Our Services
Who needs independent college admissions advisors?
In an ideal and fair world, the US Congress would run a balanced budget every year, Arabs and Israelis would get along forever, and professional baseball players would rely on their own natural abilities to hit home runs.
Also in this world, all high school seniors would be evaluated fairly and impartially by all colleges. Family income and the ability to pay ever-increasing tuition bills, legacy status, family connections, and quotas (both acknowledged and hidden) would not be important. All high school students would be able to visit college campuses at their convenience and meet with college students and professors. All students would have the option to interview with admissions staff. All students would have access to standardized test prep. And all students would attend college-oriented high schools with adequate college counseling resources.
Since we do not live in such a world, and since we probably never will, most students and their families will probably benefit from working with an independent college admissions advisor such as Alston Hayne. For Alston Hayne Educational Consulting, family priorities and student preferences are of utmost importance; we work to match students with institutions of all sizes and in all geographic regions. We identify which colleges and universities offer the best fit for the student’s personal interests and academic goals.
Most of our clients prefer an ongoing relationship beginning in the fall of junior year. However, we will also work with you as early as freshman year or as late as the fall of senior year. Packages with a cap are the norm, but we also offer hourly programs if the client requests.
The sooner a family decides that their student is going to attend college, the better. Choosing the right high school for the student is also important. Choosing the right courses is important. Alston Hayne will help students make these decisions as well. Students often have to decide whether to take a difficult honors or AP class; taking the most difficult class is not always the best route to take!
Although in recent years there has been a major backlash against over-reliance on standardized testing (www.fairtest.org), most competitive colleges still require the ACT, the SAT-I, and/or the SAT-II. What test should the student take, and when? ACT or SAT-I? Should the student need extra work in certain test areas, we can provide one-on-one tutoring or small group classes.
The old college-trip-with-the-parents used to be a familiar rite of passage for college-bound students. In recent years, however, “virtual tours” and internet web sites have purported to provide the same information from the comfort of the prospective student’s kitchen. Alston Hayne does not at all believe that electronic visits can in any way substitute for a traditional bricks-and-mortar campus visit, especially not if the tour and information session are complemented by an interview and/or careful investigation of the local environs. He works diligently to design efficient itineraries that will maximize families’ time and effort on the road. During the academic year 2007-2008, Mr. Hayne has been the proud father of two daughters in college. Each of these two young ladies had the unenviable task of looking at 40 colleges with her father between sophomore and senior years of high school! They both learned a lot on all these trips, and they both are still talking to their Dad!
The application process itself can still be the source of much agony for the high school senior. How many colleges to apply to? Whom to ask for recommendations? Should we use the Common Application (www.commonapp.org)? Should we apply Regular Decision, Early Action, Early Decision, or Single Choice Early Action? Alston Hayne will guide families through every one of these choices. Which essay questions should the student reply to? Which life experiences should the student describe? Mr. Hayne will help here as well. Note: Alston Hayne knows well the difference between ethical, proper editing of essays and illegal, essay-for-sale plagiarism. He will not cross that line.
Competitive colleges used to seek out well-rounded applicants with a range of talents. Now many of them prefer to design well-rounded classes that are full of students who are world-class performers in one specific area. Alston Hayne will work with families to make sure that students are able to demonstrate their special talents to appreciative admissions offices. Athletes are the best known group of students with specialized talent, but colleges are also looking for the up-and-coming singer, the accomplished writer, the award-winning oboe player, and the well-known mountain climber.