The Top 3 Reasons to See a College Planning Advisor

Seeing a college planning advisor is viewed by some as unnecessary or, even worse, and extravagance that the rich indulge in as a mere marker of status. However, if you have children in high school and are trying to plan for their futures, then you know that college is anything but an extravagance. And when it comes to making the most of your child’s college application, securing the guidance of a professional college planning advisor can help you in the long run. Here are the top 3 reasons why:

1. College planning advisors tell you how to get into competitive programs. If you want your student to get into the best program in their particular field of interest, you need to understand how complex their admissions process likely is. Fortunately, a college planning advisor knows what these schools want to see and can help your student cultivate a body of work that will make him or her truly stand out as an applicant.
2. Proper planning can help you save money. Sure, anyone can look at the yearly cost of tuition, but a well-trained college planning advisor knows what the actual costs of your child’s education are likely to be. For instance, a private program may cost more per year, but it may also have more course offerings and a shorter average graduation timeframe. Crunching the numbers on all these factors is what good advisors do so you can save in the long run.
3. Non-traditional students are often in greatest need of professional college planning help. If your child is homeschooled or attends an online high school, chances are he or she has no access to a counselor. If they literally have no access to a school counselor, hiring a college planning advisor may be the best way to fill the void.

Even if your child’s high school does have a college counselor, it may be the case that your child isn’t getting much college planning advice. As it stands today, the average counselor is responsible for 500 students, and the average student gets less than 40 total minutes of college planning advice over the course of all four years. Fortunately, professional college planning advisors are available to help you and your child navigate the complex world of college planning.