It’s becoming harder than ever to get accepted by a prestigious school. Young people face extreme pressure to make the most crucial decision and work product of their lives, which is to create the perfect college application and to select the right school that will turn their dreams into reality.
Yet, private college admission consulting remains the exception rather than the rule. As many parents often realize too late – usually after their son or daughter has already applied to his or her universities of choice – professional assistance could have been very helpful.
Experts raise the question of why people tend to leave such a crucial life event to chance, yet get professional help for planning a wedding or home improvements.
The number of college applications being submitted by American teens and young adults is higher than ever today. According to Vitaly Borishan, co-founder of an international admissions consulting company, this is because the Common Application was accepted. This online application system makes it simple and easy for young people to apply to colleges – all it takes is a mouse click. Borishan says that Cornell University received 21,502 applications 16 years ago compared to 47,038 applications last year. Top tier schools are becoming less accessible than ever.
Future college students forgo professional consultancy in favor of brief talks with high school counselors or free online resources. However, the latter cannot emphasize specific qualities a person may have that make them suitable for an Ivy League school. Such personalized information is also hard to access in high schools where guidance counselors don’t have any experience with admission-related work and also have hundreds of students to deal with.