Why You Should Work With — and Listen to — a College Admissions Consultant
If you’re a parent of a high school junior or senior, the college admissions process can seem nigh well unreasonable. To take it on, you practically need a certification in project management and extensive training in conflict resolution. Somehow, you have to know all the options and help your kid figure out the best one. Then you have to stay on top of them about meeting application deadlines while they give you the brush-off.
If you’re the one applying to colleges, it can feel like one of the most daunting things you’ve ever done. You’re making a multi-year commitment to a place that could shape the most formative years of your life. You’re choosing who you’ll be surrounded by every day and possibly even where you’ll end up living. And that’s on top of trying to enjoy your senior year!
When the stress of the college admissions process has gotten to you, it’s time to consider an admissions consultant. These experienced professionals can help you navigate all the complexities of current college search procedures. From choosing the right schools to dotting the i’s on essays, here are some ways they can simplify the process.
1. Knowing the Marketplace
With around 5,000 institutions of higher learning in the U.S. alone, no student or parent can really know all the options. Sure, online databases have replaced the thick stacks of encyclopedia-like books that used to describe different colleges. But that only cuts a bit of time from the overwhelming undertaking of sifting through way too many possibilities.
A college admissions consultant, however, is an expert on the current collegiate marketplace. They’ve devoted their career to staying on top of this field, so you don’t have to develop that expertise yourself. By getting to know you, they can create a much shorter, personalized list of appropriate schools to choose from.
College admissions consultants are also up on the latest trends, standards, and best application practices. They know which schools are doing well and whose ratings are sinking and how application processes are changing. They also understand factors that affect your odds of acceptance, like extracurriculars, legacy admissions, specialized scholarships, and more.
Because of their deep familiarity with the marketplace, they may also have useful connections. You should always maintain the highest ethical standards and never use connections to increase your chances of admission. But admissions consultants can sometimes connect you with professors or alumni who can tell you more about the school.
2. Helping You Choose the Best Schools for You
A good college admissions consultant will look closely at your grades, extracurricular activities, strengths, weaknesses, and school criteria. They’ll also conduct a one-on-one interview to get an even deeper sense of who you are. Using this information, they will cross-compare to identify schools that fit your specific strengths, wants, and needs.
College admissions consultants enable you to discover schools that meet your academic requirements, extracurricular and sports criteria, tuition budget, and more. But one thing they’re especially good at is helping you find the right school for you as a person. One enormous asset is their in-depth familiarity with the unique culture and social environment of each college or university.
Yes, nearly every ambitious high schooler says they want to go to an Ivy League school. But these expectations might be totally unrealistic. For many students, applying to colleges should really be about finding a comfortable fit. Admissions consultants understand this, and they work to make sure students will actually be happy with their choices. It’s not always just about having the most impressive alma mater on your LinkedIn profile and resume.
Many students might have extremely high academic standards but need a more laid-back social environment. Some might appreciate the well-rounded offerings of a larger university but not be able to tolerate the drunken partying. A qualified college admissions consultant knows the distinct cultures of a huge number of schools and can assist you in making the right choice.
3. Providing Structure
Once your college admissions consultant understands your particular needs and strengths, they can help tailor applications to your chosen schools. From assisting you with application prep to reading and editing your essays, they can walk you through each step. They can even suggest extra materials to include — like samples of your music or artwork — if your candidate schools allow it.
College admissions consultants can also be extremely beneficial in the interview process. They can help you craft responses to questions that might be asked and prepare you to field the unexpected. They can even walk you through a mock interview — or several — to quiet your nerves and analyze your responses.
Perhaps most vital, however, is the admissions’ consultant’s ability to manage the nitty-gritty admin aspects of applying to colleges. They can stay on top of deadlines, send reminders to submit materials, and check in to see how you’re doing. They handle the mundane time management tasks so you can focus on showing colleges the best version of yourself.
As noted above, the college admissions process has many bits and pieces to keep track of. Busy, working parents and high school students with nascent organizational skills shouldn’t be expected to manage it themselves. A DIY approach to college admissions can lead to lots of extra conflict and stress within families. It’s not worth it when you have access to experts who can take care of all those fine details.
A Perfect Fit
The best college admissions consultants know that choosing and getting into the right school is an extremely personal process. Many colleges act like complex, closed ecosystems, completely different from one another and secluded from the rest of the world. That’s why it’s especially important to choose an environment that’s exactly right for you. You want that four-year biosphere to be a place where you will really thrive.