Strategic timing of campus visits is one part of a comprehensive approach to the college admissions process, alongside decisions. Not all colleges offer tours and information sessions on weekends. For those that do, weekend visits are typically only offered during select months—usually September, October, March, or April. Plan ahead and book early, as popular tour dates fill quickly at competitive schools.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Visit a College Campus?

The ideal months for campus visits fall into two clear windows: 

1. Fall semester (September through early November) and
2. Spring semester (February through April). 

During these periods, classes are in full swing, clubs and organizations are active, and you can witness the authentic rhythm of student life that simply doesn’t exist during breaks or summer months.

Fall visits are particularly strategic for juniors beginning to build their college list. September and October allow you to see campuses at their most vibrant while still early enough in the academic year that admissions offices are welcoming and less overwhelmed by application season. Keep an eye out for special admissions events like “preview days” and “open houses” that many schools schedule during these months.

Spring visits in late March and April are ideal for admitted students attending accepted students’ days, and for sophomores beginning their exploratory campus research. Most colleges have a “visit” section on their admissions website with a calendar of dates and times to choose from.

“The most important thing is to be on campus when the student body is on campus. It’s much better to visit during a weekday when classes are in session. Avoid being there during spring break because you simply won’t get a feel for the student body.” — Sarah Myers, Senior Admissions Consultant, Great College Advice

Should I Visit Colleges During the Week or on Weekends?

Weekday visits are significantly more valuable than weekend visits. When classes are in session, you can observe the true academic culture of a school: 

• Students moving between lectures,
• Conversations in the dining hall about coursework 
• Campus events,
• The hum of activity in the library and study spaces. 

This day-to-day energy is impossible to replicate on a Saturday morning tour.

Morning visits are especially valuable. Sarah Myers, senior admissions consultant at Great College Advice, notes that “it’s better to go in the morning than in the afternoon because more classes are in session in the morning.” If you’re trying to visit two schools in one day, schedule the first tour for the morning and the second for early afternoon.

Pro Strategy: Arrive the evening before your scheduled tour and spend time in the surrounding town when students are out after classes. Stay overnight nearby, then attend the morning tour the next day. This gives you both the social atmosphere of the campus at night and the academic energy during the school day—a much more complete picture than a single mid-day tour.

If a weekday visit is genuinely impossible, a Saturday morning tour during peak visit months (September, October, or April) is the next best option. However, expect a quieter campus with fewer students visible, and understand that you’re seeing a partial version of the school’s personality.

What Grade Should Students Start Visiting Colleges?

The short answer: earlier than most families think. Campus visits can begin as early as eighth or ninth grade, though the purpose and depth of those visits should evolve as your student progresses through high school.

“I recommend that families start taking their students to visit colleges when they’re on a family trip, even when the student is a freshman or even an eighth grader. Spending even half an hour dropping by and walking around when your student is really young will create a context for what college is, so that as they get older, they can refer back to those early experiences of visiting campuses.” — Sarah Myers, Senior Admissions Consultant, Great College Advice

Here’s how to think about visits by grade level:

Freshman and Sophomore Year (Exploratory Visits)

These are casual, low-pressure opportunities to help your student begin understanding the landscape. Visit a large university and a small liberal arts college to see the contrast. Explore both urban and suburban campuses. The goal isn’t to pick schools—it’s to develop a frame of reference. As one parent in the Great College Advice community shared, “I took my rising sophomore and her two friends on two visits within a five-hour drive. It was eye-opening for them to hear it from ‘experts,’ and the subtle shift in responsibility and accountability has been noticeable.”

Junior Year (Strategic Visits)

 This is when visits become more targeted. Schedule official tours, attend information sessions, sit in on classes in your academic interest area, and begin meeting with admissions staff. Junior year visits should cover a range of schools on your developing list, from reaches to “likely” schools (the term admissions professionals now use instead of “safety” schools).

Senior Year (Strategic and Decision Visits)

 Find time to visit schools you plan on applying to in the fall. Focus on top-choice schools and admitted students’ days in the spring. These visits help you make your final enrollment decision with real, on-the-ground experience. For schools where you’ve been admitted, a post-acceptance visit is one of the most important steps before committing.

How Many Colleges Should I Visit in One Day, and How Do I Plan an Efficient Itinerary?

The Great College Advice Family Handbook is clear on this: do not schedule more than two visits in a single day. The handbook explains that “the most informative visits can be those in which you spend a full day or more on campus, from morning until well into the evening,” and that cramming in too many schools causes “your experiences on different campuses to start to blend together.”

For an efficient multi-school itinerary, pair campuses that are within an hour or two of each other. Sarah Myers recommends this approach: “A good way to do college visits is to arrive somewhere the evening before and spend time in the town. Then the next morning do a tour. If you can find schools that are within an hour or two of one another, there’s a good chance you could get to a 12 or 1 o’clock tour at a second school—and you’ll still catch students on campus at that second school.”

Campus Visit Planning Checklist (from the Great College Advice Family Handbook)

☐ Travel accommodations arranged (bus/plane, rental car, hotel)

☐ Sign up for school-sponsored information session and campus tour

☐ Sign up for an admissions interview, if offered 

☐ Register to sit in on a class 

☐ Set up meetings with faculty or staff (professors, coaches) 

☐ Arrange to see specific facilities (physics lab, performance spaces, art studio, sports facilities) 

☐ Schedule a campus overnight, if available

☐ Consult the campus events calendar for activities during your visit (performances, lectures, sporting events)

Taking detailed notes and photos during and after each visit is critical. Months later, you may not remember which library or dining hall belonged to which school. As the Family Handbook notes, “Many colleges like to ask about the visit on the college application, so details can be important.”

What Should Students Do During a Campus Visit to Get the Most Out of It?

The official tour and information session are just the starting point. The most valuable part of a campus visit is everything you do beyond the guided experience. Here’s what Great College Advice’s expert counselors recommend:

1. Explore independently. Sarah Myers encourages students to walk around campus on their own: “The student should go on their own and walk around campus without the parents. You’re usually completely welcome, it’s safe, and sometimes you’ll just blend in as another student. Sit on a bench or outside a building and be a quiet observer—do people watching, listen to what students are talking about.”
2. Eat in the dining hall. This is one of the best places to observe authentic student culture. Listen to what students discuss, see how they interact, and get a real sense of the social atmosphere.
3. Peek into academic buildings. Walk through the hallways of departments in your area of interest. See what students are doing in labs, study rooms, and common areas. This is absolutely okay to do and gives you a window into everyday academic life.
4. Explore the surrounding town. Myers emphasizes that “spending time in the surrounding town is important—to see what it would be like there, including understanding the prices of things.” The town is where students spend a significant amount of their time outside of classes, so it’s a key part of the college experience.
5. Assess mental health support. Sarah Myers, who has a background in mental health, recommends that families investigate counseling resources: “Are there long waits for an appointment with a counselor? Do they have a 24-hour phone line? How many mental health providers are on campus? Can you get medications on campus or do they have to be mailed somewhere else?” These practical details matter enormously for the reality of college life.
6. Follow up afterward. A thank-you note after a campus visit or interview is a powerful and often overlooked form of demonstrated interest. The Great College Advice Family Handbook notes that “sometimes the best demonstrated interest is through conversations that show the student is truly engaged in the process.”

What Common Mistakes Should Students Avoid During College Campus Visits?

Even well-intentioned families make avoidable mistakes that reduce the value of their campus visits. Here are the most common pitfalls, according to Great College Advice’s counselors:

1. Not taking it seriously enough.
2. Visiting when campus is empty. 
3. Cramming too many schools into one trip. 
4. Parents dominating the visit. 
5. Treating it as a “drive-by.” 
6. Forgetting to take notes. 

When parents and students both attend the tour, the Great College Advice team recommends a smart “divide and conquer” strategy: if more than one tour guide is available, split up so the student goes on one tour and the parents on the other, then compare notes over coffee afterward. Alternatively, while the student attends a class, parents can meet with someone in financial aid or student advising.

What If I Can’t Visit a College Campus in Person—Are Virtual Tours Worth It?

Virtual tours are a useful supplement, especially for international students or families for whom travel costs are prohibitive, but they are not a full replacement for an in-person visit. Many colleges offer interactive virtual tours, and some feature a virtual student guide walking you through campus.

“A lot of colleges have virtual tours that you can take, and some even have a virtual student leading you around. Those can fill in the gap when you’re an international student or can’t fly over to visit.” — Sarah Myers, Senior Admissions Consultant, Great College Advice

Beyond virtual tours, colleges frequently offer webinars, video meetings with faculty and department deans, and virtual panels with current students. To access these opportunities, Myers recommends getting on college mailing lists as early as possible: “If the school is very large, you might have a specific email list for the business school only or the engineering school only, and then you’ll be made aware when they have open meetings online.”

For students who cannot visit in person, veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger advises making your interest known through other channels: “If your first choice is a school that you can’t visit, write them a letter so they know you’re not just applying to 30 schools blindly. Something short, though.” A campus visit is one of the most powerful ways to show demonstrated interest, but it’s not the only way.

One parent in the Great College Advice community shared creative alternatives their family used: “My child watched college tour episodes on streaming services, did the online tours from the school websites, and even used a virtual reality set to ‘walk around’ the campuses.” Other community members noted the value of visiting after being accepted—waiting to visit until you have admissions decisions can be a financially smart strategy for families on a budget.

Additional virtual research strategies include reading the campus newspaper online, watching broadcast sports games to gauge school spirit, and researching the percentage of in-state versus out-of-state students to understand the campus community.

Plan Your College Visits with an Expert by Your Side

At Great College Advice, our team of six expert counselors brings over 100 years of combined experience to help students and families navigate every step of the college admissions process—from strategic campus visit planning to crafting winning applications.

Whether you’re a sophomore beginning your college search or a senior making your final decision, our personalized guidance ensures you find schools where you’ll truly thrive. Learn more about how we can help your family on a complimentary call.

The post When Is the Best Time to Visit a College Campus first appeared on Great College Advice.

The Boettcher Foundation awards undergraduate scholarships to Colorado’s best and brightest students. Their merit-based awards essentially guarantee a 4-year fully paid scholarship to any college or university in Colorado. The application process for this scholarship is very rigorous and the competition is steep. Annually, well over 1,000 students apply for the 50 available scholarships. According to the Foundation:

Our application review is a holistic selection process that evaluates applicants on four selection criteria – superior scholastic ability and intellectual curiosity; evidence of leadership and involvement; service to community and school; and outstanding character.

Typically, competitive applicants rank in the top 5% of their classes and have test scores that average 1388 on the SAT and 32 on the ACT (as a reminder, we are not requiring test scores for this year’s applicants.) It’s important to note these averages are precisely those; every year we have Scholars who score below and above those averages.

Though grades, coursework, and test scores are important, we know that numbers do not tell the whole story of a student’s unique abilities, lived experiences, or character. We also weigh the qualitative components of an application that include leadership, involvement, and service to community and school.

The application opens September 1 every year. Your high school counselor will be receiving updated information about the scholarship. Then, they are able to invite qualified students to apply so if you are interested make sure to connect with your counselor. To see if you might be a qualified applicant check out the Boettcher website.

Boettcher Scholars are an amazing community of students and citizens.

Great College Advice

The post Learn About the Boettcher Scholarship first appeared on Great College Advice.

It’s no secret that the college admissions process is a long and winding road. Most college-bound students (and their parents!) look at this process with apprehension, if not outright fear. But exactly how long do college admissions take? The answer to this question depends on many factors, not least of which is what you personally consider to be the official beginning to this process. 

Some students may think that the college admissions process begins in December of senior year, when stressed out procrastinators sit down to cram in their applications over winter break, while some farsighted parents might imagine that getting their four-year-old into the right preschool is the first step on the college journey. In this post, we’ll outline some of the key college milestones you’re likely to encounter during high school so that you have some idea of how long college admissions will take for you.

Ninth grade (freshman) college milestones

Your biggest focus in ninth grade is most likely going to be adapting to high school, and that is totally fine! It is important to focus on getting your footing in your first year, but there are a few future-focused items to consider.

Course selection

The classes you take throughout high school and the grades you earn are the single biggest factor that colleges will consider when they evaluate your application. Throughout high school, you want to make sure that you are taking the hardest classes that you can handle while still keeping up your grades and your mental health. This starts in ninth grade. If you feel confident in math, challenge yourself by taking honors. If you are a bookworm, try honors English. If you have the chance to take an AP class freshman year, give it a whirl (while some schools won’t allow you to take AP classes as a freshman, some put easier APs on the menu. AP Human Geography or AP World History are popular options for freshmen looking to get their AP feet wet). 

High school is also a low-stakes time to begin exploring your academic interests, so throughout high school, be on the lookout for elective or core courses that open your eyes to new subjects. For example, if you like drawing or are interested in architecture, perhaps you’ll have the chance to take a Computer Aided Design (CAD) course. If you think you might be interested in engineering, keep your eye peeled for Project Lead the Way or other early engineering courses.

Extracurricular activities

Colleges will be looking at the extracurricular activities you participated in throughout high school, not just junior or senior year. Rather than a variety of extracurriculars that you attended for an hour a month, colleges are looking for longstanding commitment to a more narrow band of activities. Freshman year is a great time to try out a few different activities, with the idea that you’ll narrow in and seek leadership positions in two or three of these activities, rather than sticking with all of them.

Summer opportunities

The summer after ninth grade is a great time to continue exploring your interests. Maybe Spanish class was exciting for you, so you seek out a five-day Spanish immersion program over the summer. Maybe you’re developing an interest in politics, so you intern for a local politician over the summer. Whatever it is, use the summer after ninth grade to have new experiences and gather more data about the world and yourself, without worrying too much about how these experiences will look to colleges.

Tenth grade (sophomore) milestones

In terms of college, sophomore year is going to be pretty similar to freshman year. Keep choosing the hardest courses you can handle, and keep using courses and summer opportunities to explore your interests. In terms of extracurricular activities, this is the time to let go of activities that aren’t interesting to you and to start committing more to the activities that are interesting to you. On top of these considerations, there’s one more thing to start thinking about….standardized tests!

PSAT and Pre-ACT

Many sophomores take the PSAT or the Pre-ACT through school. This will give you a good baseline idea of what your future SAT or ACT scores might be. You don’t need to stress about this test too much, but it’s a good idea to at least have some familiarity with the format and content of the test. And of course, the night before, be sure to get a good night’s sleep!

Eleventh grade (junior) milestones

This is where the process is going to start picking up. While it’s still not time to actually write your applications yet, this is the year to really lay the groundwork so that when you do write the application, the process is (relatively!) seamless. As always, you’ll want to continue doing your best work in the hardest classes you can manage. Now is also the time to begin seeking out leadership opportunities in your extracurriculars, and you can also begin using summers to demonstrate leadership in your community. On top of that, there are a few new milestones to keep in mind.

Test Prep

You’ll most likely take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring of your junior year. You may also decide that you want to retest the summer after junior year or even the fall of senior year. In any case, fall of junior year is the time to start prepping for these tests. You may have a baseline score from the PSAT or Pre-ACT. If not, find an official diagnostic test and take it under test conditions (meaning set a time for the proper amount of time for each section and take the sections all in a row, just like you would on test day). Look up the median ACT and SAT scores at a few of the schools you’re interested in. This will help you decide if you need to pursue ACT and SAT tutoring.

Letters of Recommendation

Most colleges require a letter of recommendation from your counselor and one or two letters of recommendation from your teachers. Because college applications are due relatively early senior year, your senior teachers won’t really have time to get to know you enough to write a robust letter. For that reason, you’ll most likely want to pick a teacher from your junior year (sophomore year is okay if you had a really strong relationship with a particular teacher, but you don’t want to go much younger than that; presumably you’ve matured a lot since freshman year, and you want a teacher who can speak to that growth).

Many teachers “fill up” on their letters of recommendation, and rightfully so! It’s a lot to expect one teacher to write dozens of letters of recommendation, so it’s understandable that they might only accept thirty or so requests per year. For that reason, it’s a good idea to approach teachers in the spring of your junior year, even though the letters aren’t due for months. That way, you’ll know early on if they have the capacity to write you a letter, or if you’ll need to ask someone else.

College Research

There are a LOT of colleges out there! It takes a long time to figure out what it is you’re looking for in a college and even longer to figure out which colleges have what you’re looking for. Junior year is an important time to begin doing this research. This means doing some soul searching. Talking to your parents, counselor, teachers, or other adults who know you well. They may have some important insight into what kind of college environment might be best for you. But most importantly, do some journaling yourself. What do you want? Where do you want to be for the next four years? Afterall, this is your education!

Once you have some idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to go find it. This might mean doing official college visits. It might look like staying with a friend or relative who goes to a specific college. If travel isn’t the best option for you, you can gather a lot of information from virtual tours and information sessions. Keep notes so that you’re comparing apples to apples. In the end, you want a well-balanced list of somewhere between five and fifteen schools, depending on your goals.

Twelfth grade (senior) milestones

This is the big one! You want to think of senior year as starting the minute junior year ends – the summer before senior year is an important time to get a jump on the actual application process!

Finalizing the college list and creating your plan

You’ve done the research. You have a pretty good idea of what colleges you want to apply to. The summer before senior year is the time to sit down with your parents, advisors, or other trusted adults, and finalize which schools you plan to apply to. You also want to make a note of deadlines. Deadlines can range anywhere from mid-October to mid-March or even later, so you want to do your research and know when those applications are actually due. Now is also a good time to decide whether you’ll be applying anywhere early action or early decision.

Make note of all requirements and put this information into some sort of spreadsheet

By August or September, schools will have published their updated application requirements. This includes any supplemental essays as well as other requirements like interviews, auditions, or portfolios. Gather all of this information and put it in one place (like a Google sheet!) so that you know what you have to do.

Write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays

How long do you think it will take you to write your Common App Personal Statement and other essays? However long you’re thinking, multiply that by three. Then add another week or two for good measure. These essays take way longer than you’d expect! Start them over the summer to give yourself time to write high-quality essays well before the deadlines.

How long does the college admissions process take? Dive into the detailed timeline from ninth to twelfth grade. Learn, plan, and succeed with this informative guide.

Fill out your applications

Fall of senior year is the time to actually create your accounts for the Common App, the University of California system, or any other applications you’re planning to submit. Fill everything out and paste in your essays!

Fill out your financial aid forms

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as any other financial aid forms that your schools request. These forms will require you to have your parents’ tax information. Like most other steps in this process, this will take longer than you think! So start early and communicate clearly with your parents or guardians!

Congratulate yourself (and monitor your inbox)

Once you’ve submitted your final application, give yourself a HUGE pat on the back! Whatever happens, you have just completed a very challenging process, and you deserve to feel good about that! While you’re congratulating yourself, be sure to keep an eye on your email inbox. Colleges will send important follow up instructions and information (like your application decision!).

How long do college admissions take? That depends on you! But the timelines above should give you a pretty good idea of what this process is going to look like. Good luck!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

The post How Long do College Admissions Take? first appeared on Great College Advice.

It’s no secret that the college admissions process is long and mind-bogglingly complicated. If you’ve decided to seek independent help to guide you through the process, you’re not alone! In today’s digital world, one great option is working with a college prep advisor online. Once you’ve decided to go this direction, you may be left wondering how to talk to a college prep advisor online. It’s normal to be a bit nervous! In this post, we’ll break down online college counseling so that you know what to expect and can feel calm and confident going into it.

How does online college counseling work?

The way that online college counseling works can vary slightly from counselor to counselor, but most counselors use similar core methods. Most of the time, you’ll meet with your counselor regularly one-on-one via video conferencing (FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Meets are all popular options). During these meetings, your counselor may walk you through questionnaires or a set curriculum to help you understand the college options as well as what you personally are looking for. Your counselor will most likely use this information to help you build a list of schools and to help you develop a timeline for completing your applications.

Once you have your application plan in place, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone and get to work! Many college prep advisors will also help you brainstorm and write your essays. Sometimes a college prep advisor may refer you to an essay coach who specializes in essays. In either case, you will most likely meet with your essay coach via video conferencing. Most essay coaches will have you draft and edit your essays in Google Docs or a similar cloud-based word processor. Only once your essays are complete will you copy-paste the text into the Common App, the University of California application, or whatever other application platform you’re using.

How to find a college prep advisor online

There are many ways to find a college prep advisor online. Like any other service, it’s a good idea to ask around. Have your friends or parents’ friends used a counselor they liked? SAT and ACT tutors often are in contact with college prep advisors, so if you know any test prep tutors, it might be a good idea to ask them for a recommendation.

Another option is to read college prep blogs. Often, college prep advisors will keep blogs (like this one!) where they showcase their expertise and perspectives about the college process. When you find someone whose ideas align with yours, that’s a good indication that that counselor might be a good fit for you.

College prep advisors also have a couple professional organizations. There’s the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Both of these organizations keep lists of college prep advisors on their websites in order to help you find someone to work with.

What to ask your online college advisor

Once you find your online college advisor, it’s time to figure out what to talk about. If you’re nervous about this, relax! This may be your first time going through the college application process, but your counselor has done this dozens or even hundreds of times. Let them lead the conversation. They will probably ask you about your goals, experiences, credentials, and values. Be prepared to talk about the experiences you’ve had so far and what you think you’d like to get out of your college education. But if you don’t know that either, don’t worry! Part of their job is to help you figure out where you’re going.

If you do have specific questions, don’t be afraid to bring those up! You may be wondering whether you should submit your test scores, how to audition or submit a portfolio, or how to reach out to athletic coaches, among many other questions. Write your questions down ahead of time so that you don’t forget during your sessions. But if you do forget or get sidetracked, don’t worry! You can always follow your session up with an email to ask any lingering questions.

Why talk to an online college counselor

Talking to a college prep advisor is a great way to make sure you’re navigating the crazy world of college admissions to your best ability. Specifically, talking to someone online can have many benefits over talking with someone in person. For one thing, working online saves you the time and stress of having to commute to an in-person location. It’s also likely that an advisor who is used to operating in the online space will be more responsive to online follow up questions or communications.

Beyond the convenience, however, it’s important to remember that college admissions is very much a national game. Even if you’re planning to stay close to home for college, you still may be competing against kids from across the country. For that reason, you really want someone with a broad, national perspective. Counselors can only develop that type of insight by working with students from across the country and even around the world. And only counselors who work online are afforded that kind of opportunity. So choosing an online college prep advisor, rather than an in-person one, can have important benefits throughout the process.

If you’re worried about how to talk to an online college prep advisor, don’t be! A big part of the college prep advisor’s job is helping high school students feel comfortable. Your advisor is going to walk you through the process. All you have to do is keep an open mind and communicate as best you can!

Need more advice on your college applications?

The team at Great College Advice has deep experience in guiding students along the road from high school college. We provide individually tailored, one-on-one advising to help young people achieve their educational ambitions. If you’d like more information about our services, contact us for a free consultation. Or just pick up the phone and call us at 720.279.7577.  We’d be happy to chat with you.

The post Why and How to Talk to a College Prep Advisor Online first appeared on Great College Advice.

Understanding what drives these costs—and what you’re actually getting—helps families make informed decisions about whether professional guidance aligns with their goals and budget.

For a complete guide on evaluating credentials, asking the right questions, and finding the right fit for your family, see our comprehensive resource on how to choose the best college admissions consultant.

How much does a private college counselor cost in 2026?

Private college counselor fees vary widely based on services and experience level. According to veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger, costs typically range from a few thousand dollars into the tens of thousands for comprehensive services. As he puts it: “The cost can range from four figures to six. I don’t know anyone who should spend $100,000 on a college counselor or even a fifth of tha.”

Here’s what you can expect across different service tiers:

Entry-Level Services: Basic guidance from newer counselors or limited-scope services like college list development only. 

Comprehensive Packages: Full-service support from experienced counselors covering the entire application process. These include everything from assessments and course planning through essay support and final decision guidance.

Specialized Add-Ons: Additional services for specific needs add to base package costs, including athletic recruiting support, BS/MD program guidance, art and music portfolio assistance, and international university supplements.

Targeted Services: For families who don’t need full comprehensive support, targeted options like college list development or essentials packages with orientation and list-building without essay support provide middle-ground options.

Is hiring a private college counselor worth the investment?

For most families navigating competitive college admissions, the ROI of a private college counselor can be substantial—but quantifying that value requires looking at both tangible financial returns and less measurable benefits.

Jamie Berger addresses the ROI question directly: “In terms of increased merit aid and finding the perfect fit, I think it’s totally worth it. And if I were a parent today with a kid, especially a kid without much college counseling, I would definitely hire someone.”

The financial case centers primarily on merit scholarships. “The sticker price for us [college counseling]might seem large,” Berger explains, “but it might save you $20,000 a year by getting more merit aid at a college. You can’t guarantee it, but it often does.” A comprehensive consulting package that helps secure significant annual merit aid may deliver a 5-10x return on your college counseling service investment.

Beyond direct financial returns, counselors add value through:

Finding “hidden gems”: Schools off the beaten path that offer excellent fit and value. “If we help you find some hidden gems, some off-the-beaten-path schools more in your target and ‘likely’ college area that you hadn’t thought of, then it’s well worth it,” Berger notes.

Better long-term outcomes: Finding the right fit means students perform better academically, are happier, and build stronger career foundations. When you’re at a college that genuinely matches your interests and goals, the four-year experience translates into better outcomes.

Stress reduction: For families at schools with limited counseling resources—where guidance counselors manage 200+ students each—private support provides the personalized attention that makes the difference between a chaotic process and a strategic one.

What’s included in a comprehensive college counseling package?

Comprehensive college counseling packages vary by firm, but quality programs typically include a full spectrum of services spanning the entire high school-to-college journey:

Assessments and Discovery: Personal, academic, and career-oriented evaluations to understand the student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. This foundational work ensures all subsequent guidance is tailored to who the student actually is—not a generic template.

Academic Planning: Guidance on high school course selection, extracurricular activities, and summer programming. As Berger emphasizes, “Deep dives for four years into activities is what’s most valuable. The great well-rounded kid is not the ideal anymore.”

Test Preparation: Either direct prep resources (some packages include SAT/ACT prep subscriptions) or guidance on selecting appropriate preparation options. According to the Great College Advice Family Handbook: “At many colleges and universities, merit-based financial awards are closely keyed to ACT and SAT scores.”

College Research and List Development: Building a strategic college list based on personalized criteria—academic, financial, geographic, and cultural fit factors. This includes identifying schools across selectivity tiers (reach, target, and ‘likely’ colleges) where the student will be competitive and happy.

Application Strategy: Guidance on early decision vs. early action vs. regular decision timing, understanding when each strategy makes sense for different student profiles and financial situations.

Essay Support: Brainstorming and editing assistance for the Common Application personal essay plus supplemental essays. Package tiers differ primarily in how many essays are covered—premium packages typically include 8-9 essays, while elite packages may cover 25+ essays.

Financial Aid Guidance: Strategies for reducing college costs, navigating FAFSA and CSS Profile, understanding award letters, and maximizing merit aid opportunities.

Final Decision Support: Guidance through the often-overwhelming process of comparing acceptances and making the final college choice.

The best firms offer a collaborative model. At Great College Advice, as Berger explains: “There are six of us with well over 100 years of experience in college admissions. When you hire me, you’re hiring all six of us because we meet once a week, talk about our clients, ask questions, and bounce things off each other. We’re all in different regions of the country with different expertises.”

When is the best time to hire a college counselor?

The optimal timing balances strategic advantage with avoiding unnecessary stress or expense.

Jamie Berger recommends starting during the sophomore year or beginning of junior year: “I personally like to start working with students after sophomore year. The meeting frequency amps up and up, and after junior year, we meet almost weekly until the decision gets made.”

Here’s how engagement typically progresses:

Freshman Year (Optional): Meetings focused on extracurricular direction and general high school planning. However, Berger cautions: “It couldn’t hurt, except by making a young person get too obsessed too early in the process.”

Sophomore Year (Ideal Starting Point): Begin developing college criteria, refining extracurricular focus, and building the foundation for standardized testing. “That’s why I think sophomore year is a good time to start,” Berger notes.

Junior Year (Most Common): Full engagement with testing strategy, initial college research, campus visits, and beginning application planning. Meeting frequency increases throughout the year.

Senior Year (Intensive): Weekly meetings focused on applications, essays, and decision-making. 

Senior-Only (Late Start): For families who realize late they need help, senior-year packages exist but offer more limited strategic advantage. Course selection and extracurricular development opportunities have already passed.

The key insight is that the earlier you engage strategic guidance, the more time exists to develop an authentic, compelling application narrative.

How do I choose the best college counselor for my family?

Selecting the right counselor requires evaluating credentials, fit, and working style.

Verify Professional Credentials: Look for membership in professional organizations like IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association), NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling), or HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association). As Berger advises: “They all have requirements of experience level and it’s way better than someone who isn’t in any of them.”

Seek Personal Recommendations: Some people go on Facebook groups and ask for recommendations of college counselors but Berger emphasizes that personal recommendations from families who’ve actually used the counselor are far more valuable. 

Prioritize Student-Counselor Fit: The most critical factor is the relationship between your student and their counselor. “The kid meets the counselor and thinks, who do I want to meet with once a week for 30 weeks? Who am I going to work well with?”, says Berger. He also notes that parents should step back during initial meetings—”if they start talking, very often the kid is not going to.”

Evaluate Background and Expertise: Some counselors come from college admissions departments, others from academic backgrounds. Neither is inherently better, but consider your student’s needs. “Is your applicant more in need of the writing help?” Berger asks. “Almost all of them are. What is the background of the person you’re working with?”

Consider Firm Size and Model: As Great College Advice’s onboarding materials explain: “Companies in this space typically have only one or two counselors, and therefore very little depth of knowledge, or hundreds of counselors, and therefore very little quality control or counselor oversight.” The sweet spot is a boutique firm “small enough that they are still a boutique firm, but big enough to bring a variety of perspectives and a depth of knowledge.”

Assess Geographic Considerations: For most students, location no longer matters much. “I help people get into the University of California and Stanford and Occidental, lots of places 3,000 miles away from me,” Berger notes. 

How can a college counselor help with merit scholarships and financial aid?

Experienced college counselors provide substantial value in maximizing financial aid through strategic planning and insider knowledge.

Strategic College List Development: The most significant impact comes from building a list that positions your student competitively for merit awards. Schools where your student’s test scores and GPA exceed the middle 50% of admitted students are far more likely to offer significant merit scholarships. Counselors know which schools are generous and which simply cost less—and build lists accordingly.

Test Score Optimization: As the Great College Advice Family Handbook explains: “At many colleges and universities, merit-based financial awards are closely keyed to ACT and SAT scores. Investments in test preparation can really pay off, as a few more points can mean thousands more dollars in scholarships.”

Financial Aid Navigation: Counselors help families understand when and how to file FAFSA and CSS Profile, interpret Net Price Calculator results, and compare award letters across schools. They know which schools use need-blind vs. need-aware admissions, and how to position applications accordingly.

Early Decision Financial Strategy: For families considering binding Early Decision, counselors ensure you understand the financial implications. As Berger explains: “Every family should be going in and doing the NPC, the net price calculator, for each school they want to apply to, especially if they want to apply early decision.”

Third-Party Scholarship Guidance: While external scholarships can help, counselors help families weigh the time required to complete the application against the dollar amount of the scholarship and their odds of receiving it. They also warn about “stacking” policies where colleges reduce their merit awards by the amount of external scholarships received.

The financial impact can be substantial. A counselor fee of $10,000 that helps secure $20,000 in annual merit aid delivers $80,000 in net savings over four years—an 8x return on investment. Communicate your financial priorities early so your counselor can build a strategy around them.

What’s the difference between a private counselor and my high school’s guidance counselor?

The primary differences center on time, focus, institutional constraints, and specialized expertise.

Caseload and Attention: High school counselors often manage 200-400+ students each, severely limiting individual attention for college planning. As Jamie Berger explains: “Each counselor at a school could have 200 kids they’re responsible for. If you know you’re at a big public school, and there’s almost no college counseling, it will definitely serve you to have personalized attention through the whole admissions process.” Private counselors who offer a personalized plan for each of their students typically work with 15-20 seniors at a time, enabling deeper relationships and more strategic guidance.

Institutional Agenda vs. Student Focus: School counselors serve their institution and its relationships with colleges. “Your high school has its own set of agenda and schools that they have relationships with and others that they don’t,” Berger notes. Private counselors work exclusively in your student’s interest, recommending schools based solely on fit—not institutional preferences.

Essay Support: Due to caseload constraints, high school counselors can rarely provide intensive essay guidance. “We will spend a lot more personalized time on writing the essays,” Berger explains, which is often where applications are won or lost at competitive schools.

Specialized Expertise: Private counselors often have deep expertise in niches—BS/MD programs, athletic recruiting, art portfolios, international applications—that most school counselors cannot match due to their generalist role.

The Best Approach: The combination often works best. School counselors handle required documents (transcripts, school profile, counselor recommendations) while private counselors provide strategic guidance, essay support, and personalized attention. They complement rather than replace each other.

Ready to explore whether professional college counseling is right for your family?

The decision to invest in private college counseling is deeply personal, depending on your family’s financial situation, your student’s goals, and the resources already available through your high school. What matters most is making an informed choice based on realistic expectations of what counseling can and cannot deliver.

For families seeking expert guidance through the college admissions process, schedule a free consultation to discuss your specific situation and determine whether our approach aligns with your family’s needs.

The post Private College Counselor Cost: Is the ROI Worth It? first appeared on Great College Advice.

But sometimes we get questions that really impress me. Yesterday, a young man in the eighth grade wrote asking very intelligent, well-crafted questions regarding his future plans. He was open and self-aware and displayed a maturity that sometimes is missing in students much older.

With his permission, I am going to share his question with you, as well as my answer. I think this young man is well-poised to map his educational journey.

Question: How to plan for college in 8th grade

To whom it may concern,

My name is (name withheld) and I currently am in eighth grade. I have an interest in screenwriting and am beginning to look at some college options. I do have some learning disabilities like having Tourettes syndrome and being foreign language exempt. Would something like being foreign language exempt prevent me from being able to go to a college?

Thank you and I hope you have a nice day.

Response: How to plan for college in 8th grade

You’re doing your planning early…good for you! You are also seeing that all this college finding stuff is a puzzle. You’ll want to check the admissions requirements for each college carefully. You’ll want to check if they have learning services programs to support you with your learning differences—if you need support. And you’ll want to look at the screen writing programs, of course.

Keep in mind, however, that many, many great screenwriters never went to a “screen writing program” or majored in such a thing. See if you can uncover where some of your favorites went to college. What did they study? Theater? English? History? Biology? I have a friend who has written for many different TV shows in Hollywood. I think he majored in English. [Addendum: I confirmed with my friend that he majored in “American Civilization,” a combination of history and literature.]

So keep asking questions, find people who do what you want to do, and ask they how they got there. Send them emails—just like you sent me one. You’ll be surprised how willing people are to share.

Good luck!

And then, to my surprise, the young man wrote me back.

Thank you for all of the advice. This will help me significantly.

Thanks again for all the help, I will use your advice to help me in my educational ventures.

This young man has plenty of time to explore, to ask more excellent questions, and to learn more about what sorts of educational experiences (both in and outside the classroom) will help him to achieve his goals. I always like to point out, especially with younger students, that there are many paths toward a goal: you just have to pick the one that fits you best, without losing sight of the goal. A focused screenwriting program may be what he needs. Or he may fit better in a smaller college that focuses on building general writing skills–that has a course or two in screenwriting. Or one that helps create excellent internships in the creative arts.

And if he has particular concerns that need to be addressed, like his learning differences and the limitations those may impose, he can begin now to adjust his path without every giving up on his ultimate goal of becoming the next Oscar-winning screenwriter.

One other thing: I was blown away by this young man’s willingness to write a complete stranger for advice. And what impresses me, also impresses admissions officers. So parents, please encourage your students to do their own investigations and to ask their own questions. Resist the temptation to do the research for them. Instead, guide them, encourage them, and watch over them as they communicate with those who can help them figure out how to get where they want to go.

The lessons learned through the process are at least as important as the lessons learned in the classroom.

Great College Advice

The post Planning for College from the Eighth Grade first appeared on Great College Advice.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant 
***************

Here’s the transcript if you’d like to read:

I’m here on the Campus of the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. And I could say that the College of Wooster is another one of those Mid-Western surprises. I’ve had on this trip where you walk into the campus and are really shocked by how really wonderful it is. I can’t say I was completely shocked because I knew from reputation that this is a really solid academic school. It’s kind of under the radar screen for a lot of people but a fantastic little liberal arts college in Ohio.

The thing I wanted to mention is the way I visit colleges. I tend not to go on canned admission tours. I tend to just show up kind of unannounced without a lot of fanfare or giving them prior warning of my visit. Then I walked into the Admissions Office today at 4:15, okay it closes at 5.

Immediately they said, let’s get you in touch with the person, what are the admissions reps and he sat down with me. He talked with me for about 40 minutes. He gave me kind of a personal tour of the campus as much as he could before he had to run off to pick up his wife. But really took a personalized – he gave me personal attention. And that’s really indicative of what the College of Wooster is all about spending the time and the energy and giving personal attention to each and every student.

Loren Pope put the College of Wooster in his book 40 Colleges that Changed Lives and, you know. It’s not surprising just my little experience here on an August day when the campus is pretty dead to walk into the Admissions Office and get a lot of personalized attention. We just met with the professor he was walking out of his office, stood there and talked with us for a few minutes, really impressive place.

Yes, the landscaping and the architecture yes that’s kind of a surprise to me. Because it really does kind of help to get a feel of the physical plant of a college. But really by reputation College of Wooster is one of those places that they take – maybe their students are diamonds in the rough not necessarily the tippy top academically. They will take students who have academic potential and they will mold them into scholars. That is really the hallmark of education here at Wooster, excellent education, someplace that is definitely off the radar screen for a lot of students but it shouldn’t be. This is a high value education and it deserves more attention.

The post College of Wooster – Changing Lives first appeared on Great College Advice.

• Pay attention to each student’s needs
• Alleviate stress for both student and parent
• Give the student a competitive edge
• Eliminate the confusion
• Save money

Personalized Attention

College selection and application is a very time-consuming process. Counseling—of all types—requires time and energy from a professional. But school guidance counselors are overworked and have less time than perhaps they once did to give personalized college counseling.

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) recommends that a college counselor work with no more than about one hundred students per year. However, a study by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) measured the degree to which school counselors are overworked.

• Nationwide, the average college counselor in a public high school serves 315 students. In Colorado. The public school student-to- counselor ratio is 553:1.
• The student-to-college-counselor ratio is higher in large schools: nationally, in schools of more than 2000 students, the ratio is 654:1. Colorado has 18 high schools of this size–all along the Front Range.

Choosing a college is not something that is easily left to computer programs and mathematical algorithms. The admissions process, while seemingly quite simple on its face. Can necessitate different strategies and tactics for each individual student. As public schools continue to reduce the number of guidance counselors. Parents are turning to private counselors to ensure that their children get the direction they need and deserve.

Alleviate Stress

Choosing a college can be stressful for a variety of reasons. First, parents, who have been nurturing their children since the day they were born, have a hard time delegating this important decision to their children. Second, students are not always equipped to make this first great life decision: most students have not made their own educational decisions or chosen their schools. They may not possess the self-knowledge to make this decision, and may need to work through a process to develop a strong set of criteria on which to base this decision.

To make matters worse, the junior and senior years of high school can be very difficult for students. They have many competing priorities to balance: improving their grades, deepening their extracurricular commitments, and preparing for those annoying SAT and ACT tests (and don’t forget the difficulty of maintaining a social life!). For these reasons—and many others—the college selection and application process becomes a vortex of anxiety for everyone.

An experienced college consultant can help reassure nervous parents. Guide students through a process of self-discovery, and ensure that all the administrative pieces are managed with efficiency and accuracy. The transition from high school to college should be an exciting time in a young person’s life, full of anticipation and promise, and a professional college counselor can maintain the focus on the excitement—and not the stress.

Competitive Edge

College admissions today seems much more competitive than ever before. More and more students are applying to college, and each student is applying to more colleges. Acceptance rates at selective colleges continue to decline. So how can college-bound students give themselves a competitive edge?

As noted above, high school guidance counselors are overburdened. So more and more families are turning to private consultants to help select the right colleges and guide the student through the admissions process. According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). An estimated 22% of freshmen at private, four-year colleges have used some kind of consulting services in the admission process.

Private day and boarding schools have more robust college counseling programs than do public schools. The student to counselor ratio at a private school may be as low as 50:1, compared to the national average of 315:1. Obviously, some students are getting more help than others.

Good guidance in selecting the right schools and in completing the application can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. We can help your son or daughter develop an appropriate college selection and admissions strategy to give them the best possible chance of reaching their educational goals.

Eliminate The Confusion

One of the great benefits of the Internet age is that students and parents have much more access to enormous amounts of information. With literally thousands of websites devoted to college selection and admission, parents and students can learn more about college admission than ever before.

But knowledge is not bliss: the overwhelming quantity of information that does little to clarify our vision and answer our individual questions. Which information is useful and Which sources can I trust? Which information applies to my child’s particular situation? The huge expansion of available information has created a new burden of having to sift through zillions of bits and bytes for useful tidbits.

An experienced college consultant can help do the sifting for you. By focusing primarily on your student, the counselor can pull the information that is directly relevant to the student’s situation. And because a good counselor also knows colleges well, he can select colleges that closely match the student’s needs, abilities, and ambitions.

Save You Money

In today’s economy, almost all parents are looking for a bargain in higher education. The biggest sources of financial aid and scholarship money in the United States are the colleges and universities themselves. Colleges award better financial aid and scholarship packages to the students that best match their institutional values and priorities. Thus for the price-sensitive family, it is crucial that the student select colleges that are a perfect fit. Not only for the student, but for the college.

While we can never guarantee a particular outcome, we have a strong record of helping families reduce the overall cost of a college education by carefully selecting the right colleges to which to apply. Even families that do not expect any financial aid often find that working with us can save them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition bills.

So while hiring an educational consultant may seem like a hefty cost. Many families are surprised at how much money they can save by hiring an experienced college consultant.

Read five more reasons to hire a college consultant.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Why Hire An Educational Consultant? first appeared on Great College Advice.

Air Academy HS
Alexander Dawson School (CO)
Arapahoe HS (CO)
Bear Creek HS
Bishop Machbeuf HS (CO)
Boulder HS
Broomfield HS
Castleview HS
Cedar Ridge Academy (CO)
Centennial HS
Cherry Creek HS
Cherokee Trail HS
Cheyenne Mountain HS
Colorado Academy
Columbine HS
Compass Montessori (CO)
Conifer HS (CO)
Custer County HS
Denver Academy
Denver East HS
Denver School for the Arts
Denver Waldorf School
D’Evelyn HS
Douglas County HS
Elizabeth HS
Fairview HS
George Washington HS (Denver)
Grandview HS (CO)
Grand Junction HS (Colorado)
Highlands Ranch HS (CO)
Kent Denver School
Kiowa HS (CO)
Lakewood HS (CO)
Lewis Palmer HS (CO)
Littleton HS
Middle Park HS (CO)
Monarch HS
Mountain Vista HS (CO)
Mullen HS (CO)
New Hope Academy
Niwot HS
Overland HS (CO)
Palisade HS (CO)
Peak to Peak Charter School (Colorado)
Pine Creek HS (CO)
Ralston Valley HS (CO)
Regis Jesuit HS (Denver)
Rock Canyon HS (Colorado)
Smoky Hill HS (CO)
Summit County HS
Valor Christian HS (CO)
Watershed School (CO)

The post Colorado High Schools With Great College Advice first appeared on Great College Advice.

TRANSCRIPT:
So here today I’m on the campus of Rollins College, it’s in Winter Park, Florida, not too far from Orlando, big city. And it’s a beautiful campus, kind of Mediterranean style, and really nice buildings, architecturally harmonious, we might say. And the location is great because not only is it warm, although it’s January right now, it’s a little nippy, sunny and beautiful but a little nippy, and it’s got the best of both worlds: it’s a smallish town, Winter Park is an older town in Florida that’s been around for a long time, but then you’ve got Orlando with Disney and Universal and all the attractions of a big city. So it’s kind of a nice combination being in a more suburban or residential area of a very large city.

So a great place to come if you’re looking for the place where you can wear your flip flops every day and enjoy the Florida sunshine. The other thing that’s really beautiful about this campus is that they are on this lake, Lake Virginia, so you’ve got a big waterfront down here that is absolutely gorgeous. So there’s a reason why Princeton Review recently called this the number 1 most beautiful college campus in America.

The post Rollins College: A Beautiful Campus first appeared on Great College Advice.