One of the more frequently asked questions that I receive over the course of an initial consultation is “Why should I hire a college consultant when our high school’s guidance counselor already provides these services?” Quite simply, many high school counselors are not able to provide comprehensive college services due to the scope of their responsibilities coupled with their large caseloads.
A typical high school guidance office offers a wide array of services including individual personal support, crisis intervention, drug and alcohol intervention, academic advisement, course selection, schedule adjustments and career and college planning. When you factor in all of those responsibilities, there is not a lot of time left over for individualized attention for each student’s college search process.
As many school districts have grown, the ratio of students to counselor has also increased. Counselors are now responsible for a larger number of students which has precluded them from providing the individual care and attention that the college search process warrants. According to federal data compiled by the US Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 20 percent of high schools do not have any school counselor. In some states, including California and Arizona, there are more than 800 students for every one high school counselor. In New Jersey, the ratio is approximately 350 students per counselor while the Pennsylvania ratio is closer to 380 students per counselor (1).
When making the decision to hire a college consultant, students and parents should assess the type of assistance they are receiving from the guidance counselor and whether it is adequate enough to make well informed decisions about college choices. These answers will inform your decision about whether a consultant is a good investment.
(1) Data Source: https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/public-policy-faqs-and-documents/2013-counselor-to-student-ratio-chart.pdf?sfvrsn=2