ADMISSION CONSULTANTS - ROLE IN COLLEGE ADMISSION PROCESS

Admission Consultants - Role in College Admission Process

Generally, fee-based consultant services are hired by affluent parents who place a high premium on education and who have a strong interest in helping their child gain entrance to the "right" MS program.

One admissions dean explained that she can "sniff out when there has been some admission professional involved in the process." It can go to extremes, particularly with hard-to-check variables such as the admission essays; according to one view, plagiarism on admissions essays has been a "serious problem," particularly on applications to private universities and colleges. Some college counseling services are being offered online. There is the possibility that hiring a professional admissions consultant can make an application appear artificial; for example, admissions personnel may suspect professional coaching when one part of an application is polished, while other parts aren't, such as varying quality regarding writing samples. Another risk in hiring a consultant, which can happen if parents become too involved in the process: that the term "over-packaging", meaning that the applicant appears so smooth, so perfect, that admissions officers suspect the person is not real but a marketing creation.

Generally, when hiring a college admissions counselor, parents and students should try to understand the counselor's philosophy, learn what services are provided and whether any help will be offered regarding advice about financial aid or scholarships. It is generally suggested that it is improper for an admissions counselor to tamper with a student's "authentic self." According to their view, ideal counselors have experience with college admissions, meet regularly with college admissions officers, visit campuses regularly, and belong to professional affiliations. Independent counselors can help a student select schools to apply to, counsel on test taking strategies, review scores, help with essay preparation (but not actually writing), review applications, conduct mock interviews, provide logistical planning, and collaborate with others such as athletic coaches.