From a recent blog post by Parke Muth, current admissions consultant and former Associate Dean of Admission at the University of Virginia:
“I think anyone looking for a consultant should understand that there is not magic to the process. Consultants cannot get a less than great kid into an elite school…The most important things consultants do is to emphasize fit instead of name. There are thousands of colleges and universities and there are thousands of places a student can be transformed by the classes, the students and faculty, and the overall atmosphere. Our world is so focused on rankings and names, when most of us don’t really live at the top, don’t really show up on twitter or Huffington or the evening news. To find a way of learning that will enrich students for the rest of their lives is the job of a consultant.”