I told you in my last post that 26% of high achieving students use a private college admissions consultant. The question is why?
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) each year reports on the amount of time that high school counselors spend on issues related to college admissions. In 2010 high school counselors reported that they only spent 22% of their time on issues related to college admissions. And with an average case load of 434 students, that is not much time to help you with your needs.
According to a 2005 study that translates into about 38 minutes of college counseling per student each year.
Do you need more than 38 minutes to help you understand what to consider in finding colleges to apply to? To discuss various college options? To get ideas of what to write your college application essays about? To get help editing those essays? To understand what to look for in visiting a college? To know how to get the best recommendations? To understand whether to apply early decision, early action, single choice early action? To understand how need based and merit based financial aid works at different colleges?
If you don’t use a private college admissions counselor you will basically need to learn all of this information, and more, by yourself. Can it be done? Yes. Is it a good use of your time and resources when you are looking at a cost of $80,000 for 4 year of a public college to over $200,000 of a private college?
When you sit down and look at the cost involved in paying for college compared to the cost of getting professional advice, it is surprising that more people don’t use private college counselors.
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