College and graduate school planning are both very serious business.

Students are anxious stressed about selecting colleges to apply to and making it through the application process.

Parents are anxious stressed about a myriad of different issues: whether their daughter or son will be admitted to the college they’ve set their hearts on, whether their financial aid offer will meet their needs, and managing differing admissions policies, and a multitude of essays, dates and deadlines.

Where School Counselors Fit In

Your first stop in the application process should be to your school counselor. If you’re applying to college for the first time, your high school counselor fills a number of important roles to get your started along your admissions journey. They are able to provide:

• Advice on appropriate coursework
• Distribute information on entrance exam deadlines and college fairs
• Maintain school and testing records
• Transcript preparation and recommendation
• Field information requests from colleges, such as first semester senior year grades

However, not to scare anyone, but high school counselors who have time and availability to meet extensively with students are becoming somewhat of a rarity. According to a survey conducted by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, almost half of counselors (54%) reported spending less than 20% of their time working with students on college readiness, selection, and applications ^[1]. They juggle other job functions, such as individual counseling, testing and assessments, behavior management, and crisis intervention. Another sad reality is that many school districts have cut the number of counselors advising on college admissions.

Colleges, on the other hand, vary in the type of on-campus assistance available to support students who seek admission to graduate or professional programs. There may or may not be a dedicated office or counselor to schedule an appointment with. Your best bets are to check with the Career Center (if your campus has one) or schedule time to chat with a trusted professor. Be forewarned – college professors are often juggling a multiple of different job responsibilities and commitments, so do your homework first, and ask pointed questions for advice.

Where do students turn when they’re in need of more detailed, personalized advice, feedback, or hands-on assistance? This is where the independent educational consultant steps in.

What Independent Educational Consultants Do

There are a number of different specialties within the purview of the independent educational consultant (IEC): therapeutic or boarding schools, working with students with learning disabilities, student athletes, etc. Personally, I chose a specialty in college and graduate school admissions. This appealed to me particularly because of my background as a college professor, seeing many of my students struggle to identify the right fit, confused by admissions criteria, and/or need assistance with strategizing how to get into selective programs.

IECs partner with applicants to devise a step-by-step plan on getting into “best fit” colleges and gently push forward the momentum to get ish done throughout the process. This means building a rapport and getting to know your clients very well, their social, learning, and career preferences, conducting regular check-ins and consultation sessions, researching and providing useful and understandable information, answering questions and delivering detailed feedback along the admissions journey. Simply put, IECs provide personalized, hands-on assistance, picking up where the school counselor or other resources leave off.

Some important ways that admissions consultants serve clients:

• Personalized attention and support to students (and parents) throughout the application process
• Identification of academic, career, financial, and personality-based preferences to guide application list development
• In-depth knowledge of colleges “beyond brochures”
• Advise on extracurricular activities and summer programs
• Standardized testing information and tips
• Campus visit coordination tips
• Assistance and feedback with essays – brainstorming, writing, feedback, and revision
• Accountability in an agreed-upon plan of action through application season
• Helping to manage and organize important dates and deadlines

Check The Resume

A word of caution: As with many fields, there are unscrupulous individuals who simply “hang a shingle,” post up a website, and declare themselves open for business. Before you make the decision to work together, ask yourself: What is their experience? What are their credentials?

Quite a few of my IEC colleagues are former high school teachers or counselors, college admissions staff, SAT/ACT tutors, essay writing coaches, or like me, served for many years as a full-time college professor and have a wealth of real-life experience in applying from undergrad to the Ph.D. Even though I have personal experience, have taught literally thousands of students, and have informal experience from helping students to draw from, I still invested the time to learn the craft. I take the work that I do that seriously.

Any college admissions consultant worth their salt should be vetted and well-trained. Credentialing and professional development are important in staying up-to-date and relevant. Several professional organizations, such as the Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) or the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), for example, provide workshops, conferences, and certificate programs to learn and master the common practices and tools of the trade.

When To Start College Planning?

Getting-into-college mania seems to begin earlier and earlier. Most admissions consultants begin working with high school students as early as freshman year. In the early years, you’ll likely work more closely with your school counselor in choosing appropriate coursework. By junior year, the college list should be under development, SAT/ACT test preparation underway (if not already taken), and campus visits conducted. When senior year rolls around, it’s game on for the start of application season.

Advice for grad school seekers falls along the same lines – it’s best to start getting your ducks in a row early. I recommend consulting with an IEC at least 12 months prior to submitting applications for graduate or professional school. This leaves plenty of time to discuss and strategize program choices, write original, unique essays that incorporate your strengths, and practice mock interviews.

Admissions consultants are a valuable resource, whether to check in with a simple question or ask for personalized advice, or to manage the application journey from start to finish. Although admissions decisions can be highly unpredictable, you’ve partnered with a professional to determine the best fit and maximize chances of success. With proper foresight and planning, the application journey should roll much more smoothly, with minimized feelings of being overwhelmed, rushed, or panicked. You have a trusted partner from beginning to end.

Resources:

[1] National Association for College Admissions Counseling: A national look at the high school counseling office: What is it doing and what roles does it play in facilitating students’ path to college. Link