Well, I did mention that there would be the occasional “self-indulgent fluff piece…” If this is the first blog post you’ve read on this site, I would probably recommend reading a different one. You’ve been warned. But it’s been a while since I’ve written anything and I did want to address this topic since I just finished my first semester at my new school. It’s been eye-opening how many families hire outside counselors even though they have a dedicated and experienced college counselor (not guidance counselor) at their disposal. In the past, I was annoyed at how many families hired out, but after consulting for a few years and now being back in the independent school world while finishing up with my current clients, it doesn’t bother me as much. I’ll share some insight into the difference between my work in both roles. I suppose my audience for this post is families who are part of independent schools who are considering hiring out.