Offers information on starting a college planning consultant business by identifying a specialty or services and mastering business basics such as establishing a company as a legal entity.

A record 21.6 million students attended American colleges and universities in the fall of 2012. Of those students, the U.S. Census Bureau says, more than 4.4 million were in the 15-19 age bracket, the market primed and ready for the advice dispensed by college consultants. The experts at Entrepreneur zero in on this growing marketing and show education enthusiasts how to turn their passion into profits with a college planning and consultant business.

Thanks to today’s busy lifestyles, nearly 4,500 institutions of higher learning, and more than 21 million students, the need for college admissions consulting services continues to grow. The experts at Entrepreneur detail how education enthusiasts and/ or those with a passion for counseling others can take advantage of this home-based business opportunity. Coached by our experts, entrepreneurs learn how to identify their specialty or services—from steering high school students towards acceptance to assisting in filing admission and financial applications and other market needs. They also learn business basics such as establishing their company as a legal entity, outfitting a home office, handling the finances, promoting your services and the like. Given contact lists, resource lists, sample documents, and even interviews from practicing entrepreneurs sharing money-saving tips, pitfalls to avoid, and tricks of the trade, entrepreneurs gain all the intel they need to make their business startup and launch a success.

Jill Madenberg draws upon her 20-plus years of counseling experience while her daughter Amanda—a student who just recently went off to college—adds tips and personal stories. Whether you are wondering how to choose high school classes and activities, create a realistic college list, get the most out of a campus visit, or maintain a positive and healthy attitude, Love the Journey to College will help you make educated decisions throughout the process—and show you how to do it with a smile. As the daughter of an experienced college counselor, Amanda Madenberg has been visiting colleges for as long as she can remember—on family vacations, weekend road trips, and school holidays. Even at a young age, she took interest as her mom spoke with tour guides, admissions counselors, and students on campus to get a feel for life at a particular school. Most importantly, Amanda greatly enjoyed her own college application process—from visiting campuses to writing supplemental essays. Writing as both a typical high school student and as the daughter of a college counselor, Amanda lends a unique and entertaining perspective to Love the Journey to College.

This is a textbook serving as an introduction to the profession of Independent Educational Consulting. The book highlights the practices, principles, and tenets of the field and highlights ways to help students find a good match college. These are some of the topics covered: business practices, helping families with affordability issues, gaining knowledge, growing an independent counseling practice, ethical guidelines, and working with students with learning disabilities.

In the fall of 1999, New York Times education reporter Jacques Steinberg was given an unprecedented opportunity to observe the admissions process at prestigious Wesleyan University. Over the course of nearly a year, Steinberg accompanied admissions officer Ralph Figueroa on a tour to assess and recruit the most promising students in the country. The Gatekeepers follows a diverse group of prospective students as they compete for places in the nation's most elite colleges. The first book to reveal the college admission process in such behind-the-scenes detail, The Gatekeepers will be required reading for every parent of a high school-age child and for every student facing the arduous and anxious task of applying to college. "[The Gatekeepers] provides the deep insight that is missing from the myriad how-to books on admissions that try to identify the formula for getting into the best colleges...I really didn't want the book to end." —The New York Times

A former admissions officer at Dartmouth College reveals how the world's most highly selective schools really make their decisions.

“The College Solution helps readers look beyond over-hyped admission rankings to discover schools that offer a quality education at affordable prices. Taking the guesswork out of saving and finding money for college, this is a practical and insightful must-have guide for every parent!” —Jaye J. Fenderson, Seventeen’s College Columnist and Author, Seventeen’s Guide to Getting into College “This book is a must read in an era of rising tuition and falling admission rates. O’Shaughnessy offers good advice with blessed clarity and brevity.” —Jay Mathews, Washington Post Education Writer and Columnist “I would recommend any parent of a college-bound student read The College Solution.” —Kal Chany, Author, The Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke “The College Solution goes beyond other guidebooks in providing an abundance of information about how to afford college, in addition to how to approach the selection process by putting the student first.” —Martha “Marty” O’Connell, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives “Lynn O’Shaughnessy always focuses on what’s in the consumer’s best interest, telling families how to save money and avoid making costly mistakes.” —Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org and Author, FastWeb College Gold “An antidote to the hype and hysteria about getting in and paying for college! O’Shaughnessy has produced an excellent overview that demystifies the college planning process for students and families.” —Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers For millions of families, the college planning experience has become extremely stressful. And, unless your child is an elite student in the academic top 1%, most books on the subject won’t help you. Now, however, there’s a college guide for everyone. In The College Solution, top personal finance journalist Lynn O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use roadmap to finding the right college program (not just the most hyped) and dramatically reducing the cost of college, too. Forget the rankings! Discover what really matters: the quality and value of the programs your child wants and deserves. O’Shaughnessy uncovers “industry secrets” on how colleges actually parcel out financial aid—and how even “average” students can maximize their share. Learn how to send your kids to expensive private schools for virtually the cost of an in-state public college...and how promising students can pay significantly less than the “sticker price” even at the best state universities. No other book offers this much practical guidance on choosing a college...and no other book will save you as much money! • Secrets your school’s guidance counselor doesn’t know yet The surprising ways colleges have changed how they do business • Get every dime of financial aid that’s out there for you Be a “fly on the wall” inside the college financial aid office • U.S. News & World Report: clueless about your child Beyond one-size-fits-all rankings: finding the right program for your teenager • The best bargains in higher education Overlooked academic choices that just might be perfect for you