General Description:  With the price of attending a four-year college running well over $100,000, parents are increasingly involved with the college selection and admission process.  As a result, some parents are choosing to hire college consultants -- viewing them as a wise investment given the rising cost of tuition and the fierce competition for admission to elite schools. 

Consultants offer different fee arrangements, from a one-time consultation (typically for several hundred dollars) to a multi-year involvement (with fees in the thousands) helping guide a student through course selection, SAT's and the entire college applications/admissions process. 

Most consultants have some background in the educational counseling arena -- either as college admissions counselors, high school guidance counselors or SAT tutors.

Options for Flexibility:  It takes time to build a successful practice.  Particularly during your first few years in business, you will have to spend a fair amount of time on the road visiting campuses and meeting college admissions representatives.  But, once you have a few satisfied clients, you should be able to spend a higher percentage of time working out of a home-based office.

Resources for Further Exploration:

Associations:

Independent Educational Consultants Association

National Association for College Admission Counseling