The idea of college can be an incredibly stressful one. At the simplest level, it implies leaving your house and choosing where you want to take your life from now on. But then there’s a lot of paperwork and applications that stack on top of all of that. There are deadlines to apply, conditions for scholarship and there’s always that looming doubt of whether you checked all colleges in your area.
In short, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed when the topic of college comes up. And this is exactly why college consultants exist. However just in case you aren’t knowledgeable on the topic, today we’ll take a look at what college consulting is and why you might be interested.
What does a college consultant do?
The role of a college consultant is a complex one, but it mostly comes down to offering guidance in the college selection process for students who are looking to apply soon. A college consultant can be an individual or a larger firm, but they generally focus on assessing a student’s merits and helping them with suggestions to improve their eligibility when applying to college.
This means that a consultant will be able to offer suggestions to students based on their current scores and recognitions. But they are also there to help students build a better profile that is more in line with what their dream pick expects out of their students.
One-on-one sessions, calls, and essay assistance are just some of the most common tasks a college consultant is expected to perform. And their experience means that they will be able to offer much more precise and successful guidance than parents or high-school counselors. Consultants make a living out of getting students into their chosen colleges, and this means that they know their job inside and out.
When should you get a college consultant?
Generally speaking, there isn’t a fixed date or deadline to hire a consultant, but you should keep in mind that their range of action will be dependant on how much time they have. If you hire a consultant towards the end of your last high school year they’ll mostly be able to help you refine your choices and help you apply. However, a consultant hired as early as your Junior year will be able to help you build an academic profile that specifically caters to the interests of your preferred college.
So ultimately there is no fixed date for when you should get a consultant, but keep in mind that if you do so early you’ll have more opportunities to work towards getting admitted at your dream college.