New York, NY (PRWEB) March 16, 2011
According to a US. Department of Education Guidance School survey, over-stretched school guidance counselors are only providing an average of 38 minutes of college admissions advice per US high school student. This comes at a time when students need help more than ever due to record high numbers of applications and low admission rates in 2011. Suzanne Rheault, founder and CEO of Aristotle Circle, the leading expert network of admissions and financial counselors, notes three alarming trends: "The traditional public school guidance counselor is over-burdened, compeition is increasingly fierce for college admissions and students are now paying for expert advice to help them get into the college of their choice. In 2009, 26% of all top SAT scorers hired an outside coach, 120,000 high school seniors hired educational consultants and $3,000 was the average amount a family paid for admissions advice.” Rheault cites data from recent studies including:
American School Counselor’s Association:
476:1 is the average ratio of US high school students per guidance counselor.
38 minutes is the total average amount of time a guidance counselor spends per student discussing college admissions.
Public Agenda 2010 Survey of Effectiveness of High School Guidance Counselors:
60% of college students gave a “poor” rating to high school guidance counselors for both career and college admissions advice.
48% of students felt they were “a face in the crowd” to guidance counselors.
1 in 5 students delayed going to college due to inadequate counseling.
NACAC State of College Admissions 2010:
23% of students applied to 7 or more schools; 75% applied to 3 or more schools.
48% of college freshman graduated high school with straight A’s.
New York Times 2010 Survey:
8% was the drop in acceptance rates at top-tier and Ivy League Schools.
Princeton University:
83% of high school valedictorian applicants rejected by Princeton in 2010.
The American School Counselor Association agrees with these findings and has stated that over-burdened school counselors have a “significantly decreased ability … to work individually with students in navigating the complex financial aid and college admission process.”
“Good grades and high test scores are no longer enough to guarantee a spot at many colleges,” adds Rheault. “With resource reductions and increased duties, college guidance counselors are stretched beyond their limits. It goes beyond simply trying to get an edge; families are turning to outside resources more than ever to get the individual, personalized advice they need.”
Rheault opines: “Families are seeking one-on-one counseling to help best position the student to gain admission to the school they want. Aristotle Circle's mission is to provide an open marketplace for advice and counseling, opening up the range choices. With Aristotle Circle’s nationwide network of experts, families no longer need to tap into the same traditional local choices. We make access to top experts - people who have worked in admissions and have long track-records of successfully advising students – available to everyone.”
By applying the concept of expert networks to the admissions space, Aristotle Circle provides hourly advice from top admission and financial aid professionals in a ‘pay-as-you-go’ business model and offers a menu of services tailored specifically to the unique needs of each applicant. Aristotle Circle’s experts are the best and most qualified admissions advisors available with the most current insight into the competitive admissions landscape. From essay development to financial aid guidance, Aristotle Circle’s experts help families successfully navigate the application process.
About Aristotle Circle:
Aristotle Circle connects parents to experts with current insight and inside knowledge of admissions. The company offers services ranging from pre-K to graduate school. Aristotle Circle’s network of more than 250 elite experts currently serves over 1000 clients in 30 states and 15 countries and includes top admissions professionals, guidance counselors, school administrators, financial aid advisors, and child development experts in their fields. Aristotle Circle’s goal is to take the stress and frustration out of the process by giving students and families a clear path through school admissions. For more information, visit: http://www.aristotlecircle.com.
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