Aiming for the Ivy League? Admissions consultant Derek Meeker can give you advice on how to get in.
“There are a lot of myths out there about what school officials are looking for in an application,” said Meeker, who specializes in law school admissions. Part of his job is to steer clients in the right direction and, hopefully, increase their chances of getting into a school that’s right for them. He helps with everything from selecting an appropriate school to writing personal statements.
An admissions consultant’s work often begins with assessing clients’ strengths and weaknesses and discussing possible schools to consider. During this initial consultation, Meeker covers a few basics. “It’s sort of a counseling process,” he said. “I ask them about their personal background, academic interests, jobs that they’ve held. And I help people to identify what’s unique about themselves.”
One challenge in this work arises when clients’ aspirations outshine their qualifications. “While I get clients from all over the spectrum, the majority want to go to the top schools — those that have a 6- to 15-percent acceptance rate,” said Meeker. “I am very realistic with people. Sometimes, that’s not an easy conversation to have.” Read more…
According to Elka Maria Torpey
