Pathways College Advising
A Personalized Approach to Choosing a College
A Personalized Approach to Choosing a College
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Our local high school has guidance counselors and a college counselor. How can you help me in ways that those counselors don't?
Simply put: High School Counselors are highly trained and provide quality service to their students. However, they may be over burdened and under resourced. Some high school-based guidance counselors have caseloads of as many as 400-500 students, are responsible for duties other than college counseling and are only available to you when school is in session. This can prevent them from providing your family with the personal attention you may want or need in the college search process. Similarly, many school-based counselors have budgetary constraints that afford them few, if any, opportunities to attend professional development conferences or visit colleges across the country. Your student and family might want or need individual guidance in the college application process that the school-based guidance counselor can provide.
2. Who hires a private college advisor?
Research firm Lipman Hearne, with the assistance of the National Research Council on College and University Admissions, found that 26% of high achieving high school students used a private college advisor or Independent Educational Consultant. Furthermore, a recent study of IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association) found that the typical client of private college advisers comes from a public school in the suburbs of a big city. These families have an income of between $75,000 and $100,000 per year. They come to the college choice process with various grade point averages, standardized test scores, financial backgrounds and special circumstances, but they are all looking for the same thing: a college where their child will thrive.
3. Aren't your typical clients from wealthy families whose main objective is to get their children into Ivy League Colleges?
The mission of Pathways College Advising is to help guide families through the college admission and financial aid processes based on the individual needs of the student and family. At Pathways College Advising, we operate under the philosophy that there is a college for every student and a student for every college. A quality educational experience can be found at a lot of colleges and universities, and we want to present families with options that they may not have considered. We also want you to understand exactly what you are getting when you pay for college. To that end, we can offer services at a discount for families with significant need. Knowing what you are paying for when you choose a college shouldn't be a mystery!
4. I don't think we can afford the hefty price tag of a private college. Does that mean my options are limited to community college and large public universities in our home state?
Private colleges recognize that they have to compete with public colleges for students. Therefore, they often discount their tuition heavily. At Pathways College Advising, we help you identify public and private colleges that will offer your family need-based and merit-based financial aid to make colleges affordable for your family.
5. If a student doesn't have a spectacular GPA or top score on the SAT, he or she won't get into a "good" college, right?
There is a college for every student and a student for every college. What works for one student may not work for another, so the term "good college" is relative to the student. Pathways College Advising focuses on finding colleges that "fit" well for its students. Also, most colleges use a "holistic" approach to evaluate applications for admission. Along with test scores, they also consider things like whether or not the student is enrolling in challenging courses, the student's grade point average, extra-curricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Similarly, many colleges have become "test optional", which allows students to be admitted based on a high grade point average or asks them to submit additional letters of recommendation rather than SAT or ACT scores.
Simply put: High School Counselors are highly trained and provide quality service to their students. However, they may be over burdened and under resourced. Some high school-based guidance counselors have caseloads of as many as 400-500 students, are responsible for duties other than college counseling and are only available to you when school is in session. This can prevent them from providing your family with the personal attention you may want or need in the college search process. Similarly, many school-based counselors have budgetary constraints that afford them few, if any, opportunities to attend professional development conferences or visit colleges across the country. Your student and family might want or need individual guidance in the college application process that the school-based guidance counselor can provide.
2. Who hires a private college advisor?
Research firm Lipman Hearne, with the assistance of the National Research Council on College and University Admissions, found that 26% of high achieving high school students used a private college advisor or Independent Educational Consultant. Furthermore, a recent study of IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association) found that the typical client of private college advisers comes from a public school in the suburbs of a big city. These families have an income of between $75,000 and $100,000 per year. They come to the college choice process with various grade point averages, standardized test scores, financial backgrounds and special circumstances, but they are all looking for the same thing: a college where their child will thrive.
3. Aren't your typical clients from wealthy families whose main objective is to get their children into Ivy League Colleges?
The mission of Pathways College Advising is to help guide families through the college admission and financial aid processes based on the individual needs of the student and family. At Pathways College Advising, we operate under the philosophy that there is a college for every student and a student for every college. A quality educational experience can be found at a lot of colleges and universities, and we want to present families with options that they may not have considered. We also want you to understand exactly what you are getting when you pay for college. To that end, we can offer services at a discount for families with significant need. Knowing what you are paying for when you choose a college shouldn't be a mystery!
4. I don't think we can afford the hefty price tag of a private college. Does that mean my options are limited to community college and large public universities in our home state?
Private colleges recognize that they have to compete with public colleges for students. Therefore, they often discount their tuition heavily. At Pathways College Advising, we help you identify public and private colleges that will offer your family need-based and merit-based financial aid to make colleges affordable for your family.
5. If a student doesn't have a spectacular GPA or top score on the SAT, he or she won't get into a "good" college, right?
There is a college for every student and a student for every college. What works for one student may not work for another, so the term "good college" is relative to the student. Pathways College Advising focuses on finding colleges that "fit" well for its students. Also, most colleges use a "holistic" approach to evaluate applications for admission. Along with test scores, they also consider things like whether or not the student is enrolling in challenging courses, the student's grade point average, extra-curricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Similarly, many colleges have become "test optional", which allows students to be admitted based on a high grade point average or asks them to submit additional letters of recommendation rather than SAT or ACT scores.
