Hiring a College Admissions Counselor––Part 1

After several calls from parents asking if I have "pull" at colleges, I thought it was time to discuss what an independent college admissions counselor can and can’t do. As I told those parents, if anyone offers to "get" your child into college, consider it a red flag.

Aside from the fact that such an offer is unethical, the truth is that independent counselors have no power to influence admission decisions. Admissions officers know that independent counselors, unlike school counselors, are paid by families. That’s why we can’t write recommendation letters for students. On occasion, I do call a college about a student, but that is generally because there is an unusual situation and I need to get more information.

Information is something you can expect from an independent counselor. When I sat down with an admissions dean at Cornell, he explained their decision-making process in detail. An admissions officer at another university told me that a California student would be admitted over an East Coast student with slightly higher test scores and grades. So while I could not make a case for a student’s admission in these meetings, I did gain insight that helps me advise students who are applying to these schools.

One of the most important things an independent admissions counselor can offer is honesty. If a student is determined to go to an Ivy League school, has a 1350 SAT, 2 AP classes and a 3.8 GPA, I would be doing that student a disservice if I said his chances were good. I would never tell anyone not to apply to competitive schools, but I have a responsibility to encourage the student to include some more appropriate choices. The truth is there are many colleges that will offer that student a much better educational experience. One of the advantages of hiring an independent counselor is that we often introduce students to schools they don’t know about, and these schools can turn out to be great matches.

Another sticky area is how much help a counselor can provide with essays. There are people who write essays for students, and again, not only is this unethical, it can backfire. Admissions officers can usually spot an essay that was written by an adult. Also, with the new SAT coming, many colleges are planning to download the SAT essay and compare it to the application essay.

If you decide to hire an independent counselor, what do you get for your money? We help students choose courses, extracurricular activities and summer programs that develop their interests and talents and enhance their prospects for college admission. Counselors can also suggest appropriate SAT/ACT tests, dates and strategies.

We evaluate a student’s academic profile, help clarify educational goals, interests and preferences, and develop a list of prospective colleges. It’s more than finding the "best" school a student can get into – it’s finding the best school for each student. That requires a holistic assessment. Beyond grades and test scores, I want to know what kind of learning environment a student does well in and what kind of social environment is a good match for his or her personality. Would a student rather be at the top of the class at a less competitive school or an average student in a more competitive school? Is this student confident and assertive enough to handle a large university, or would he be better off in a more intimate college community?

After researching and visiting colleges, students sometimes realize they want something different, and that is a normal part of the process. The goal is to make a good match, and that often means revising the college list several times.

Once students have a final list of colleges, we want to make sure they present themselves in the best possible light. This includes brainstorming essay ideas, providing feedback on multiple essay drafts, preparing for interviews and reviewing application forms to minimize accidental errors.

So if you decide to work with an independent admission counselor, how do you hire the right one? That is the subject of my next column.

Audrey Kahane, MS, is an independent college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or at audreykahane@earthlink.net.