The ideal person to help you in the college search and selection process is a trained and qualified Independent Educational Consultant who recognizes the uniqueness of your student and customizes the process to meet their specific needs. One size most definitely does not fit all, and a purely "virtual" interaction with a counselor who never actually meets you and your student is seldom the best choice.

Before hiring someone to take on this important role, you should investigate their credentials. In addition to getting and following up on references, you should inquire about the number of college visits they do yearly (to get the information NOT on the official college websites) and their membership in professional organizations which set standards of experience and training that all members must meet. These include NACAC, HECA and IECA, the gold standard for independent educational consultants.

I often get asked, "Can't my high school counselor guide us?" I have a great deal of respect for high school counselors. While most of them provide excellent guidance information, the difficulty is that in California, according to the 2011 Report on Student-to-Counseling Ratios for Elementary and Secondary Public Schools, from the American Counseling Association, the average caseload nationwide is more than 300:1 and in California is 814:1.

Additionally, high school guidance counselors often have many other responsibilities like class scheduling, behavior issues, crisis intervention, test proctoring, etc. that translate into their spending little time one on one time per student. Individualizing the college search and application process becomes a very difficult task and group meetings and large presentations become the norm. High school counselors have limited extra time to visit colleges or attend various conferences.

College Planning Service is your expert! We will help you identify and gain acceptance to colleges that fit you academically, socially and financially.