54 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2008

Elka 

Maria 

Torpey

Elka Maria Torpey 

is a contributing 

editor to the OOQ,

(202) 691–5719.

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,” says Derek, 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, Derek covers a few basics. “It’s sort of a counseling process,” says Derek. “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,” says Derek. “I am very 

realistic with people. Sometimes, that’s not an 

easy conversation to have.”

Other times, admissions consultants help 

clients realize how much potential they have. 

For example, one of Derek’s clients originally 

hadn’t planned to apply to the most competitive schools. After hearing her story and her 

background, though, Derek encouraged her 

to apply to top-tier schools; he knew that she 

had an excellent chance of getting accepted 

anywhere she applied. And he was right: Ultimately, the woman was accepted to one of the 

highest ranked law schools in the country. 

How much help an admissions consultant 

provides, and the amount of time spent with 

a client, vary based on each client’s needs or 

desires. In addition to helping clients choose 

schools, these workers frequently offer advice 

on letters of recommendation, resumes, and 

essays or personal statements. They might, 

for example, suggest that a client write about 

a specific topic, such as overcoming a challenge, to provide the admissions committee 

with a more complete picture of who he or 

she really is. 

Being able to identify good writing—and 

suggest improvements—is critical for admissions consultants, as is attention to detail. “I 

love helping people with their writing and 

with becoming better writers,” says Derek, 

whose undergraduate degree is in journalism. 

“It’s not just about helping them get into the 

best school. I try to give detailed and specific 

advice that can help my clients even after they 

get into school.”

Tact and interpersonal skills are also 

essential for admissions consultants. “You 

have to be able to relate to people openly and 

honestly, and not be abrasive,” says Derek. 

“Clients are depending on you for your honest 

advice. They might not want to hear what you 

have to say, so you have to be diplomatic.” 

Other qualifications of admissions consultants vary. Some consultants, like Derek, have 

previous experience in college admissions. As 

the former dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Derek once 

decided which applicants to accept and which 

to reject. Former admissions workers often 

have backgrounds in education administration 

or marketing. Some consultants have experience as guidance counselors or academic 

advisors. And others may have applied successfully to a top school themselves. 

Many consultants work for an admissions 

or educational consulting firm. Others are 

self-employed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not collect employment or wage 

data on admissions consultants. 

According to the Independent Educational 

Consultants Association, however, experienced educational consultants, a category that 

may include admissions consultants, earned 

an average of $72,000 in 2006. But consultants’ earnings vary based on the number of 

clients they have and the level of experience 

they bring to the job. Admissions consultants 

often charge by the hour, up to about $150. 

Some charge a preset fee, sometimes in the 

Admissions consultant

You’re a what?
Spring 2008 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 55

thousands of dollars, to help with a specific 

issue or for comprehensive help on one or 

more applications. 

Although admissions consultants may 

meet with their clients in person, face-to-face 

interaction is not necessarily required. Their 

work can be done through e-mail and over the 

phone, so their clients can be located almost 

anywhere. Consultants are often busiest from 

August until January, when most students prepare applications. But their day-to-day workloads vary. “It’s unpredictable,” says Derek 

of his schedule. As a result, some consultants 

work only part-time.

Admissions consultants work with prospective undergraduates and with law, medical, business, and other graduate students. 

Derek says there is ample work for admissions consultants because there is strong competition to get into good schools—particularly 

graduate or professional schools. 

At his former post, for example, Derek 

and others on the admissions committee 

reviewed as many as 6,500 applications for 

250 openings. And that was several years ago. 

“All of the top schools have more than enough 

applicants who are qualified,” says Derek. So, 

he says, prospective students have become 

increasingly willing to seek help in applying. 

“Admissions consulting has definitely become 

more common in the last decade.” 

Many of Derek’s clients are older, working adults who are interested in returning to 

school. “I’ve had some really great success 

stories,” he says, “and those clients are really 

happy.” 

People seek consultation for a range 

of reasons. Some applicants struggled academically in high school or as undergraduate 

students. Others have personal issues that 

affected their grades or admissions test scores. 

Still others might have a criminal record and 

want to know how to handle it on an application. “It’s really rewarding to help someone 

through the process who comes to you and is 

lost,” he says. 

A common problem, says Derek, is that 

applicants often are so focused on trying to 

impress the admissions committee that they 

say only what they think the committee wants 

to hear. This can hurt applicants if they don’t 

understand what admissions officers are really 

looking for. 

For example, he says, working the night 

shift at a fast-food restaurant is just as important to note on your application as a prestigious internship or part-time job at a law firm. 

And if a teaching assistant is the best judge 

of your academic work, then that’s the person 

who should write your letter of recommendation—not necessarily a department chair or a 

high-profile faculty member. 

Derek’s advice highlights the importance 

of being genuine. Applicants’ credentials are 

important, but it’s their character that counts. 

“At the end of the day,” he says, “you just 

have to be who you are.”