A recent article in the New York Times has stirred up quite a fuss in the educational counseling world (see link at the end of this post).
The piece questions, in a general sense, the usefulness of independent counselors who work with college bound high school students and their families. Highlighting his argument, the writer cites cases of one counselor that charges around $15,000 putting on a “fashion show”, while another charges as much as $40,000 to “get a student into an Ivy League school”.
The article quotes a university president alluding to “snake oil salesmen”, and states that “most” college admissions officers believe that high school counselors provide sufficient guidance to students.
Not surprisingly, this article has provoked a sharp reaction from the main body of independent counselors. Admittedly, as with any industry, no matter how well policed, there will be charlatans, and the average professional will agree that the fees mentioned above are well outside the norm (probably with less polite verbiage).
Leading players in the field have taken up the defense of the profession in other forums, so we won’t duplicate that effort, other than to say that the large majority of independent college counselors provide excellent service with integrity and commitment, and at fee levels that are not excessive for private consultancy.
And anyone with true experience in this field knows that there is a growing and urgent need for average families to have access to proven expertise in the college search and admissions process.
But let’s look at another side of this story. Not once does the author question the motives or the mindset of the parents who pay these abnormal fees. Surely the pertinent question here is why would parents pay $40,000 to “get” their child into a certain school?
It seems to me that, while the truly professional counselor strives to help a student find the best college match, the individuals cited in the New York Times piece are catering to a “country club” or “exclusive golf club” state of mind. Are the parents seeking the best education for the student, or are they glorifying the status and snob appeal? Or, in a more practical sense, are they hoping that their child will develop “connections” that will guarantee success in the future? (More on this subject in the future).
The writer, Jacques Steinberg, might have served his readership better if he had drawn a clear comparison between the activities of the typical independent counselor and those that cater to families that are driven by trappings of “brand name” schools.
But then, that probably wouldn’t have attracted all that traffic to the NYT website, would it?
Ref. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/education/19counselor.html?_r=1
