Frequently Asked Questions
For Prospective College Clients
How can an independent educational consultant help us?
An independent educational consultant can be an invaluable resource during the college search and application process. At AHP we are committed to personalizing each family’s college admissions process through careful evaluation and knowledgeable guidance. We take the time to thoroughly understand a student’s strengths and needs, and provide information and insight to finding good fit schools while building independence, organizational and decision-making skills. Families appreciate our accessibility, hands-on guidance, and the objective point of view that helps keep the process manageable.
When should we start planning for college?
While our formal college planning program begins in the junior year, we are happy to meet with families once or twice a year leading up to the junior year to assist in early college planning. Ideally, students should start thinking about college before they enter high school. Curriculum planning, student assessments, extra-curricular activities, and thinking about summer plans or employment, are all part of early preparation that should start in the 9th and 10th grades. Exploring a variety of college campuses is another was for families to initiate the search process. Our consultants are prepared to begin the college process at any point in a student’s high school career, whether that is in the freshman year, spring of the junior year or even the summer before senior year.
What if my child seems reluctant to start the college search process?
A student’s readiness depends somewhat on her perception of the process. If they feel overwhelmed and have no sense of where to begin, many will procrastinate or seem reluctant to start. We find that beginning with a thorough assessment and opportunity for self-reflection, we are able to focus a student on her interests and strengths and then we are able to build a list of college criteria that has context for them.
Isn’t creating the college list the most important part of the process?
There is no question that a thoughtfully developed list is one of the most important parts of the process and many families want to jump right into list building. However, without really understanding the student and their social, emotional and academic needs, early list building can overwhelm the process and compromise good fit. In addition to creating a list of schools with a range of admission probability, we also spend time detailing each step of the application process, assisting with essays, and preparing students for campus visits and interviews.
What assessment tools do you use to tailor your services to my child’s unique strengths and character?
Our team of consultants has a combination of more than five decades of experience in evaluating transcripts, test results, and other evaluative pieces of a student’s academic record. We also use a personality, interest/career inventory to help us and the student better understand themselves.
What qualifications and professional memberships do your consultants hold?
AHP educational consultants posses a variety of educational and professional backgrounds related to the fields of education, counseling and college admissions. We spend approximately 20% of our time traveling to campuses and seeking other professional development. We are members of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a national organization of more than 500 consultants that holds us to high ethical and professional standards. We also hold memberships with the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), as well as several other regional affiliations.
Can we have a preliminary conversation before we decide whether or not to engage your services?
Of course! We encourage everyone who is interested in learning more about our services to call and talk to one of us. During that conversation we will answer any questions you may have, describe the range of services that we offer and learn a little more about your child. At that point, interested families are invited to set up an initial meeting with us during which we will conduct an in-depth interview with the parents and the child. If you should decide after the first meeting that you don’t want to continue with our services, you are under no obligation to do so.