied to the Catholic Church because it is pretty much practiced the same way all over the world… In fact, I think James Joyce said the Catholic Church basically means “Here comes everybody.” THat’s not common usage, but I’ve heard of it. I don’t think many people use the term “cosmopolitan” much, and probably fewer have any real idea what it means, other than the name of a magazine. </p>

<p>Planetary? I don’t think I’ve ever heard “cosmopolitan” used that way, except maybe in that planets are part of the universe.</p>

<p>I don’t think cosmopolitan has anything to do with rural or urban necessarily. But I could be wrong. Urbane maybe, as in “worldly”.</p>

<p>pacheight…I don’t understand the point you are trying to make by linking to that article in post 606 from Inside Higher Education. The thrust of the article focuses on independent college counselors who have a conflict of interest who are simultaneously working as either college adcoms or high school counselors. Do you realize there are many college counselors like myself who don’t fit that description? </p>

<p>You seem intent on undermining me as a college counselor and now undermining the profession. </p>

<p>Your children went to elite private prep schools, yes? If so, one of the things you were paying for was help with the college admissions process. Did your kids refuse that assistance? Should other kids who don’t attend elite private prep schools have access to good college admissions advice through the payment of fees, just like you pay fees for that sort of thing at your kids’ prep school?</p>

<p>As far as hiring college counselors for “pull” at a prestigious college…that is a joke because one of the tenets of independent college counselors is no contact with adcoms. In fact an independent college counselor would rarely identify their student by name to adcoms because it can work against the student since adcoms are not fond of independent college counseling. However, people DO send their kids to elite prep schools, in part, for the “pull” their college counselors on staff have with adcoms at elite colleges! (read The Gatekeepers for examples)</p>

<p><<and it’s=“” a=“” known=“” fact=“” that=“” people=“” raised=“” in=“” cosmopolitan=“” area=“” suppose=“” to=“” be=“” more=“” well=“” groomed=“” than=“” from=“” non=“”>> </and></p>

<p>Hey, I’ve seen plenty of poorly groomed people around here (Chicago).</p>

<p>Oops…</p>

<p>…comprehension dawns…</p>

<p>I’m guessing Chicago is neither urban nor cosmopolitan, according to the agents provocateurs of this thread.</p>

<p>Erm…I’ll just crawl back into my lurker’s hole now, where I belong. Wait a sec, let me grab my yellow mustard and Swiffer…</p>

<p><<i’m guessing=“” chicago=“” is=“” neither=“” urban=“” nor=“” cosmopolitan,=“” according=“” to=“” the=“” agents=“” provocateurs=“” of=“” this=“” thread.=“”>></i’m></p>

<p>LOL! I guess New Orleans doesn’t count either, even tho I did go to a top private school</p>

<p>Got room in that hole for me??? I’ll bring my Grey Poupon, Shop-Vac, and even some good Louisiana hot sauce!!! ;)</p>

<p>^Sure, join me. </p>

<p>Fair warning: I’ve got my meth-head public school kids down here with me.</p>

<p>Astonished…touche! LOL!</p>

<p>I’m guessing Chicago is neither urban nor cosmopolitan</p>

<p>that is a good question. it’s gotta be one of the nicest places on the planet, biz men in suit shorts in july,peanuts on the floor of that bar off whacker. and then of course the north shore, love it! no private school or expensive college counseling going on in the north shore:) </p>

<p>and I really do think midwestern people are the nicest. </p>

<p>tailored suits with shorts, that truly is neither urban or rural. it’s in the middle, bad pun.</p>

<p>below is the part of the article to focus on, it’s why i pasted it in:</p>

<p>Llyod has many many deans supporting him. one of his main messages, and the deans agree, is get the pro counselors out. see his sponsors here: [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.educationconservancy.org/sponsor.html]Sponsors[/url”&gt;Sponsors]Sponsors[/url</a>]</p>

<p>and here’s the part you missed from above:</p>

<p>Education Conservancy
“As soon as you accept money directly from parents, you become their agent, and you are doing it for the money and to serve the parents’ interest,” he said. He said that more than once when he told parents information they didn’t want to hear about their children, they would go out and hire a private counselor, and only return to him when “there was a mess to clean up” as the private counselor couldn’t deliver.</p>

<p>Thacker also found dubious the idea that parents are hiring counselors to find good matches, as opposed to prestigious colleges. “Parents would try to hire me – they still try to sometimes – saying ‘I know you have pull at this school,’” he said</p>

<p>“Did your kids refuse that assistance?”</p>

<p>didn’t need it. daughter was a highly recruited athlete so she had universities calling her when she was a junior. coaches talking to her when she was a freshman/sophomore in a non ncaa violation way, there are always ways:) and keep in mind women athletes to elite universities still need high gpa’s, at least 6 AP’s, and a high SAT. in my daughters case 2300.</p>

<p>Pacheight…I did not miss the part of the article you are referring to. I even referenced the point about an independent college counselor having “pull” with adcoms. They don’t. Independent college counselors do not contact adcoms as it could work against their clients. This is in contrast to elite prep school counselors who do have pull with adcoms. </p>

<p>I understand that your daughter did not use her school counselor for assistance, but she went to an elite prep school right? If so, part of attending an elite prep school is that such college counseling is available, which is not on par as what is available at many public schools. Your D was a recruited athlete and so the use of the college counselor was not as important. </p>

<p>Your children have been fortunate to attend fine prep schools and top universities. You deserve to be a proud father. You have given them every opportunity and they ran with it. </p>

<p>You don’t have to inform me about women athletes at elite universities. My D was one, though did not go through the recruitment process at all. By the way, an Ivy women’s athlete does NOT '“need six AP classes.” If you understood college admissions, the student’s chosen curriculum is viewed in the context of their own HS. Our HS did not offer six AP classes, just two. My D took the most demanding curriculum available at her HS, and then accelerated and expanded beyond what was offered. YOUR D may have needed six APs coming from her elite prep school, true.</p>

<p>D2 moved to a new school this year where there is only one GC for 180 students. We ended up hiring a private college counselor for her. Before we hired one, for me there was a lot of myth about what they could do and what they did for advisees. But I found a lot of what I have read or heard were untrue.</p>

<p>We engaged the counselor end of D2´s sophomore year. At our first meeting, the counselor listened to what she wanted to study in college, and kind of schools she wanted to get into (location, ranking, size…). He also asked us what we wanted for D2. He then looked at d2´s ECs, got feedback from her as to what´s most important to her. Based on 2 hours questionaires, D2 was given advice on what classes to take and what ECs to focus on. As an example, she is doing a full IB program, she was tested into HL math, but she is more of a humanties student. She was advised to do SL math, but take HL English, history and Spanish. D2 asked if she needed to take AP tests if she was doing full IB. No one at school could answer that for her, but her counselor was able to advise her (and it wasn´t a straight yes or no).</p>

<p>In the last year, as we got more data point (her GPA and SAT scores), they came up with a short list of schools for D2. There were no surprises except for high reaches. They believed D2 had a shot at some of those reaches that D2 didn´t think she had. We got a break down of which schools to visit and which schools she needed to audition for ballet (as an additional hook).</p>

<p>The firm we are working with has no pull with any colleges, but they are very familiar with many colleges´process through their previous experience. They are not heavy handed with us, but more of a good sounding board and a good way to keep D2 focused on things she needs to get done (SAT testing, summer program applications, recommendation letters). Whenever D2 and us have a difference of opinion, she would ask her counselor, and it would take away a lot of stress (disagreement) we may have.</p>

<p>Many services I have listed were provided by our kids´previous private school for free (except for the hefty tuition). I was a bit skeptical initially (due to many bad press, or over top praise of private college counselling), but I have been pleasantly surprised on how helpfull they have been.</p>

<p>A private college counselor can´t get you into a college you are not qualified for, but he/she can be more than finding best match schools for you.</p>

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<p>Based on his own mercenary and corrupt record, Lloyd Thacker should be the last person to discuss money issues in education.</p>

<p>this is the key point: </p>

<p>“As soon as you accept money directly from parents, you become their agent, and you are doing it for the money and to serve the parents’ interest,”</p>

<p>either you agree with this or you don’t. there’s no middle ground, no i only kinda do it for the money and kinda serve the parents interests. </p>

<p>It rings true to me</p>

<p>i’m sure your daughter is a good athlete. but if you’re not a recruited athlete your not a recruited athlete.</p>

<p>there’s a big difference between a walk on or whatever she did and being recruited.</p>