Commonly Asked Questions:

Why do you need a college planning consultant?

The high cost of education and a more competitive workplace have created the need for careful long-range planning. Choosing a vocation, college, university, or major area of study can be a costly investment and is too important to leave to chance.
With increased competition in the marketplace for higher level, better paying positions, today’s professionals must have a clear career focus. Those who discover this focus early, gain the confidence and motivation that are often the necessary edge to realize career goals. Making these decisions requires not only self-awareness, but also knowledge of the world of work.

What problems do most aspirants/applicants face?

Most applicants face following problems

1. Zeroing in on right college. Finding the right college can be daunting.
2. Zeroing in on right vocation.
3. Application processes and timings.
4. How to properly evaluate options and make appropriate choices.
5. Lack of firsthand knowledge of educational institutions.
6. TAX and AID related issues.

What we do?

We offer Consulting services to students and their parents in order to get students placed in the right college/university/professional school/program and in the right course. We carry out in-depth interviews of both the aspirants and the parents and figure out most suitable set of colleges according to their personality, interests and financial needs. We help them make right choices. We also suggest ways to reap benefits from taxation policies.

We also offer pre-professionals (pre-med, pre-law, pre-vet, etc.) students an enhancement program which places them in volunteer experiences to aid them with applying and being accepted to a professional school.

What kind of services do you offer?

Why us?

Simply put. We have a competitive advantage and unique selling proposition for our students.

Our clients find the following also helpful.

• Our focused and one to one approach.
• Customized solutions for every candidate.
• All the clients are given ample time on interviewing and assessment.
• We help them learn the ins and outs and work on their interviewing skills.
• We help students and parents understand the whole application and tuition /financial aid process.
• We help develop self-awareness that helps students find a focus and gives them the confidence necessary to meet future challenges.
• We help families identify the learning environments that best suit their children.
• We carry out intensive research of institutions, their application processes and ins and outs of the institutions.
• Not tied to any institution, we provide unbiased help in evaluating the wealth of information from schools that students receive.
• We pride ourselves on having firsthand knowledge of educational institutions. Our greatest strength, our resourceful and well-connected CEO’s network with colleges, professional programs and with doctors and hospitals gives us contracts for placements of students, that allows them to gain vital letters of recommendations for their application to their program of choice. This does NOT guarantee acceptance but it does allow students to get an “insider look” at highly sought after careers. We have had a 100% match rate!

What should you consider when hiring a private admission consultant?

Here are a few key considerations in deciding to hire a private admissions consultant:

1) Your child: What are your child’s needs, strengths and hopes? Does your child have an idea where he or she would be comfortable in higher education and what learning environment will be best?
2) Who is best suited to help the child with the application process? It may even be — surprise — you, the parent or a family member. Professional guidance neither guarantees success nor is always warranted, however, hiring a good consultant can benefit in several ways and it brings down the burden.
3) If you feel overwhelmed by the process, or if your child has special concerns, it might help to see an admissions specialist. In this case, pick a consultant with organizational affiliations, accreditation, good recommendations and clear explanations of their services and associated costs.
4) Ethical consultants will not claim to possess some special influence or “pull” with college admissions professionals. Their assistance in application writing remains confined to stylistic, organizational suggestions, never to writing anything for the student. Most importantly, they encourage your child to write in his or her own voice — not according to some imaginary formula for acceptance.
5) Whether the consultants are path of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. We here at Efiie are proud to be part of the NACAC family. The ethical standards that are held up in being recognized as part of the NACAC is something every parent and student should look for when choosing a college consultant.

What are the principles of EFIIE?

We strictly adhere to the Principles of Good Practice of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA)

• The consultant’s primary obligation is to represent each client accurately based upon a professional evaluation of the circumstances and requirements of the case. However, the consulting relationship does not imply guarantee of specific placement.
• The consultant shall neither solicit nor accept compensation from any school, college or institution for placement of the client.
• The consultant shall respect the integrity of the consulting relationship and of all relevant information.
• The consultant shall present to the client the most appropriate choices, representing each one fairly and shall make clear the client’s responsibilities in dealing with any schools, colleges or institutions.
• The consultants shall not discriminate against clients on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin.

What is the process?

My child is still a freshman in high school. Is it too early?

No. It is not too early. The earlier we are able to work with your child’s goals and class choices, the better the positioning he/she will be in to apply to top programs. We offer grade level individualized packages.

Do you only help college applicants?

No. We have many different areas of speciality. Another one is our pre-professional students.

What kind of services do you have for pre-professional students?

The Specialized Package for Pre-Professionals is designed for students who aspire to get into professional courses viz. medical and law. The goal is to provide more individualized guidance to students, to guide and support students to understand and adjust to the work culture of the vocation they wish to opt for. Students may begin this process with the educational consultant as early as 9th grade. Guidance include pre-college planning, selection of colleges that are appropriate targets for the student, testing advice, preparation for college campus visit, guidance through the admissions process, feedback on college admission essay, scholarship and financial aid assistance, and help with decision-making related to choosing the college to attend. Most students receive maximum 60-80 hours of coaching, based on their needs and desires. Student and parent may call for questions anytime.

EFIIE Consulting Group has contracts in place with law firms, hospitals, private practices etc. where the students get a chance to experience the life of a professional they aspire to be, plus, it helps them earn references and recommendations as well. This is so helpful for students that they get an opportunity to analyze their career choices on their own and it helps ensure that they would not change their minds in the middle. It helps them cut down time and resources wasted changing their minds later on.

How much does it cost?

Depending on the student’s needs, the packages can range from $250 – $35,000. We work with your goals and budget as best as possible. The cost of education is expensive, but our costs are a fraction of what will be spent if careful planning is not done initially. The average college student changes his/her major three times. That’s thousands of dollars more simply because of inadequate planning and preparation. The amount of work we do to ensure you have all the materials for your application package is beyond the scope of an average applicant. More importantly, we match and place students in positions that will help them discover their true career goals and prevent a costly change of major later on. This is why so many admission committees respect EFIIE’s guidance. They don’t want drop outs and we try to place students only after careful planning, over many years in some cases.