Education Consulting

The second of two articles dealing with educational planners.

Here is the first article about Education Consultants and what they can do for you.

In this age of usability professionals (those who make technology and the information glut more understandable), the educational planner is the person who can differentiate for you the particular personalities of colleges about which you have either never heard or know little current information. The college admissions process can be daunting as families try to unravel all the information available to them.

The publication of college guides has been a growth industry in the last decade, as has the explosion of information on the Internet. How does a family separate the chaff from the grain? Colleges have huge marketing budgets and often blanket the market, giving the false impression to a student that (s)he is virtually 'in' even though, in reality, that particular college may be out of reach for that student.

The role of the educational planner is to be a silent partner in the process and to make the appropriate information available to and manageable for the student. In the words of Dr. Steven Antonoff, author of College Finder and College Match, "If they (parents) want a perspective about colleges based on months of travel to colleges annually and (hopefully) a keen understanding of the process, then I am here for them." This is the sentiment most often expressed by good educational planners.

Do not hire an educational planner if you believe that you know more about the college admissions process or about colleges in general than the consultant. Don't hire an educational planner if you believe that your list of colleges for your child is better than the one the planner puts together for him/her. This is like 'knowing' what is wrong with you and disbelieving the doctor when (s)he tells you that you are wrong.

The list of colleges represents the most important part of the process and should reflect colleges that are a good fit for your student based on the parameters the family has laid down for the consultant to work with. If you have in mind a list of 'acceptable' colleges, and will consider no others, don't waste your money or the consultant's time by hiring him/her.

If you are not willing to share ALL pertinent information about your child and family with the consultant, you should not be working with one. To continue the medical analogy, this is like hoping the doctor can intuit what is ailing you without your having given him all the facts or symptoms.

Don't hire an educational planner if you want someone who is available 24/7. Although most of us have liberal appointment times and will return phone calls and email in a reasonable amount of time, we do also have lives. You would not expect other professionals to be instantly available to you, so please extend the same courtesy to the educational planner.

The average fee in the Northeast for a Certified Educational Planner to take your family through the process is between $3000 and $6000. Remember that you are hiring a professional with a particular and highly specialized field of expertise. The educational planner is a small business person who personally finances the travel, professional memberships, training, and conference attendance which enhance knowledge of current admissions trends and which enable him/her to perform this important function properly and ethically for your student and your family.

Note: Charlotte Klaar is a Certified Educational Planner and Director of College Consulting Services (www.ccs4college.com) in Westborough, MA and Brunswick, MD.