But what about high school counselor? Why would we need an educational consultant?
We have huge respect for high school guidance counselors. First of all, we assume that they went into the profession because they care about students and therefore have good intentions. But we have also new private school settings, and we can tell you that school counselors are overworked and underpaid! Their responsibilities are many, and their case load is usually big – it’s not unusual for private school counselors to have over 100 students on their docket. In addition to providing college counseling, they are also involved coordinating special visits and programs, providing counseling and crisis intervention on the spot, dealing with parental and student problems and concerns etc. It can be a challenge to keep up with every day demands. Therefore, despite their willingness and best intentions, finding time for frequent and lengthy conversations with students about college is difficult. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. They rarely get to leave school for conferences or college visits. Counselors overseas find it especially hard to travel for college visits during the school year.
So in hiring an educational consultant to help guide your child’s college application process, it’s not a vote of “no confidence” in the school counselor. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that your family would like more time and expertise than they may be able to provide.
I pride myself on maintaining healthy relationships with school counselors whenever possible. The process works best when we can work together as a team.
How is an educational consultant compensated?
The consultant is paid by the family and never receives compensation from any school or program. IECA and HECA consultants are bound by a strict code of ethics in order to ensure that the needs of the child and family are upheld with full objectivity. When working with a member of IECA and HECA, a family can be confident in knowing that their child is in the hands of a caring, experienced professional.