A mother reached out to me last week to discuss having Golden Educational Consulting (GEC) work with her younger daughter.
"With our oldest daughter, we googled a lot of things and just sort of muddled through on our own," she admitted.
"I’m never doing that again, it was a nightmare," she added.
It is true, navigating the college admissions process can be overwhelming for students and their families. From selecting the right schools to crafting compelling applications, the process is a series of decisions. And while it is true that the internet and ChatGPT contains a wealth of information, it often lacks the experience and wisdom of a professional. And that's where we come in.
When you hire an accountant or lawn care specialist, you generally know what to expect. But most people we meet have never heard of an educational consultant and usually have lots of questions. Below, we address some frequently asked questions about working with an educational consultant.
Why would someone hire an educational consultant?
Hiring an educational consultant can provide numerous benefits, including:
Personalized Guidance: GEC consultants work one-on-one with students to develop a tailored college admissions strategy.
Expert Knowledge: We stay up-to-date with admissions trends, policies, and best practices. Our GEC consultants have a combined 80 years of selective college admissions, financial aid, and college counseling experience.
Reduced Stress: The college application process can be daunting, and a consultant can help families manage deadlines and expectations. Our process, backed by research, was built specifically to address the unique stressors teenagers face in the college search.
Improved Applications: Consultants provide valuable feedback on essays, resumes, and overall application presentation.
How does the GEC program work? When should someone begin working with an educational consultant?
Our coaching program usually begins in the sophomore year of high school and walks students and families through our tried and true approach to a less stressful college search. The program concludes in May of the student’s senior year.
We have monthly meetings with each of our students to go over a different topic and stay in touch with how things are going. As we get closer to the start of “application season,” which generally begins the summer before senior year, we begin meeting more frequently and often with students. We focus on starting the college essays, getting high school resumes in order, and finalizing college option lists.
Think of our program as operating in phases:
Freshman/Sophomore year: Establishing healthy habits, beginning to investigate colleges, and selecting the right courses throughout high school.
Fall of Junior Year: Getting financially ready for college and getting an early estimate so you can prepare.
Spring of Junior year: ACT/SAT prep and ramp up for application season.
Summer between Junior and Senior year: Early application season, essay work begins.
Fall of Senior year: full blown application season, let’s get to applying on the Common App and all other forms of online applications.
Early spring senior year: scholarship season, completing the FAFSA, scholarship and honors programs application support and interview prep.
End of senior year: deciding and celebrating.
Do you help with financial aid and scholarships?
Absolutely. Paying for college can be one of the most stressful parts of the college search. We educate families on the financial aid process, help them put together a college affordability plan as well, and provide resources to help them communicate with college financial aid offices. Keep in mind though that we do not complete the FAFSA (or any other application or college form) on behalf of our families and neither will any reputable educational consultant.
Where can I find information about your program costs and fees?
Our pricing is based on two things:
Your family's goals, specifically what kinds of colleges you are considering,
What kinds of services you will need from us to accomplish those goals
What we like to do is to meet with families (and the student(s) if possible) to get a sense for what you think the college search might look like and how we can help. From there, if interested, we can put together a proposal. Our various packages and services are meant to help students looking at a range of colleges and cost-wise can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on what services are needed. Our initial conversation is always free and has zero obligation or hard sell.
How do we get started working with GEC?
The first step is to schedule a quick zoom consultation with Dr. Thom so we can learn more about your student and what support you are looking for. From there, if interested, we can put together a proposal for you to consider.
Our programs do fill up so if you are considering working with us, please do reach out. And please keep in mind that we rarely take on new clients in the senior year of high school.
What do people say about working with GEC?
“Once again, you made our family’s experience with the college application process so easy and stress free. Ever since our son made his college decision, he has been all in on college and never second guessed. It’s wonderful as a parent to see the excitement your child has for his future. Thank you for all you have done for him, his brother and us!”
“Couldn’t have navigated this process without the help of you both! Seriously, you have saved my relationship with my daughter!”
“We realized that although our son had outstanding test scores and an exceptional academic record, admission to an elite university would nevertheless be very competitive and far from guaranteed. We wanted expert advice to make sure his applications would give him his best chance at success, and that’s exactly what we got from Golden Educational Consulting. Not only did their insightful guidance and attention to detail help him get accepted by early decision to his first choice school, it also provided our entire family with a strong sense of confidence and much-need peace of mind.”
Not working with us yet? Feeling stressed by the college search process? Let's chat.
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