What Does a Good College Advisor Do?
I’ve been an independent college advisor for 12 years now. It took time and a lot of education for me to get going in solo, and occasionally collaborative, practice, even though I’d worked around higher education before. I believe that I’ve gained a good understanding of what a good college advisor does to maintain relationships with clients and peers, even in difficult economic times.
Chances are if you meet more than one college advisor, you’ll find that we all come from different backgrounds and have different strengths.
Some of us come from admissions offices; others were school counselors. I’ve met others who come from architecture, the arts, business, engineering and nursing, among other fields. My best friend and mentor has an MD and a doctorate in public health. As for me, I dealt with colleges on their campus planning issues as an urban economic development professional and was a partner in a software development company that makes web-based tools to help college students find internships and jobs. Because our backgrounds are varied, we will look at colleges differently. When I write about colleges I look at them like an urban planner might look at a city and how a business person or public sector manager might look at them as a service business.
College advisors have different “super powers.”
Because our backgrounds are so different we bring different talents to thelp our clients navigate the admissions process. I know advisors who can help review audition tapes and art portfolios. Others help people who learn differently. I have friends who help their students get into military service academies Still others know professions and their job markets. As for me, I believe that I do more research than most colleagues, and I have proven that I can coach students to write and interview better. Thanks to my mentor, I also learned graduate school admissions advising. That’s been an advantage in helping high school and transfer students. I see how current students have succeeded within a system. Different schools are a different fit for different people; each school has their unique benefits. I also worked with many different aspects of the legal profession in my career. So, I became a law school admissions advisor and have seen my share of successes.
A good college advisor is collegial.
They are the most collegial professionals I have ever worked with. We share ideas and information through professional associations and friendships. Referrals come from these relationships. We admit what we don’t know, ask someone who does, and refer out potential clients to others who might have more expertise. At the same time, a a good advisor know when misleading information has been disseminated to colleagues and families. A good college advisor helps to protect their clients and professional community.
A good college advisor stays up to date.
Colleges and college admissions practices are changing fast. So is the demand for seats at particular schools. Growing up in New Jersey in the late 1970s, I did not see much interest in Southern schools outside of Duke, Georgia Tech, UNC-Chapel Hill, UVa. William & Mary and the University of Miami. Virginia Tech was price competitive with Rutgers. So, it too drew interest from within the Garden State. Now, even as applications to Rutgers’ main campus surged by 94 percent from 2015 to 2024, there is more interest in schools such as Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, the University of Alabama, University of Florida, University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas-Austin. With the exception of Alabama, these schools now accept less than half of all applicants. Florida State, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia accept less than a third.
These school have attracted more interest because of the social life, sports successes and selectivity. But their admissions processes are different. All are test preferred or test mandatory. Things that make the social life go, such as athletic tickets or fraternity and sorority dues and other charges might cost more. A good college advisor tries to be an “insider,” tries to learn all they can about the schools that interest their students as well as other schools that might also fit their interests. Some brands are stronger than others; a good advisor doesn’t get over-swayed by branding.
A good advisor tries to “over deliver.”
Too much of the media coverage of our field is about “advantages of wealth” and “packaging.” However, each student is an individual and individuals are unique. So are their family situations. A good college advisor respects uniqueness and tries to turn it into a strength in the admissions process. In the ideal an admissions office agrees to not only accept the student, but possibly offer more, whether it be to an honors college, a special academic program, a scholarship or other reward. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your clients get more then they expected, including a return on their investment in your time.
