Here is a list of questions you might consider asking of your potential consultant:
- When did you start getting paid to help applicants and how many have you helped?
- How have you continued to develop professionally?
- How many clients do you expect to take this year?
- How many have you already taken?
- Who would be working with me? Can I talk to that person before I pay you?
- Have you helped someone like me get where I am trying to go?
- Based on my profile, what is your assessment of my school selection?
- Do you think there are other schools that I should be considering?
- How can you add value to my applications?
- What are your results and experience with my target schools?
- What is your experience working in an admissions office?
- What are your consulting methods? Can you give me an idea of how the whole process would work and how we would interact?
- What is your availability?
- What is your turnaround time for reviewing documents?
- How have you managed the tight deadlines in the past?
- Do you work independently, with a team of people, or junior editing staff?
- How long would it take to prepare X (number) applications comprehensively?
- For how many years have you been consulting to applicants?
- What differentiates you from other consultants?
- For what types of graduate programs do you typically consult? What is your area of expertise?
- What are your criteria for selecting which clients to work with?
- How long have you been an AIGAC member and in what ways have you grown as a consultant through AIGAC?
- For applicants with extenuating circumstances, such as a prolonged period of unemployment or low GPA, to explain: Have you helped people in my situation?
- For applicants with an international background applying to a school outside of their home region: How much experience do you have working with international applicants? Have you worked with people from my country or part of the world before?
- If you are reapplying: How much experience do you have working with re-applicants?
