Is hiring a college admissions coach worth it?

I get it. You wonder if hiring a college admissions coach is worth it. Paying thousands of dollars for a coach seems unnecessary, until you start the process and realize that any advice you give is, at best, a guess. You are faced with hundreds upon hundreds of good colleges and universities. Where do you begin?

We want the best for our children. Yet, sometimes we don’t know how to help or where to start. After all, parents are only able to help as much as our experience and knowledge allow. Typically, parents have attended one college and aren’t familiar with other universities in their state let alone across the country. We all need a bit of help sometimes.

This is why someone with experience can help. There are a lot of options and there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to college success. I've taught at different types of schools. I know the students who succeed at small colleges versus large state schools. I've mentored thousands of university and high school students. As my students say, "I've seen it all."

As you think about if you need a college admissions coach, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1) Do you know what the options are? For example, do you know the difference between a small liberal arts college and flagship state university (think UNC, Alabama, Ohio State, University of Colorado)? The strengths and weaknesses of each type? What about mid-size state universities and teaching colleges?

Having someone who gets to know your student and point them in a good direction is the difference between finding a good fit or spending thousands extra to transfer to a different school. Even within flagship universities or liberal arts colleges, each school has it's own feel. While it's impossible for an admissions coach to know all of them, I will give you the best chance at success.

2) Do you know the language of higher education?

Every industry has their own language. Higher education is no different. To speak that language requires you to be immersed in it. If you aren't immersed in it you're taking a very big risk, providing little more than a risky guess. But what happens if you're wrong? Denied admission. Denied scholarships. Denied.

This is why hiring someone who knows this language is important. Any admissions coach can't guarantee the outcome you want. What we can do, however, is give you a fighting chance. I can help your student NOT write one of the three most common admissions and scholarship essays. I can help your student write an essay that will stand out, rather than the same essay that we read over and over again.

3) Are you confident in your ability to coach admission and scholarship essays?

Colleges and universities offer millions of dollars in scholarships each year. I've sat on these committees for years, evaluating essays and deliberating with committees about who should receive funding. I've listened to what hundreds of other admissions officers and faculty think are good versus great essays. I can guide your student to write the kind of essays that give you a chance for that big scholarship. And it's not rocket science. In fact, it's quite simple. But you have to know what to do and how to pull the best out of your student.

4) Is it really worth the risk?

No coach can guarantee admission or scholarships. But this is what I can do: give your student the best possible chance at success. With the rising cost and increased competition, standing out in the application and scholarship process is vital. This is where I can help.

We all need a bit of help sometimes. If you don't know how to help your student, let me fill the gap and be that person.

Contact me for your free 20 minute consultation to explore how I might be able to help your student take their next big step.