Posted on: April 22nd, 2022

What is an educational consultant?

Wikipedia seem to have given a simple definition:

"...An educational consultant is an independent consultant who helps parents/students and organizations with educational planning. They are classed as educational, vocational, and school counselors...."

Type of educational consultants

While there are a variety in the type of educational consultants whereby some are generalists, many specialize in assisting particular kinds of students or particular educational needs.

A quick look at the most common known educational consultants - some consultants focus exclusively on assisting students with college planning and admissions, some on students seeking a private secondary school, and yet others specialize in students who are learning disabled or have behavioral/emotional difficulties. Other consultants provide advising services for college students seeking admission to graduate school. Other educational consultants work to assist high schools and universities with educational program planning, to fix systemic problems, improve the learning environment, train faculty and advise administrators. They also can work with other educational organizations to help develop learning products that teachers and schools use to improve student achievement.

We will be focusing on college planning and admission type of educational consultants in this article, which I like to call it Education Advisor. They are professionals who assist students and families with educational decision-making. Their training experience and first-hand knowledge of a wide range of schools and programs ensures objectivity and unbiased advice to parents and students.

Benefits of an educational consultant

Education is one of the primary influences that shape people along their paths to succeed in their career — thus educational choices are considered among the most important decisions that anyone can make. Despite excessive information maybe available online and promotional materials, however, many (being a student at school, or highschool graduate, or university graduate, or even an employee) face various challenges and at times struggle with endless frustrations when it comes with their educational goals. Not to mention many parents can stress out when their child has not yet made any real effort in their educational goals fearing the negative impact it may cause. This can become a serious factor that many do not realize how important it is when making vital decisions like what they want to study, where they want to study, how much they are willing to invest in their child's education, entry requirements and not to mention deadlines, and the list just goes on with endless questions.

When a student has a hard time with a school subject like math or English, it is common to seek out extra help from their professors or tutors. Similar concept is applied when trying to sort through the challenges faced with their educational decisions, to seek out an expert within the field to find the best strategy in attaining an educational or academic goal.

In addition to helping sift through their educational options and future careers, an educational consultant assists families in deciding what their values are and what's important for them in an educational experience, and presents them with expert guidance on how to select options that are best fit.

Listing here are some of the pros of hiring an educational consultant:

If new to the education system, a professionally knowledgeable educational consultant can be a valuable resource.

An educational consultant will ease the process when it comes to achieving the educational goals.

They can guide and assist in finding the suitable fit of the course/school/college/university which best match the interests, personality, needs and admissions profile, how to prepare for interviews and applications, and advise on how best to work with achieving the result.

A professional consultant can answer questions about which entrance exams are most appropriate and when to schedule testing. Some consultants also assist with test preparation.

They can provide insight into what will be required to succeed academically and socially, by identifying the strength and weakness.

They can help navigate financial concerns, and may have inside information and lesser-known resources on financial related matters, when it comes to investing in the student's education.

Most importantly that you and your child can focus on enjoying this time together, and focus on excelling in school rather than arguing about completing college applications.

Some families choose to do the preliminary research themselves, and then hire an educational consultant to assist with the application process, or vice versa. There are many ways to work with an educational consultant when looking for the right educational path, so it never hurts to look into your options.

How to choose a reliable educational consultant?

The field of educational consulting has grown considerably in the past decade. Most successful consultants enjoy working with young people and their parents and get satisfaction from helping students reach their goals.

Families considering hiring an educational consultant should carefully assess the experience of individual consultants. Membership/licensed in one or more professional organizations also indicate a consultant's dedication to professionalism, since these organizations have specific requirements for the education and experience of their members. However, in addition to looking at a consultant's experience and professional affiliations, families should also ask for references from past clients. Consultants should be clear about their fees, counselling process, educational philosophy, and expectations at the beginning of the relationship to avoid any disappointments in the long run.

Original Article: https://www.wiserstudy.com/post/why-hire-an-educational-consultant

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