<p>Independent counselors work hard to help all kinds of kids be successful and happy undergrads. There are lots of good colleges that are not so well known. Counselors can bring them to your attention. I’m finding that the volume of information now accesable through the web has parents, teachers and schools overwhelmed. A good consultant can help sift through the facts, rumors and wishful thinking. They do not have a ‘special sauce’, because there isn’t one. If they spend time to know their client…the student…really well, they can help cook up the best possible sauce for that case. Full disclosure…I have been working as a consultant for decades. The work is so satisfying, because it does help. (like the VISA card commercial says, the results are priceless) A counsleor can point out where the effort is worth making, and where not. But the effort still has to come from the student, parents and school.</p>
<p>Because many are crooks that’s why.</p>
<p>Of course, this is also true of lawyers and accountants, but if you want to stay out of financial trouble, it’s well worth the effort to find a good one.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the need for one nowadays. There is so much information online, in the library, bookstores, forums etc. Also there are guidance counselors at schools.</p>
<p>It’s not that hard nowadays to search for schools, go on to websites and read about different school policies, do research, etc.</p>
<p>Is shrewofamherst just trying to advocate his or her job because there is less demand nowadays for an independent counselor?</p>
<p>Too much information can be a problem, as well. Of course, no one is OBLIGED to need or ask for help. If someone seeks it, indeed, they should seek it where there is genuine expertise, and be willing to enter into an professional relationship. The ‘free lunch’ is probably hiding something!</p>
<p>If I had to do it all over again, I would hire someone when my son was in 9th grade. I think we ended up fine, however I have invested a ton of time and energy into this process and only now am I really feeling confident. There were many things I didn’t know earlier that would have helped him greater than my advice alone. I have the blueprint for my daughter, but for the first child I think you should suck it up and hire someone with experience.</p>
<p>Information online is not reliable. For every fact, there are several invalid counterpoints made. This noise and chaos is not ideal for parents and students seeking real help. Most parents and students have very limited knowledge of universities. And even well informed parents may not be objective when it comes to their own children or may be too busy to commit the time required to help their kids through the entire process.</p>
<p>Some experts genuinely care for their students and will give them guidance well worth the price. It is PRECISELY in this day and age when counselors are worth it. I cannot think of any top university that has a higher than 30% acceptance rate for OOS students. </p>
<p>This said, parents must be very cautious of the many charlatans out there.</p>
<p>If it is affordable for a family, it might be worth checking into & finding a reputable one with a proven track record. Whatever that counselor might charge though, could be saved for tuition.</p>
<p>Agree with Alexandre. Many just dont know what they don’t know. Positioning is subtle, especially for top schools. Most kids don’t have a clue what a good college essay topic is or what can really differentiate them. Most won’t pick this up by reading.</p>
<p>I go to a public school with severely overworked guidance counselors, and few of my friends’ parents have much of a clue about college admissions. I was curious about college admissions and started really looking into it somewhere around the end of 10th grade and the beginning of 11th. Because I read fast, want a lot of information on pretty much everything, and am really interested in education, I know enough that I don’t need a college counselor. But the vast majority of the other seniors applying to college here really could use the help. They just don’t get some of the most basic-but-important information- e.g. OOS public schools tend to not give good aid/scholarships, Catholic schools do not require you to be Catholic to apply, so on and so forth. The counselors are overworked, underpaid, and have far too many students. On top of that, most of them simply don’t care.</p>
<p>The other thing is, if your parents went to good schools (and graduated a long time ago…), they may have a very skewed view of how much work is needed to get into them. My mom thinks I have a better chance at getting into her alma mater than many of the other schools on my list, including my dad’s (both are reach schools for pretty much everyone). I think she’s absolutely mad. If I wasn’t paying attention, though, I might not have realized that she was wrong.</p>