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Choosing a Consultant

The following information is being made available to families who are looking for assistance with the planning and preparation portion of the college admissions process. This information will enable families to qualify each consultant as they go through the interview process and before a final decision is made.

Choosing a college could possibly be one of the most important decisions in your child's life. With that, we commend you for your commitment to helping your student and take the following points to heart.

EXPERIENCE:

First and foremost, there is no substitute for experience. Optimally, you would like your college admissions consultant to have worked at a top-tier college or university that embraces an admissions process that looks at all aspects of an applicant i.e. academics, activities, letters of recommendation, etc.

Note: For California residents and those who are applying to the CA state systems i.e. UC & Cal States, it should be noted that an extremely high percentage of all applicants are admitted based on their academics & test scores only.

How long has the company been in business? Did the company start in an economic downturn?

EDUCATION:

Look at the educational background(s) of the consultant(s) that you will be working with. Do they have a Graduate degree? In what areas are their undergraduate and graduate degrees in? You will find that most consultants do not have advanced degrees or that their degrees in this are i.e. psychology, counseling, etc. Again, you should hope to find a consultant with an advanced degree and in an area of study that is directly related to this field.

ADD-ON:

It is at this time that I would like to point out the difference between a college planning & preparation consultant and a college financial planning consultant. Like many parents seeking information on "How to Pay for College", they sign-up for various workshops, information sessions, etc., only to find that someone wants to sell them an insurance plan or their companies financial service options. Financial planning consultants are abundant and most likely have no experience with the college admissions process.

Families that are seeking a college admissions consultant, should look for someone who specializes in the college admissions process only. Parents need to be wary of those that offer additional types of services i.e. SAT/ACT Prep, tutoring, FAFSA assistance, etc. as it is most likely that these companies originated as such and are now "Piggybacking" or "Adding-on" to gain your business.

IVY CLAIM:

There are many services that are started by Ivy League graduates or specifically hire Ivy League graduates to gain your business. These companies will claim that they "Got into the Ivy League" and that they can "Get your student in too". Again, do they REALLY have first-hand knowledge of the admissions system and do you really know WHEN they were admitted and under what circumstances they were admitted? Most likely, that answer would be, "No" to all three of those questions.

Note: There are also consultants/parents out there that claim that THEY got their son or daughter into an Ivy League school. When Harvard only admits 5% of their applicants, how much did the parent really do?

COMFORT & REPOIRE

The bottom line is that the student should be comfortable working with the college admissions consultant that you hire. This is a very exciting time for the entire family and this process should be FUN!

I wouldn't want to imagine what it would have been like, had Anthony not been in our lives during those high school years. When my kids attended high school, counseling services did not include individualized college preparation and consultation. Anthony started supporting our family when our oldest child was a high school junior and our youngest, a freshman. Anthony's sound advice throughout the years, but most importantly, during the application process, provided peace of mind during what is typically a chaotic and stressful time. He kept our kids on a schedule, communicated with them primarily, and met with them often to help with a variety of things, including developing skills to carefully and thoughtfully write their own college essays during the summer before their senior year. He provided assistance as they researched and ranked potential schools, and talked with them about how to gather pertinent academic and other materials to support their applications. He coached them about the importance of weighing the pro's and con's about college locations and their personal interests, asking probing questions about what is most and least important about a dream college experience. He talked with them about the reality of college, and gave them the real scoop about what a college counselor is looking for in their application. Anthony did all of that and more because he's been on the other side of the table as an admissions counselor and he knows what they're thinking and how they're assessing applications.

Although there are many college counselors who offer similar services, Anthony is uniquely gifted, and he's passionate about assisting kids during this important time in their lives so that they may realize their full potential while in college.

I've been happy to refer friends to Anthony because I know he will invest whatever it takes to help their kids identify a variety of schools that meet student interests and goals while delicately balancing parent input. First and foremost, Anthony is there for the student. He takes the time to get to know your child, and even attends their sporting events and award programs. Anthony makes the time because he truly cares about our kids.

I've received so many comments from friends who say, "We love Anthony - thank you for referring him to our family." I think that speaks volumes about how much he is appreciated.

~C. Kanter, La Jolla, CA