Hourly rate for college consultants?

[saw]

I have done a bit of college consulting for friends/family/low-income students, but always on a pro bono basis, so the question of hourly rate has never come up. I have a certificate in this and decent experience, so I don't think I'm just making stuff up (at least not more than I usually do). BUT I've been approached via via and asked what my hourly rate is. This would be for families that can afford consultants. What's the going rate? Any suggestions? Feel free to pm if you prefer. Thank you!

 

[gstharr]

i haven't calculated the hourly breakdown yet, but,  for clients who can pay, I  typically charge $500,000 for guaranteed admission to USC, and $1,000,000 for the ivies.  Verified references available. . Rick Singer

[Clarita]

It varies a lot by experience, track record, what is being offered, etc. This could be anything from you are going to help the college student throughout high school with everything from what classes to pick, all the tests they need, look through all their applications, help them search for colleges the whole deal with regular meetings, to a one time I'll read your college application and give you some feedback. I would just charge whatever you want to charge for your work per hour and go with that?? 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

When my youngest was in high school I started to shift towards doing consulting. I'd already been doing workshops and coffee chats for homeschoolers locally. And I'd been a Naval Academy admissions liaison for many years, doing info events and interviews. 

So I completed a certificate program from UC Irvine, started touring colleges, and put time into separating what was true for my kids and what were more general college admissions trends and requirements. 

I continued to consult for free while I worked on the certificate, then opened for business in Spring 2020. It's been wonderful to work with families all across the country, especially as many families considered homeschooling for the first time, often with no idea what that might imply for college applications and admissions. 

Pricing is all over the board in the profession. Some only do essay coaching. Others offer comprehensive packages that include test prep or support for learning challenges.  Some have deep experience working with athletes or in performing arts.

One of my professional organizations did their biannual survey recently. The mean hourly rate was $230. Most IECs that did packages charged $4000 - $7500. The median package price was $6400. But packages vary widely in length and scope. 

There is a popular homeschool guru who says consultants charge up to $70k. I don't doubt that you could find someone willing to take that amount, but that's not typical. Most of my close friends in the profession are in the $100-300/hour range, including many experienced and very talented Independent Educational Consultants.

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

And from the point of view of wondering if you can afford someone to help you, there are consultants at a lot of price levels who know homeschooling and also spend significant time keeping up with college admissions trends and visiting colleges. 

There is wonderful help on this board and other groups for documentation of transcripts, course descriptions, etc. 

So consider what you really need help with. Do you want a comprehensive package so you can step back and be just the parent? Do you need help with making a college list? Does your kid need essay coaching? 

Most of the consultants in the IECA Homeschooling Affinity Group are or were homeschoolers themselves. Many would be open to discussing what support you need and what you can do yourself. (Disclosure: I'm the outgoing chair of that Affinity Group in IECA.)

[easypeasy]

On 12/2/2022 at 6:33 AM, Sebastian (a lady) said:

When my youngest was in high school I started to shift towards doing consulting. I'd already been doing workshops and coffee chats for homeschoolers locally. And I'd been a Naval Academy admissions liaison for many years, doing info events and interviews. 

So I completed a certificate program from UC Irvine, started touring colleges, and put time into separating what was true for my kids and what were more general college admissions trends and requirements.

 

@Sebastian (a lady) were you happy with the certificate program from UC Irvine?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

3 hours ago, easypeasy said:

@Sebastian (a lady) were you happy with the certificate program from UC Irvine?

Very happy. There are some different people teaching the courses now than when I took it, but those I know from the current roster are also amazing. I'm still in touch with many IECs I went through the program with. 

I picked UC Irvine, because it has an IEC focus and includes a business class (which I really needed).

UCLA and UC Berkeley also have certificates for college counseling that focus more on group or institutional work. But I know IECs who did that certificate and were happy with it. There are some experienced IECs who teach in the UCLA program. 

There are also college counseling certificates from other colleges. I think Columbia and Rice both had programs when I looked a few years ago. But if you want to join IECA or HECA (and I highly recommend joining one of them), verify whatever training you get will meet their membership requirements. 

Another option is the one week Summer Training Institute from IECA. You will get a lot of instruction. What you probably don't get out of that is the need to work through case studies and produce college lists and other work products.

[saw]

I also did the certificate from UC Irvine and thoroughly enjoyed it.