A question for @poetryandwine or other admissions folks

[JesusWeptLady]

I wondered if you thought an UCAS consultant of some kind would be needed for kids applying in the autumn from overseas? And if so, where would be the best place to find a good one.

IME people who work in admissions in universities do not recommend that parents employ a consultant. Parents, on the other hand, know that in international settings families are extremely short on reliable information (schools are mostly hideously ill informed) and that a good consultant makes all the difference.

Hello! I’m not admissions but outreach and work with students on their uni choices.
You don’t need a consultant. All the info you need is online or you can ask unis for it. What you do need is time to do the research. If you’re severely lacking in time, a consultant might be helpful?
But standards can vary hugely and our international team have a not insignificant number of students come to them each year having been given incorrect info by consultants. They don’t have any inside knowledge.

Some consultants have a lot of useful intercultural knowledge (which is a form of inside knowledge) ie know how a particular international qualification is received by UK universities and how a particular UK degree is valued in another country/culture. If your child is doing A-levels or IB and intending to remain in the UK upon graduation, and has a British passport, a consultant might not have more to offer than a lot of experience which adds up to gaining time. But in situations that are more cross cultural, a good consultant can be really helpful.

Just to clarify, I really appreciate the input from other posters but these are not questions I have. I'm wondering if a consultant would be a good choice to go over UCAS personal statements, that's all.

My niece who is based in EU used an educational consultant and got into her first choice uni. I think it is a good idea and he was very reasonably priced and gave her a handheld throughout the process.

@Lovecatsanddogs Thanks for this. Do you know who she worked with by any chance?

I will dm you.

If it's just for the PS then little point in using one, particularly for international students where frankly, we need the fees so there isn't the competition that there can be for home students.

@titchy that depends on which universities you are applying to. Oxford for example is much harder to get into for International students, the bar is set much higher on the various entrance exams and there are (quite rightly) fewer places available to them.

OP is asking specifically about using a consultant for the PS though, not to navigate websites and admissions tests.

Though I take your point about Oxbridge not needing internationals as much as the rest of us

Gaining confidence in the application process, in the match up between your DC’s qualifications and British offers, and in your family’s understanding of the British university system, as articulated here, seems to me the best reason to use a consultant. A good one can help you create a timeline, answer a million small and large questions, etc. They will know which degree programmes are likely only to accept applicants who significantly exceed the stated entry requirements - this it s particularly useful.

OTOH all the information you need is readily available online. (The online forum The Student Room is an excellent source for the insideMany of us don’t count the PS for anything in assessing the application, but some do. And as @titchy says, if your DC are paying Overseas fees we really, really need them. Almost everyone will cut them a bit of slack, although few will discuss this.

It is similar to selling your house: you could do it yourself. Almost any EA will help a bit, but finding someone really good requires luck or knowledge. It is people in the last category who make the difference

@poetryandwine Thank you so much for replying. I worried it was cheeky to call you out, but you always have the goods. Thanks again.

I'm wondering if a consultant would be a good choice to go over UCAS personal statements, that's all.

I read UCAS applications to interview in my Department (30 years an academic & Admissions Tutor when I was more junior). I wouldn't do this. It's pretty easy to pick the PSs that the applicant didn't write. I always use the PS as the starting point for the admissions interview.

Yur DC needs to write their own statement, honestly they do.

@YourPithyLilacSheep You misunderstand. My kid has already written their UCAS statement. I am looking for a professional consultant to read it and give helpful comments. I have someone now who does this, thanks to another poster.

You are very kind, OP. A pleasure.

And I am so glad your DC has written their own PS! Admissions tutors can always pick out the applicant voice. We cherish it, and a mismatch between the voice in the application and the voice IRL can be bad news. (Of course this is a genuine dilemma for those who lack confidence for a variety of reasons and it is a source of ongoing work. I hope I am reaching well beyond you here, OP.)

Editing help is fine, and the more creative applicant may take a consultant’s advice where a parent would get nowhere begging them eg not to compare beginning university studies to losing one’s virginity.

It appears that in doing a bit of editing I gave short shrift to The Student Room above, but you probably guessed that. It is an excellent online forum your applicant can join to get the inside story.

I imagine it may depend which university you want to apply to.

A couple of consultants based in France used to post regularly on this board, asking questions, effectively for their clients. One became ill, but the other should still be around, though I can't remember her name. I think one of her own DC went to Cambridge to read something like HPPS. They used to ask quite sensible things and comment that what English Universities were looking for in, say, a PS was quite different than in France. Schools struggled to write an appropriate reference unless guided. Also that French Students all wanted to go to the LSE for Economics, not least because the word "school" linked with Les Grandes Ecoles, and it took a bit of work to persuade them that Warwick economics would cover the same ground and provide the same platform.

Bonsoir something I think? It always amuses me when consultants simply get all their info off MN - which OP could do as well of course. Good business model though

Bonsoir became ill. I liked her. She was incredibly helpful to me when a friend was returning from France, with four DC including a 17 year old. Bonsoir/Bobochic was very aware of the weaknesses of the Frenchs system and the idiosyncrasies of French schools in London. As a result the boy was able to make his own, sensible, decision, to effectively repeat a year by joining a local, and good, sixth form, rather than follow his initial preference of flogging it out to Wembley every day in order to get out of school as soon as possible. The boy won't know who she was but she helped him get to a good place. Bonsoir used to have some interesting insights into French attitudes which I enjoyed, not least because at the time DD was taking an extra-curricular very popular with Lycee CDG students.

There was another ...something monkey I think. Started with S? Who used to be around a lot but still pops up occasionally.

Shock the ...? Rings a bell.

Ahh Calling @shockthemonkey
My understanding, based mainly on seeing US University consultants operate in London, is that there are a lot of aspects: school references; cultural differences; entry requirements, where buying expertise can be useful. Equally it was clear some were not very good.

Editing help is fine, and the more creative applicant may take a consultant’s advice where a parent would get nowhere begging them eg not to compare beginning university studies to losing one’s virginity.

Did that actually happen?

@Needmoresleep ’s point about references is excellent, OP. It depends to some extent what country you are in, as the French tertiary admissions system is so different to the British one. American schools, certainly middle class ones, are used to writing references but would appreciate some clues about how British universities want students ready to immerse themselves in their primary subject(s) from the start. Intellectual maturity is a greater factor in the UK. These tips could come from the family or a consultant.

I too hope @shockmonkey responds

@maudelovesharold This was told to me by an American admissions officer. (Admissions in America is centralised) A brilliant applicant, a while back before sensitivities were at the current pitch. I think my excellent university lost the applicant to a super elite one.