Tips for hiring a consultant

Tips for hiring

a college consultant

Find one early on -- when your child is a sophomore or entering junior year -- so they'll have more time to get to know you.

Compare prices. Fees can be as high as $20,000, but the vast majority charge closer to $3,000.

Look for someone whose goal is to find the right school for your child, regardless of whether the school is popular or elite.

No one can manipulate the system. If a consultant promises they can get your child into a specific school, walk away.

Find someone your child will like and trust. If your consultant can't be frank with your child, and vice versa, you're wasting your money.

Make sure your consultant is qualified. See the Independent Educational Consultants Association website, www.iecaonline.com, for suggested standards.

Sources: Independent Educational Consultants Association; Phifer & McClure College Counseling Partners in Wellesley; National Association for College Admission Counseling

Peter DeMarco