Should I work with a private college counselor?
It can be easy to get lost in the crowd!
Making the decision to work with an independent college consultant depends on many things: family dynamics, specific needs, and time. For some families familiar with the benefits of working with an IEC, it’s a no-brainer. Others wonder what the benefits would be. So we thought it would be helpful to hear from some of our current and past clients about why they chose to work with us.
“I suppose we could have educated ourselves and done it ourselves, but we don’t have the time.” I feel the same way about doing my taxes; I could do it myself, but I’d much rather hire an expert!
“Sometimes we would say the same things, but when you say it he listened.” Welcome to the teenage psyche! Often they do listen better to anyone but their parents.
“We don’t know what we don’t know.” The process of applying to college has changed dramatically since most patents applied themselves. Of course families worry that they will miss something.
“We wanted to find the right fit and having someone that had actually been on all of these campuses made all the difference.” It is like having a friend scope out the AirBnB before you rent it, but on a much larger scale.
“College is too expensive of an investment not to get it right.” Absolutely! That’s why we put affordability first in our conversations with a new family.
“Her schedule was so busy! We needed someone that could work with her when she was free.” We understand how packed many teen’s schedules are! That is why we work on school breaks, in the summer, and evenings and weekends — it’s when they have the time to buckle down and get thins done.
“Working with you was a gift I gave to myself.” The high school years fly by, and having the last few years at home with your student be as nag-free as possible is a gift!
If you do choose to work with an independent college consultant, make sure that they are a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, which has stringent criteria for membership and holds its members to the highest ethical standards in the industry.