Penn applicants seek help from advisers

When College freshman Liza Johnson was applying to Penn, she received advice from many of the usual sources — college preparation books, campus visits and advice from family members.

Unlike some of her peers, though, Johnson tapped into an additional resource during the admissions process: a private college counselor.

At Penn, Johnson’s story is not unique.

As the ratio of high school counselors to students has decreased, more college applicants are turning to paid counselors for an added boost in the admissions process.

According to the American School Counselor Association, the average ratio of American public high school students per guidance counselor is 476 to 1.

Additionally, according to the ASCA, guidance counselors spend an average of just 38 minutes discussing each individual student’s college search and application process each admissions cycle.

Dean of Admissions Eric Furda said there is “a growing public need for people who are willing to give advice” about colleges, which is frequently satisfied by college counselors.

In a 2009 survey conducted by marketing and communications firm Lipman Hearne, 26 percent of high-achieving students reported that they hired an independent college consultant to guide them through the application process. The survey was based on nationwide responses from 1,264 high-school students who scored in the 70th percentile or higher on the SAT.

Furda added that, while independent college counselors have received criticism for charging up to $40,000 for two years of consulting, they are not a “monolithic” group that charges an exorbitant amount of fees.

“If families have that money to spend [on college counselors], it’s their prerogative,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a family decision and a personal decision.”

However, he added that students and families should make sure that they are paying for a “partnership to make great college choices,” not guaranteed admission into certain institutions.

David Hawkins, director of public policy and research at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, disagreed about the necessity of independent college counselors.

While Hawkins acknowledged that there is a major shortage of public high-school counselors today, he said these individuals are still an essential part of the equation.

“We fundamentally believe that in-school guidance is what students need the most. It’s really the context in which they have been brought through the educational system in this country,” he said. “I think a reliance on a resource that exists out of the school is not an equitable or sustainable approach to college counseling.”

Bev Taylor, founder of The Ivy Coach, advises numerous students who apply to Penn each year and defended independent college counselors as professionals who are providing needed services.

“If you needed to draw a will, would you not hire a lawyer? If you needed to do your taxes, would you not hire an accountant? Why would you not hire professionals for the college admissions process?” she said.

She added that her practice has an “extensive” pro-bono program and, in some years, 30 to 40 percent of her clients have been underprivileged students who received counseling at no cost.

Top Colleges Educational Consultant Steven Goodman — a 1989 Graduate School of Education alumnus — said college counselors can help students and parents through what can be an emotionally taxing process.

“The goal is help students stretch to the best of their abilities in a way that is safe and educationally feasible,” he said.

Goodman added that he has often had to turn away parents who set unrealistic goals for their students who may be “far out of the range of admissibility,” and expect the college counselor to bridge the qualification gap.

Students at Penn said college counselors have helped to expand their college search beyond the capabilities of a high-school counselor.

During her college search, Johnson preferred other options in place of the small, liberal arts schools that her parents and siblings had attended.

“In the end, using a college counselor was good for me because it helped me realize that what was right for me wasn’t what they did,” she said. “My college adviser helped me look at a lot of different college options.”

College sophomore Jonathan Iwry also used a college counselor to gather additional opinions in the application process.

“I took it all in with a grain of salt, but it was useful to have people with a wide array of opinions,” he said. “Everything was my work, but they helped me direct it in the best way possible.”

Comments (12)

We agree with David Hawkins that school-based counselors are an essential part of a child’s college-planning team. Yet, as the ASCA numbers suggest, counselor case-loads are high, face-time is limited to a few minutes per student and counselor chores from lunch duty to crisis intervention complicate their efforts.

Independent Educational Consulting is a growing field because the commitment of upwards of 10 hours of direct contact allows for an exploration of college hopes, careers dreams, learning and test-taking strengths and weaknesses, special skills, social and community desires, financial limitations and so much more.

Most IECs charge just 10-15% of the fee noted above and maintain case loads closer to 40. They know that students should drive the process (not parents or the consultant). A good, qualified, ethical consultant will always emphasize a “great match” between the student’s needs and the colleges’ offerings. The effort is about thriving at an appropriate college—not about ‘getting in.’

Yes, we all wish schools provided more counselors who are better trained and carry smaller case loads. But that’s a goal for the future…not one that will serve the needs of the coming graduating class.

Your Comment

As a NACAC and HECA member, I am very proud and humble at the same time for my 26 years of service to thousands of students and families in the transition process from high school top college and then to graduate/professional schools as well. I agree 100% with Ms. Nancy Griesemere (Independent College Counselor)position in a previous comment set to you before (see copy bellow).

I would like to see a clarification and apology by Mr. Hawkins in DP due to the fact his position is incorrect from my point of view.

(copy of Ms. Nancy Griesemer posting):

/As a Penn alum (CW ’72) and the mother of a Penn alum (Law ’08), I was extremely proud of the quality of reporting exemplified by the above article.Forty years later, the DP continues to provide “both sides of the story” to readers, many of whom reside beyond the immediate Philadelphia community./

/As a member in good standing of NACAC and several associations of independent college consultants, I was deeply distressed, however, by the comments provided in the article from Mr. Hawkins.Despite a reasonable responsibility to his ENTIRE membership, Mr. Hawkins appears to fail the “balanced approach” test and possibly reveals his true feelings about the growing group of NACAC members who are independent educational consultants./

/If Mr. Hawkins is expressing the views of his board and/or the balance of his membership, why then, would NACAC accept dues from us, request us to travel great distances and participate on panels at our own expense, ask us to volunteer to give presentations or participate in NACAC-sponsored college fairs, and even survey us in areas designed to improve knowledge in the field of college admissions?/

/The answer is simple.We provide great service and we know our stuff./

/Without going back over old arguments about the role of independent college consultants, I would like to point out to Mr. Hawkins (and Dean
Furda) that many of us net far less than the average school guidance counselor and few have the kinds of benefits or retirement that counselors take home at the end of the day.No one pays us to attend NACAC events.We go (and pay inflated rates) because it’s part of the business model./

/It’s also part of the business model to travel to colleges at our own expense, be available after school and during the summer months (when we are most needed), and budget time as well as money to regularly attend continuing education programs.And almost all of us provide pro bono services to students in our communities who need extra guidance and support while applying to college./

/School guidance counselors play key roles in the college admissions process.I counsel my students and write articles counseling others to work closely with their school-based counselors throughout their high school careers.This doesn’t mean that independent college advising is “a resource that exists out of the school [that] is not an equitable or sustainable approach to college counseling.“I think I speak for many when I say there are thousands of high school students and parents across the country who believe the service we provide is valued, reasonably-priced, and necessary./

/Perhaps Mr. Hawkins would like to revisit his comments or provide the independent educational consulting community with an explanation.Or maybe NACAC really doesn’t value our membership and many contributions to their organization./

/Nancy Griesemer/

/College Explorations/

For those looking to learn more about ethical independent educational consultants, please visit the Independent Educational Consultants Association at www.IECAonline.com

As a private college counselor, I work with no more than 25 students a year. I assist them in finding appropriate colleges and provide college counseling throughout the college admission process. I know that many high school students are frustrated because they are not getting the advice they need and in some cases, this is causing them to make poor college decisions. I think high schools should provide every family who has a high school junior with a list of resources, including private college counselors. The internet can provide information, but too often it is not accurate. Most private college counselors charge affordable fees and are more than willing to be flexible with families in this regard.

As a Penn alum (CW ’72) and the mother of a Penn alum (Law ’08), I was extremely proud of the quality of reporting exemplified by the above article. Forty years later, the DP continues to provide “both sides of the story” to readers, many of whom reside beyond the immediate Philadelphia community.

As a member in good standing of NACAC and several associations of independent college consultants, I was deeply distressed, however, by the comments provided in the article from Mr. Hawkins. Despite a reasonable responsibility to his ENTIRE membership, Mr. Hawkins appears to fail the “balanced approach” test and possibly reveals his true feelings about the growing group of NACAC members who are independent educational consultants.

If Mr. Hawkins is expressing the views of his board and/or the balance of his membership, why then, would NACAC accept dues from us, request us to travel great distances and participate on panels at our own expense, ask us to volunteer to give presentations or participate in NACAC-sponsored college fairs, and even survey us in areas designed to improve knowledge in the field of college admissions?

The answer is simple. We provide great service and we know our stuff.

Without going back over old arguments about the role of independent college consultants, I would like to point out to Mr. Hawkins (and Dean Furda) that many of us net far less than the average school guidance counselor and few have the kinds of benefits or retirement that counselors take home at the end of the day. No one pays us to attend NACAC events. We go (and pay inflated rates) because it’s part of the business model.

It’s also part of the business model to travel to colleges at our own expense, be available after school and during the summer months (when we are most needed), and budget time as well as money to regularly attend continuing education programs. And almost all of us provide pro bono services to students in our communities who need extra guidance and support while applying to college.

School guidance counselors play key roles in the college admissions process. I counsel my students and write articles counseling others to work closely with their school-based counselors throughout their high school careers. This doesn’t mean that independent college advising is “a resource that exists out of the school [that] is not an equitable or sustainable approach to college counseling.” I think I speak for many when I say there are thousands of high school students and parents across the country who believe the service we provide is valued, reasonably-priced, and necessary.

Perhaps Mr. Hawkins would like to revisit his comments or provide the independent educational consulting community with an explanation. Or maybe NACAC really doesn’t value our membership and our many contributions to their organization.

Nancy Griesemer
College Explorations

Yet another source of Independent Consultants who are ethical is HECA (Higher Educational Consultants Association)

I, too am an IEC and really don’t understand why someone from NACAC would make a comment like this. What we do is based on life in a free-market economy. If you don’t like the services being provided in the public sector, you are welcome to turn to the private sector to have your needs met. If you aren’t happy with the education students receive at the local public school, you can put your child in private school. How is this any different? It is not a secret that in a free-market society the “haves” get more options and opportunities than the “have nots”. Not everybody needs, wants, or can afford to purchase a fancy car, but you don’t call the local Lexus dealer and tell them they shouldn’t offer their product. How is this any different? Some people in our society have more resources or place a significant value on higher education than others. It is what it is. And its not like IECs are calling for public schools to stop providing the service that they do. We are simply providing alternatives to the services offered by the local high schools. I hope NACAC can understand and appreciate that.

This is not an issue about us, it is about students. Whatever works for helping our students through the college search and application process is what we should be discussing.
Let’s keep the focus on student-centeredness.

Dean Furda’s response is totally inadequate. The proliferation of for profit college “counseling” services is another indication of the vast inequality of college admissions. In fact, any parent, student, or high school teacher knows that these agencies doctor the students’ applications and advise them to tailor their actual records in ways that range from somewhat dishonest to blatantly fraudalent. Why should any student not be able to complete a college applicaton on his or her own? Dean Furda, and other admissions deans, know what these admissions services are really providing for a hefty fee. Even when these businesses argue that their fees are reasonable, there should be no need for students to outsource what should be a family and school process. College admissions has become a circus and it is disgraceful that all true professionals involved cannot agree to return to basic, sound practices and relieve the unnecessary pressures on students, especially those not privileged enough to participate.

The key difference between seeking a lawyer’s or a tax accountant’s advice and seeking the services of a college counselor is that the latter does not have any specialized technical skills. Students applying to college are adults, or soon will be. They need to learn how to INDEPENDENTLY make informed decisions. College counselors are merely cashing in on students’ anxiety and desire to avoid making tough decisions themselves. In my opinion they do a real disservice. Why should a student need to hire someone to tell him he is unqualified for a school? He should be able to figure that out on his own. Why should a student need the advice of a college counselor to help him determine what his own goals are? It is just absurd. Young people in this generation are more coddled and sheltered than ever before. Private college counseling is just another way that over-protective parents hinder their children’s growth.

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