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Research and Consulting
Right Major + Right College = Success!
College Talk Blog
If you have accepted your admission offer...you are not done yet. Not reading and acting on email can lead to the cancellation of your admission acceptance.
If you have accepted your admission offer...you are not done yet. Not reading and acting on email can lead to the cancellation of your admission acceptance.
Blog
What's College Admission Counseling?
Posted on December 7, 2018 at 11:09 AM |
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I have lost count of the number of dad's who have asked: "what is college admission counseling and why does my kid need it?" Although both mom's and dad's bring their teens to me to help them get in to college, it is often dad's who are more skeptical of the need for what I do. I totally understand why a parent-aged person would wonder why college advising is helpful or even necessary. When that parent applied to college, it was easier, cheaper and more straight-forward than it is for their kids to do the same thing. There was no such thing as media presence or even applying online. Today, all that has changed. Whether you like it or not, we all have a presence online and colleges expect a full bio beyond gpa and test scores to even consider a person for admission. My job is to help the student choose colleges for which they are a great fit and competitive, help them choose a major and walk them through the process of college admission and scholarship applications. Beyond that I help with college decisions after the acceptances roll in and help them enroll in the college of their choice. Colleges want to know the story about anyone considering joining their community. So today's teen, has to know their story and how to tell it. The competition for college admission is also more keen today than 20 years ago. Today the percentage of high school seniors who apply to college has more than doubled and the percentage of students with a high gpa and an amazing resume is also larger. About that resume...it is no longer good enough to have stellar grades and test scores. You have to demonstrate your interests and skills through your activity level and type. This is your school and community extracurricular footprint. Not all students have one. This puts them at a disadvantage. So the need for a college admission counselor or college admission advisor is driven by the complexity of the admission process and competition for seats in the freshman class at colleges. High school counselors have limited time to provide support beyond information and students don't always listen to that information at the time it is provided. They pay attention later when college admission season opens...but because they did not hear the message earlier, they may have missed some deadlines and failed to prepare for the competition they will face. The most frequent comments I receive from parents include that they are glad their teen has a guide and that college admission counseling is the best money they ever spent because it saved them money, decreased disagreements with their teen and resulted in the best college admission outcomes. |
Let the Student Beware
Posted on June 11, 2018 at 12:12 PM |
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As presidents and department of education leaders change, sometimes there are big changes for students. One such change currently underway is that the protections provided to famililes who choose private proprietary schools/colleges. Specifically, the current administration has a more business oriented view. They see it as the responsibility of the buyer/student to protect themselves from unscrupulous education products. Families need to be very careful when signing on the dotted line for a degree or certificate program at a colleges or school that is not accredited by the same regional accrediting agency that accredits state universities in their state. |
Hire a college advisor-really?
Posted on August 26, 2017 at 9:09 PM |
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What these dads remember is that they applied to a college or two and got in when they were teens twenty years ago. They wonder why their own kids ask for help completing what they remember to be a simple process. They say they don't remember even having to write an essay. College advisors/counselors/consultants know what students and parents need to do and when. They are also aware of differences between colleges and which colleges are looking for which type of student. Families who have worked with a college advisor often indicate that the fee they paid their college advisor was small compared to the money they saved on college costs. A second benefit of using a college advisor is that the process goes more smoothly and with less anxiety and family disagreement. |
Paying money to join honor societies
Posted on July 27, 2017 at 5:26 PM |
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My answer to the families is that the only honor societies that have been recognized by colleges to which my clients apply have been the National Honor Society at high schools and the subject honor societies at their high schools (science, social studies, Spanish, French, Latin etc). Although there are private honor societies students can pay to join, colleges are more likely to be interested in honor societies that students earned through academic achievement. I never tell families not to join such organizations, but I do explain that joining does not equate to college admission advantage. |
Advantages of Additional One-to One Support
Posted on June 12, 2017 at 6:48 PM |
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In this case, the well-intentioned school counselor was trying to save the parent money by encouraging him to use only the resources of the school. The parent looked at things differently. He said the minimal amount he paid his private college advisor paid off in a smoother process, less work for him and his teen, more harmony at home, more scholarships than his son would have earned on his own and a better college fit. Private college advising services come in a variety of packages, prices and with varying depth, breadth and specialties of expertise. Families considering using a private college advisor should interview prospective advisors to determine if what they offer will add value to what the family would like to accomplish. Advisors vary from local advisors who see students in person to advisors who see students virtually. Both methods work but families need to chose what they think will be most successful for them. Advisors range from:1) full-time college advising professionals with degrees in the field, experience in higher education and related fields and membership in professional organizations dedicated to college advising to... 2) part-time college students and parents with little to no formal professional training in their field whose experience is less extensive. Prices for private college advising services vary a great deal. Experienced professional college advisors do not necessarily charge more than less experienced people offering college advising services. One parent recently called to express reservations about his daughter's request to pay $5,000 to an online service run by undergraduate college students. That fee was on the higher end of what many advisors charge and the scope of what was being offered was narrower. In that case it appeared that the student might have purchased a limited service for a higher price. It is important to know how many sessions are being offered, what services are being offered, any limits to service and the qualifications of advisors before making a purchase decision. The best advice for parents seeking the extra advantage of a private college advisor is to choose the best match for their teen's needs and goals. It is a great idea to have a meeting with a prospective advisor before making a decision to make sure that the teen and the advisor have great chemistry for their working relationship and that the parent and advisor are on the same page with the student about desired outcomes. |
The value of college advising
Posted on August 24, 2016 at 9:50 PM |
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Staying on track at community college
Posted on May 27, 2016 at 10:54 PM |
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Getting the Help You Need
Posted on February 28, 2016 at 1:53 AM |
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Outside Help Tips College decisions can be daunting to parents and students who turn to a variety of education professionals for help with test prep, college information, financial resource advice and related support services. Each family has a unique level of experience and needs to consider when choosing outside help. No matter what type of help a family needs, there are some qualifiers that they can rely on to make sure they are getting the best help possible. Specifically, families should consider the following attributes of people from whom they are considering getting any type of college support service:
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College on the payment program
Posted on July 15, 2015 at 12:02 AM |
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Read acceptance and other college emails and letters carefully
Posted on May 3, 2015 at 11:02 PM |
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Students who apply to colleges expect to receive either an offer of acceptance, a wait list letter, deferment to regular admission letter or denial letter. However there are other types of admission letters students can receive, such as:
Students who receive acceptance letters for January have mistaken them for acceptance letters for fall. Students should read and save all electronic and print correspondence from colleges. |
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