Many students and parents consider hiring personal college counselors to help them through the prolonged college application process.
College counselors are professionals who know what the admissions process is really like and are hired by students who want assistance making their application and essays look more appealing.
Depending on the counselor, they can offer test prep and tutoring, more information on college majors, help with financial aid, and assistance planning extracurricular and summer activities that look good on transcripts.
While college counselors do provide a lot of resources and information, in reality their advice just isn’t worth the high costs.
Most college counselors charge anywhere from a few hundred dollars to nearly $20,000, depending on their prior experience and various rates they have to cater to student needs, according to go.collegewise.com.
With these high prices becoming a financial burden, there are other options to consider than spending thousands of dollars on something that cannot guarantee the chance of getting into dream schools.
Instead of hiring an expensive professional, students can talk to someone they’re close with, perhaps an older sibling or family member who has been through the college admissions process already. Students a few years older can also provide great advice about what classes to consider taking and what colleges are worth looking at.
Tutors and teachers can also give tips on how to make applications stand out by taking high school classes that correspond with specific majors, or what extracurriculars stand out.
The internet is a great place to look for more tips and tricks on college and career advice in a manner that only requires the touch of a button.
Apps such as YouTube and TikTok have many content creators that dedicate their social media accounts to helping students throughout the admissions process and what admission essays should contain.
These creators also point out what APs to take that correspond with certain majors and how to do well in these classes and on the AP exam for them.
So why spend money on someone who offers the same advice when students can access all of these materials for free with just one click of a button?
No matter what direction students take, time and commitment will lead to where they need to be.