How do you establish credibility as an admissions expert?

I’ve often established a rapport with a student by trying to understand them from all aspects in the first meeting itself. Once I can share and relate to their aspirations and apprehensions, the journey becomes easier as I provide a roadmap catering to their needs.

After helping my twin sons get 100% scholarship for soccer and my daughter 50% in STEM, I started my venture to help students from India get admission into US colleges via athletic scholarship route. Talking to the families (who have spoken to quite a few consultants before me), the issues I see is lack of trust, empathy, lack of out of the box solutions when the situation is not straight forward, communication and the biggest being lack of updates proactively. When I walk them through my families admissions journey (challenges and how I overcame them), I see agreement through a vigorous nod-of-heads and more. (India specific) culture plays an imp role as well. Knowing and addressing what is important during these conversations is the key!

One of the most insidious aspects of the term “admissions expert” is the number of people who use it as a self-given title without ever once having rendered an admission decision. I wouldn’t try to fly a plane, operate on a heart, or even give LSAT advice. I’m an expert on none of those because I have not done them professionally. I would be blindly throwing darts at a board and we see horrible admissions advice all the time given by people with a ton of confidence is their voice but with no admissions experience that is absolutely wrong. The best way to become an admissions expert is to become an admissions officer ideally at multiple universities/schools. Then you can truly be an expert because you know the process.

Get a job and actually do admissions. It amazes me how many people out there will say something with insurmountable confidence on a message board or a podcast that is so wrong that you’d want to do the exact opposite of what they say, and they have never rendered a single admissions decision. I wouldn’t want to perform heart surgery on someone without actually being a heart surgeon. And yet…

Been there myself. Establish a relation to the fear of the unknown. Let the prospect know you’ve been there too. It’s understandable, the fear, and assure them that you have there well being in good hands. We’re not moving forward until you’re sure of the path you need is clear and sound.

Strongly agree! Collaborating is the essence of success. In my academic and professional career I have several instances that demonstrate the power of collaboration.

Understand the definition of "value" is subjective. It's different for different people. A great example for me is a student sharing how I opened their eyes to the value of options when exploring higher education. I provided value by introducing options like fly-in or access programs that help students see a wider range of colleges and universities. This student learned more through these campus visits. They were introduced to the support systems that would be available to them if they enrolled. This connects to the earlier point of being authentic by giving attention to what different students are looking for.

To effectively establish credibility as an admissions expert, several elements are crucial. Beyond showcasing client testimonials and successful admission results, demonstrating resourcefulness is key. However, the cornerstone of credibility lies in building rapport and trust with key stakeholders—parents and students. From my personal experience, the initial interactions are pivotal. Many students have trusted my guidance primarily because of the comfort and connection established from the outset. This foundation of trust not only validates my expertise but also proves to be the most significant aspect of my credibility in the field.