<p>Hi, I’m a senior in high school and I recently found a private college counselor and now I’m in a sticky situation with her.</p>
<p>She comes very highly recommended by other parents in my area. I called her to find out about what she does, get a feel of what kind of person she is, etc. SHe called back and we spent about 45 min talking. She basically thinks and talks really slow, and hates to be interrupted, so I ended up listening to her give me info about colege that I had already gathered from CC, like most colleges want 2-3 sat ii’s, extracurriculars are important, stuff like that. I consider myself very informed about college admissions, since I’ve been a cc’er lurker for three years now. </p>
<p>So now (since she is experianced and is a very good college counselor and everyone else is full) Iwould like to work with her, BUT at the end of the call she decides that if she wants to work with me, I will be charged like $60 for this “initial” consultation. She never mentioned this initial consultation would be charged. I am far from rich and even getting a college counselor is tough for us, bu a necessity since my school GC is a very clueless guy. She says that it’s only right I pay her for this, becuase she spent so much time giving me important info. but the thing is, I already knew it, and only listened to her talk becuase talks connected and slow and it’shard for me to get a word in. </p>
<p>how should I
1)confront her about this
2)ask if she could talk faster?? I don’t believe she’s doing it on purpose, tho.
3)say I won’t pay the $60</p>
<p>Do the other parents who highly recommend her know as much about college admissions as you already do? </p>
<p>What is it that she is so successful at doing that you need? Have you already determined the list of schools you will apply to? Will you need help with essays - is this something she does?</p>
<p>What is her overall fee structure? Flat fee? Hourly rate? I don’t care for the idea of the charge for the initial consultation, but whether you should dispute it may depend on how the overall compensation arrangement works.</p>
<p>Is she planning to bill you for this whether or not you continue you with her? Only if you don’t? Only if you do?</p>
<p>Answers to some of these questions would help us advise you on some possible courses of action.</p>
<p>Someone can’t charge you for something after the fact. If she didn’t tell you right off the bat that you were on the clock and the meter was running, then as far as I am concerned, you don’t owe her a dime.</p>
<p>In the future you should ask what the procedures will be and the costs involved.</p>
<p>If you want to continue to use this woman’s services, then you may have to pay her first. Personally speaking I think coming here to CC and getting guidance should work for you in conjunction with your using your CG… useless though he may be.</p>
<p>if someone charged me like that, I would not trust her </p>
<p>and can you work with someone you cannot trust?</p>
<p>hghly recommended or not, go with your gut…do you NEED her?</p>
<p>what can she do for you that no one else can- this is a serious question, and if she is one that ‘helps’ does she cross that ethical line</p>
<p>if you don’t feel she listens to you, is she going to package the real you?</p>
<p>some very serious questions</p>
<p>from what I have read, colleges aqre pretty quick and can spot a packaged applicant- from essays, to format, etc</p>
<p>so think about this and as for that $60, eh, it was her chose to talk to you and if she is a real professional, she would have told you the fees straight up</p>
<p>It doesn’t sound as though you need her, her business practices sound dubious, and there are millions of kids who get into the colleges of their choice without the help of a professional. That she doesn’t listen to what you have to say is also a very big red flag; after all, you will have to live with the decision of which college you finally decide to attend, not her.</p>
<p>This web board (minus the “what color should I wear to rush week” threads) is an excellent resource and by virtue of the breath of knowledge held by the thousands of posters, arguably better than the information provided by a single “professional”. Professionals have their place, but that place is probably mostly for students or parents who are incapable, unwilling, or unable to put in the time to reach the critical decision of which college to attend on their own; the potential pitfalls of this approach should be obvious.</p>
<p>With all due respect to those still in high school, I think your best advice on substantive issues will come from those students already in college and those parents who have helped put them there; there’s no substitute for experience. I wish I had known about this site last year while helping my son pick his own college; we did it on our own, exclusive of professional advice, and he’s now attending the United States Military Academy at West Point (turned down CAL engineering, my own alma mater).</p>
<p>My suggestion is to take your future into your own hands. That means do the work to educate yourself on the subject at hand; namely finding the best fit for your abilities and aspirations. Make researching your next college your full time job until you’ve been accepted to a school you will be thrilled to attend. It’s a decision best left to you and your parents, but you know there are plenty of people here who will help.</p>
<p>Oh yeah; I forgot to address your questions:</p>
<p>how should I
1)confront her about this - “Thank you but I’ve decided not to use you.”
2)ask if she could talk faster?? I don’t believe she’s doing it on purpose, tho. - No; it would be pointless to ask her to speak faster.
3)say I won’t pay the $60 - “Thank you but I’ve decided not to use you.” should be sufficient. If not, say, “I am sorry for any misunderstanding but I have no intention of paying you for a service for which you did not inform me there was a charge.”</p>