Posted on: Thursday, June 30, 2005
Advisers can help smooth the road to college
By Tara Weiss
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News
Dayna Lammers was set to attend Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., when she graduated from high school last spring. But it was her parents who learned a lesson after attending orientation: It wasn't a financial option.
"I got all this paperwork, and basically it was Greek to me," Bryan Lammers, Dayna's father, says. "The tuition was $23,000 and the school said, 'We're going to give you $8,000. You have to come up with the rest of the money.' I was like, 'Where are we going to get that?'
"Dayna really wanted to go to college and I felt helpless."
Lammers sought help from My College Advisor, a Hartsdale, N.Y.-based independent college consulting company.
Her family is among the growing number of people seeking help outside their high-school guidance counselor, who is often able to offer only minimal support because of heavy case loads.
Other families turn to independent admissions counselors to ensure that in the increasingly competitive world of college admissions, their student has the best shot at getting into the school of his or her choice.
Most consultants' fees range from $1,500 to $2,000 and provide students and families with one-on-one assistance with virtually every aspect of the college application process. Many consultants are former high-school and college counselors, and have an intimate knowledge of the process.
"I knew I wanted a smaller school but I wasn't sure if I wanted a campus that was rural or more citylike," says Neeraj Hotchandani, a junior at the Millbrook (N.Y.) School who used My College Advisor. "He helped me figure out that."
Advisers guide students on how to fill out the application, work with them on essay topics and then proofread them. They also do mock interviews and help parents complete the often-confusing financial aid forms.
The Lammers paid $1,800 for weekly visits with their consultant at My College Advisor. "I didn't think I had very many options," Dayna says.
Her grades ranged between a C and B-, so her independent adviser recommended that she take an SAT prep class and retake the test.
Meanwhile, the adviser suggested that she enroll in Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the first year and then re-apply to college.
She earned a 4.0 grade-point average there and was accepted at Manhattan College in River-dale, N.Y., where she received almost a full scholarship. Her family has to contribute only $5,000 — for the entire year. Tuition is $9,300 and room and board ranges from $4,100 to $4,300.
"They probably made money by coming to us," says Anthony Guerra, founder of My College Advisor.
Some students come as early as eighth and ninth grade. Guerra and his staff help those students decide on classes to take in high school and extracurricular activities that will enhance their resumes.
The most expensive package is $6,000, and it helps students with every aspect of the process for every school they apply to. With the $3,000 package, the consultant helps them devise a list of appropriate schools and then takes them through the process of applying to one school.
"I always thought only rich people were able to do this stuff," Dayna said.
