The Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a College Admissions Counselor

The pressure to get into a good college is strong, but the process doesn't have to be more expensive than it already it is. You're already paying application fees, fees to request old transcripts, fees for a standardized test tutor, or fees for who-knows-what else. Before you shell out for a college counselor or consultant, too, consider that you might be able to do just fine without them.

Ask yourself the following questions

So much of securing admission and scholarships is about self-reflection. You have to identify your goals, ruminate on your past struggles, and put everything into words that are somehow simultaneously clear, concise, evocative, and true to your voice. If you hire a college counselor to guide you through your application process, they'll ask you to do much of the same--and they'll charge you. Before doing that, ask yourself these questions to narrow down your school hunt:

What am I looking for in a school? Is it big, is it diverse, does it have a solid post-graduation employment rate, is it prestigious, or is it inexpensive? Make a list of your ideal characteristics to help narrow down the selection. What do I have to offer the school? If you have great test scores or a sterling volunteering record, make note of them and keep your best qualities in mind when looking through schools' requirements. What are my weak points? If you didn't do a lot of extracurriculars or your GPA isn't pristine, you're not totally out of the running at every school, but keeping your possible disqualifiers in mind can help you be more realistic as you make a list of schools to apply to. Who is qualified to write me a letter of recommendation? College coaches often guide you through the process of identifying the best candidates in your life for a letter of rec, but you can pinpoint them, too. A teacher who saw you overcome a struggle, a boss who can comment on your work ethic, or a coach who knows how well you manage your time are great options.

In addition to the standard budget you've likely already set for what you want to spend on school itself, you should designate a budget for how much you want to spend on applying, too. A fee here or there might not seem like a big deal, but they add up--and an admissions counselor makes that overall price go way up.

What a counselor can go over

Counselors can guide you through the interview process, help you narrow down the pool of colleges you want to apply to, and offer tips on your admissions essays, which can be valuable if you really feel like you're in over your head or you're just too busy being a star student and community member to research it yourself. Then again, other responsibilities, like identifying whether you need an ACT or SAT score for a certain application or sourcing scholarships, are just as easily done on your own.

According to BeMo Academic Counseling, the average rate for a college advisor is between $150 and $200 per hour, but application review packages can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Keep that--plus the other costs of applications and the overall admissions process, like fees and campus visits--in mind before you offload the brainstorming onto a pro.