Hampton Roads Educational Consulting, LLC

My child is a good student, but won't be applying to a college like Yale or Harvard. Is there any reason for me to consult with you about college planning?

Absolutely. While the application process is most complex and demanding at highly competitive colleges, finding a college that is a good match for a student is a difficult task. In fact, many students do not succeed. Researchers followed a national sample of students who began a four-year college in 1995 and found that almost a quarter of them ended up transferring (1). Also, the average student is taking longer than four years to graduate. My consultations are designed to help students not only get in to a college that will be a good match for them, but to succeed there.

When I applied to college, I don't recall my parents playing much of a role. Shouldn't my child be the one applying to college?

There are a couple of reasons why I believe parents should play a significant role in the college admissions process. First, applying to college today (particularly to a competitive college) is a great deal more complicated than it was a generation ago and second, high school students are much busier. In my opinion, a student who is juggling advanced courses, extracurricular activities, preparation for multiple standardized tests, and the other demands of teenage life should not be expected to also single-handedly learn the admissions process, research and visit colleges, and then organize and complete numerous college and scholarship applications.

Even if I am willing to help with college admissions, won't my child resent my involvement?

Most likely he or she will welcome it. In a 2007 national online survey of high school seniors, 60% of students were happy with their parents' degree of involvement in college planning and 28% wanted more, not less! (3) Chances are your child wants and needs your support and your assistance.

Why do I need to start planning for college when my child is in 9th grade?

Suppose you knew that three years from now you would face an important evaluation at work whose outcome would determine whether you got a significant raise or promotion. Wouldn't you want to know as much as possible now about how you would be evaluated? Learning early in high school how colleges will evaluate your child when he or she is a senior will help you make the most of opportunities and avoid mistakes.

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1. Berkner, L.; He, S.; & Cataldi, E.F. (2003). Descriptive Summary of 1995-96 Beginning Postsecondary Students: Six Years Later. Education Statistics Quarterly, 5 (1). National Center for Education Statistics. Online: http://nces.ed.gov

2. College Board. Trends in College Pricing: 2006. Online: www.collegeboard.com

3. College Board and Art & Science Group. (2007). National Survey Finds Many Students Want Their Parents to Be More Involved in College Planning. Online: www.collegeboard.com

Still not sure whether Dr. Fithian's services would benefit your teen?

Call her at 757-868-6034