Parents are hiring pricey consultants to help kids get into college

Many high school students are starting to get their acceptance or rejection letters from colleges. While it can be a stressful time for families, it's fueling a $3 billion industry of independent educational consultants with some parents spending $120,000 on services. NBC’s Morgan Radford reports for TODAY.

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#college #highschool #students

[eddielou]

Rigged. This isn't about meritocracy. It is about who can afford to buy their kid a spot at an elite school. If you can donate a lot of money to a school, and you are friends with the chancellor, your kid gets in.

[bluejedi]

Here's the thing.... people are putting a massive interest on "getting there" but no one seems to care if the kid is going to succeed once they get there

[catherga]

We need to stop giving schools power based on their exclusivity. A kid who is brilliant and hard working will do great regardless of what school they attend. Giving Harvard credit for making already successful students into successful professionals is bonkers.

[OS]

$120k a year services. So...targeting rich families?

[wrfizex]

The issue with this article is it feeds the frenzy in college admission. It again focuses on the most highly rejective (selective) institutions in this country and ignores the fact that over 70% of colleges and universities admit the majority of students who apply. There is no shortage of space at most of the colleges and universities in the United States. There are fabulous options beyond those that only admit 3.5% of the students that apply.

[griffin]

If parents have that kind of money to try to get their child into a school, it’s not going to make a difference whether or not they go to a school with a 100% acceptance rate or a 3% acceptance rate.

[ChrisBaccus]

More proof we need to tax the super rich.

[addie-eileenpaige]

As a college graduate, I gotta say, it's not that serious. A degree's a degree no matter where it comes from whether it's Harvard, Stanford, University of Massachusetts, University of Michigan, or wherever.

[lb]

The better answer is apprentice trade jobs. There you will earn while you work. Plus, you will get a two-year degree. There is no guarantee that you will have a job when you graduate.

[tinapratt]

It’s unethical business like this that give good college counselors a bad name. @today show should do better journalism and interview someone from IECA or HECA, which requires ethical standards of its professionals.

[heartdonations]

So working hard, studying and discipline are enough anymore?

[wherethequietbeingsgo]

Why are we acting as if they’re only starting this now?

[cameronf]

If you need to pay 6 figures or multiple 6 figures to get your child accepted to college, your child is going to spend 4 years partying on $80k/year and too hungover to learn anything or valuably network with anyone. Plain and simple.

[jbarkley]

You only need college if you are becoming a lawyer, teacher, doctor (Medical field), engineering and Accountant. Everything else is a high risk- low reward

[jose]

College is no longer as important as before, a degree is no longer needed for a great job! Most employers are replacing degrees for experience.

[fluffyanne]

Who in their right mind would want to go to Harvard

[marisol]

But who can afford to pay 120k a year? Not a low income or middle class family. Obviously, it’s not equitable

[peterbedford]

What?! I thought the new narrative was that college is now not worth it?

[greygirl]

We are going to pray and ask God to help - his help is free

[MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia]

Remember all of the college admissions scandals at many different California universities and colleges? It’s shameful; yet, US News will keep give California Universities a favor rating. Is it because they need to sell magazines? After all, California has the largest population in the entire USA so that's good revenue for us news report