Parents often look to independent counselors when they think that their child is not getting the kind of information or advice they need from their public or private school. Often this is a result of high schools adding increased counseling loads and/or additional administrative responsibilities to already overwhelmed school counselor job descriptions.

Most professional admissions counselors belong to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and/or the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

As with any other personal service, it pays to do your due diligence in selecting an independent counselor. Often the best way to find out who to consider is asking students and parents who have already gone through the college admissions process. Once you start hearing the same names with glowing reports over and over, that is where you probably should start.

Call the individual and/or service and find out what they do. Ask what their training, experience and credentials are in college admissions and counseling. Find out who they work with and what kind of success their clients have had. Ask how and for what they charge. Get a sense for whether he or she sounds like someone you and your child might like to work with. If you have a few names, take the time to meet each possibility in person. Based on what you see and hear, make your choice. Some independent counselors develop relationships with colleges, others don’t.

TIMELINE FOR DEVELOPING AN INDEPENDENT COUNSELOR RELATIONSHIP

Students can consult with an independent counselor anytime during their high schools years.

9th Grade
Some parents ask their children to begin the process as early as freshman year (although most 9th graders are reluctant to do this.)

10th Grade
Other students begin counseling during 19th grade (meeting to find out what the process is all about, plan courses, extracurricular and summer activities).

11th Grade
11th grade is a good time to begin working with an independent counselor (also a good time to begin developing a college list, visiting colleges and taking admissions tests).

12th Grade
12th grade is a little late to begin looking for an independent counselor, as many counselors have already filled their practice. But it’s never too late to get help when you need it.

The ideal time to find and begin working with an independent counselor is during the fall of your 11th grade year, although any time during that year is fine.