We get this question a lot. And while we can’t necessarily speak to what other companies have to offer, we do know what kinds of students will thrive with our help. Here are a few questions that are good starting points to get the process started:
“How much do I know about the process?”
An honest evaluation of where you are in the process is the best place to start. If you’re just starting out, and you haven’t done any research since you applied to college years ago, there will be a lot to learn. Are you familiar with how the process works these days? Getting into college is much harder than it was in the past, and the admissions process is becoming increasingly more volatile. This sounds harsh, but it’s true. Understanding what you do (and don’t) know about the process will help you figure out what kind of consultant you should be working with.
We sell packages and don’t cap the number of hours your child will be working with one of our writers. We meet you where you are. Whether you need an entire education on the college application process or a quick refresher, we’ll work with you until you feel confident that you’re familiar with all of the necessities.
“Am I looking for someone who is hands-on or hands-off?”
The 91̽ process is incredibly immersive. We have strong relationships with our clients and we stay in touch via weekly status update emails, phone calls, or even texts if that’s your preferred method of communication. While we work with our clients exclusively over the phone, our process is decidedly hands-on. Depending upon what we’re working on with our clients, we usually start with one call a week and adjust that schedule as necessary. We work with our clients every step of the way: we get to know them, brainstorm ideas, create master documents with detailed deadlines, revise and rework essays, and stay on top of our students to ask for supporting materials.
“Do I want an editor or an advisor?”
This is a big one! We often work with clients who come to us with ideas and essays that are frankly not going to work. They might be good essays, great even, but what you’re looking for is a great college essay. That’s what we help our clients write, so when they come to us with ideas that aren’t as strong as possible, we start over. If you’re looking for someone to line edit your existing work without helping to improve the work itself, there are definitely options for that. But we advise our students on every step of the process, even if that means starting from scratch.
“Am I looking for someone who only cares about their acceptance stats?”
While historically 91% of our clients have gotten into one of their top three choice schools, we’re most proud of our 0% transfer rate. We get to know our clients before creating their school list, which means that we look at many factors before settling on an ideal college. Admissions viability is a crucial element, but through our process, we help our clients decide what they’re looking for in terms of academic programs, size, location, and overall culture and vibe of the school. A tremendous amount of work goes into creating a college list, and our methods have been put to the test this year in light of college closures and stay at home orders. But we rely on our knowledge of the industry, colleges themselves, and our clients to make college lists that are both realistic and exciting.
“Do I want someone who just reviews everything or helps me make hard decisions?”
Depending upon what you’re looking for, you should take stock of what kind of role you want your college consultant to play. If you want to work on your own and send your documents over to someone for review, that’s fine! But when we say make hard decisions, we mean helping you and your family decide what’s the best move forward. Let’s say you’re out of range at your dream school, but you want to try anyway. You’ve been dreaming of attending Harvard for years, and you’re considering applying early. If this client were to come to us, we would discuss alternative options and do our best to find an early decision school that makes sense with their profile. This means that we have difficult conversations with our clients, but we prefer to equip families with the information that they need instead of cosigning an application that won’t likely result in an acceptance.
Does my kid want the help?
This is another important aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. When we meet with parents, they’re often eager to get the process started. We get it, it’s an overwhelming undertaking and most people think that more time is better. But this isn’t always the case. If you’re currently a sophomore, or the parent of a sophomore, you should gauge your ability to commit to the process. While one hour a week might not sound like a huge commitment, we do expect our clients to come to our calls ready to work. So no matter what stage you’re at in the college application process, take an honest inventory of your status before moving forward with any consultant.
If you’d like to work with someone, contact us here.