Finding a Reputable College Consultant

The relevant word is “reputable,” which has a number of nuanced meanings including “trustworthy,” “upright,” “highly regarded,” “dependable,” and “honest.” Recent scandals involving celebrity parents buying seats at prestigious colleges for their children underscore the need to emphasize  “reputable.”

Why? Because the title does not reference “reputable parents.” No, the celebrities needed help. Their facilitating accomplices to commit fraud were college consultants, assisted by corrupt insiders, mainly athletic coaches in this instance. The point is parental wealth was not enough.   

Nor was saving money the issue when they hired their consultant. The objective was “get admitted” regardless of the cost. Getting admitted to a brand name college isn’t easy, even for the wealthy who can spend thousands, make that tens of thousands, on private school educations, tutors, foreign travel, engaging summer employment, athletic training, and music training. Best start with special pre-schools because the competition is rough.  Only 1 in 20 gets admitted into the Ivies, and the other 19 who apply aren’t exactly slouches.  

In fact, the odds are worse for the wealthy, because some of those admitted must be poor. Most colleges attempt to level the playing field by admitting highly qualified students who cannot afford the fare.

And if the playing fields weren’t level? If colleges were allowed to let the free market set the price, then those students with the richest families would simply buy the seats. Our celebrity parents would not need to cheat; they would not even need accomplices. With seats going to the highest bidder, rich families would simply write a check to the school, instead of to a shifty college consultant.

Attributes of Good College Consultants

These conditions explain why bad consultants appear periodically on the scene. But what about the good ones? Do you need one? How do you differentiate between the top notch versus the minimally competent? How do you select an outstanding versus barely competent college consultant? How do you know they will save you money?

Trustworthy and competent college consultants have become increasingly needed over the last five decades because college has become increasingly expensive and complicated for parents and students to determine which schools are the best values. Depending on whether you buy a home, paying for college will be the first or second largest investment you are likely to make in your life. Finding the right school is a big deal; paying for it, even bigger.

Despite the size and complexity of this investment, calculations I’ve made show that most families who send their kids to public high schools spend far less before their kids start college versus what they spend during college or even servicing their debt after college. Yet evidence shows that money wisely spent upfront can reduce what is spent later during and after college. My personal experience reinforces this conclusion. Over the last four years, I have worked with 28 families. About half have children who will graduate with little or no debt. The other half will graduate with manageable debt, under $20,000 and well below the New Hampshire average of $36,000. In short, money spent on qualified college consultants can be money well spent.  

Before you meet, you need to ask what is their relevant experience? Have they sat on admissions committees, or financial aid committees? Have they taught, preferably at a number of different universities, both public and private? Do they have first-hand knowledge from schools they have visited over the years? What is the most interesting school they recently visited? Or, just as useful, do they have relevant experience in financial planning or how insurance, legal, accounting, and/or taxation issues impact college decisions?

Next, I’d want to discover the quality and relevance of their experience. Solid experience takes time to build, often years. Virtual services that are scaling up often rely on people who are just out of school. That can be risky. And not just because of age. There is a reason why people do not like going to trial with a lawyer, young or old, who just graduated from law school. You need to do some due diligence. A younger person may have plenty of relevant experience; an older one may not. You need to check.

A good first step is to ask if they are a “certified college planner.” Certification is not a guarantee, but it is a valid way to distinguish between those with in-depth knowledge about paying for college versus the financial planner who sees the “college market” as a sideline. 

A second step is to look for balance. Many college consultants either have a strong suit that is robust on the academic side (e.g. a former admissions officer) or strong on the financial services side. Few are strong in both arenas. Consequently, you may be forced to hire a consultant who, for instance, is a tax wizard, but has little or no experience as a college administrator, teacher, or educational researcher. That’s okay. Just make sure your questions are directed toward their strengths. And be wary if they give advice they are not prepared to give. 

Finally, and most importantly, you need to ask what is involved and how much time will be needed? Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how often it goes unasked. Do you seek a specific piece of advice, or does your child require ongoing coaching to improve a skill or technique? Or even more challenging and time-consuming, does your child require extended mentoring to change bad habits and foster positive values?

When choosing between these options, be careful because the answers many parents seek are biased toward simple and quick replies. Succinct answers are sought for many reasons: they are prized in our culture; parents are pressed for time; and the short, quick answer is often obtained for free. Here is where the counter intuitive thing enters: a “bad consultant” actually wants the same thing . . . except he or she wants a fat check after asking just a few fast questions. The last thing they want is to spend time with your child.

But let’s face it, discovering your child’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly their hidden or latent talents and interests takes time. Discovering what distinguishes your child from others is challenging. Discovering an existing or potential passion is even harder. Every good college consultant worth his or her salt knows that moms and dads do not always know the answers to these questions, even when they think they do.

In fact, the same can be said of their children. Some know their academic and even their career interests. And I tip my hat to them and their parents for a job well done. But too many respond with “I haven’t a clue” when asked what excites them intellectually about going to college. So be prepared to spend some time and money finding out. Failure to do so means you will be wasting your time, and also your money. A reputable college consultant can save you both. 

Robert Ronstadt, PhD, is a former vice president of Boston University who lives in Gilmanton. He consults with parents and students about selecting and paying for college. Contact him at robertronstadt@gmail.com or 603-998-4364. Learn about his efforts to help students and parents pay for college at www.robertronstadt.com.