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By Alma
Homeschoolers who do not follow a traditional curriculum often get confused by the college application process. That’s why you may need a college consultant.
If the family decides to work with a college consultant, it’s best to begin as early as possible, preferably when the student enters ninth grade, although some families start planning their child’s college trajectory as early as eighth grade.
As you graduate high school, a tougher choice awaits you; i.e., choosing the best college for you.
With so many colleges in the city, it becomes hard for people to narrow down their choices.
Even if someone is eligible to make it into Ivy League colleges, they are likely to find themselves having a hard time deciding the college they want to attend.
At this point, going for a college consultant is your best choice. They are familiar with many colleges to know well enough which one will be a better-suited option for you.
Knowing that they might be able to guide you into making a good decision, it’s safe to say that college consultants can be very beneficial for starting your college journey.
Nevertheless, we cannot deny that there are many college consultants out there. Just like colleges, choosing the correct consultant is not easy either. You need to find one that can successfully work with homeschool students.
In this guide, we have mentioned some points to help you find the perfect consultant near you.
So, let’s get going!
1. Their customer reviews.
If you are looking for the most effective and quickest way to shortlist the best college admissions counselor, start by searching for reviews on the internet.
If you notice that a consultant has bad reviews, or is not supportive of homeschoolers, we suggest you extend your search to finding a better college consultant.
Star ratings of a consultant carry significant importance. However, studying the in-depth reviews also helps to see if they are a good fit for you.
2. Ensure that they offer multiple services.
Whether you were the topper of your class or an average student, most likely, you must be looking to make it through college on a low budget.
Before we go any further, we should mention that acceptance into college is not based on one thing entirely. A college is likely to judge many different aspects of a student before giving admission.
So, keeping that in mind, you should look for a consultant that offers the best value for your money. A college consultant is no good to you if they are an expert at only one thing.
Consider going with a consultant that can offer multiple services to ensure that you have a higher chance of getting accepted.
3. They offer personalized services.
Granted that a college consultant can be of tremendous help when they offer multiple services. However, since we are talking about the best, the best consultant will also put their mind to provide you with personalized services.
In a college application, the applicant is the main aspect. And at some point, all that university will be considering is you. So, to make sure that you nail the admission process, go with a consultant that specializes in homeschooled applicants.
Don’t mistake this point for the one-size-fits-all strategy for every high school student. When you work with a professional college consultant, they will offer you everything you can leverage to define your uniqueness most aptly.
4. They must have substantial experience.
Just as a person wouldn’t let an inexperienced mechanic operate on their vehicle, you shouldn’t allow an inexperienced consultant to deal with your application as well!
After all, your education happens to be one of the biggest long-term investments, and you can’t expect to make a good investment without a person who is fully aware of what they are doing.
So with that being said, you should always consider the background of a college consultant. They must have a considerable amount of experience working with homeschool students to ensure that they are the best in the field.
If they have spent time supporting and helping other homeschoolers through college admissions, then it is likely that they can offer the best assistance in your case as well.
You must aim for a college consultant who has had an experience of a few years at a minimum.
5. Their results
The best way to track if a consultant is the best one is to see their acceptance rate.
A good consultant will have a huge track record of getting homeschooled students into some of the best colleges in the country.
The very first place to check for their acceptance rate is their website. However, if they haven’t placed their acceptance rates on their websites, feel free to ask them.
If you notice the consultant hesitating to the question you have asked, you should find a better option.
When you work with someone who is not hesitant to show their previous results, it means that you have chosen an experienced person, and they are most likely to get you through.
Ideally, you must go for a consultant who has an acceptance rate of at least 75% in the best universities in your country.
6. Consider how transparent they are
We understand that the decision and the period of sending college applications bring uncertainty and anxiety.
This is why you should go for a consultant as they are in the best state of mind to offer admission to your desired university. However, some consultants are not hesitant to take advantage of the uncertain students and worried parents.
Such consultants pretend that they have a lot to offer you. However, when it comes to backing up their words, they usually don’t have a lot to say.
As we have already said, choosing a good college is your future investment. And with that being said, you must focus on getting a consultant who is open and honest.
You can navigate to your potential consultant’s website to see their experience and work history. As you go with a legitimate college consultant, you will notice that they are featured in prominent publications.
So, in conclusion, the transparency a college consultant shows highlights the consultants’ potential of getting you into a good college. Furthermore, their clarity is likely to solve any hesitations that you may have in your mind.
Final Words
We understand that going to college is a big step for you. And you want to make sure that every step you take is the perfect one.
Homeschoolers usually don’t have access to school counselors for obtaining assistance with college planning. This is where consultants fit into the equation.
The whole purpose of going to a consultant is to fortify your decision about choosing the right college. Moreover, a college consultant can also help in narrowing down the best option for you.
Thus, all the tips to help you find the best homeschool to college consultant in your locality. Hopefully, you find these tips helpful.