According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), there are plenty of students and parents who feel overwhelmed enough by the college selection process that they decide to hire an educational consultant. The NACAC defines education consultants as those who “work outside the secondary school setting to provide individualized college admission and related services to students and parents.” Primarily, educational consultants help students: 

  • Choose suitable colleges to apply to;
  • Plan college visits;
  • Prepare for college entrance tests;
  • Get through the entire college application process. 

Consultants also charge fees, so if you’re considering going that route, NACAC suggests you consider the following before you write the check: 

  • Does your school have counselors who spend a significant amount of time counseling students through the college admission process?
  • Have the school’s counselors received special training through regional or national workshops for college counseling?
  • Is there a college/career center where you can have access to books, applications, computer programs and other materials for individual resources? 

If you answer “Yes” to these questions, you probably can handle your college search. If you do decide to hire a consultant, NACAC says the person you hire should have at least five years experience working in a high school as a college counselor or for a college or university as an admission officer. In addition, NACAC suggests the following questions to ask an educational consultant before hiring him: 

  • Do you have counseling experience, certification, a credential or master’s degree in counseling or related field?
  • How long have you been a consultant?
  • Do you have high school counselor or college admissions experience?
  • Are you familiar with the academic program in my high school?
  • Do you visit college campuses regularly?
  • Do you have a brochure that lists your services and fees?
  • Do you have reduced rates based on a family’s ability to pay?
  • Can you provide me with names of clients you have worked with? 

Other alternatives to an overworked high school counselor or a paid consultant are: 

  • Commercial counseling centers, which offer a broad array of services for fees.
  • Private counselor sites online. These are relatively new, they also charge, and you should evaluate them the same as consultants and commercial centers.
  • Community-based organizations that hold college fairs or have large collections of college literature and resource guides.

 

For more information, visit the National Association for College Admission Counseling website.