These Parents Are Willing to Pay Up to $15,000 to Get Their Kids Into High School

The Wall Street Journal

In this article, The Wall Street Journal explores how families are increasingly turning to admissions consultants—paying thousands of dollars—to navigate the high-school admissions process. What once might have been reserved for elite college entry is now migrating earlier, as parents seek every edge to help their children secure spots in competitive public or private high schools.

Growing Demand for High School Admissions Consultants

The story centers on Laurie and Stephen McCarthy, who hired Brooklyn-based consultant Joyce Szuflita to guide them through high school admissions for their son. They paid for a two-hour Zoom session and walked away with a curated list of 15–20 school possibilities. Many consultants charge in the range of $5,000 to $15,000 for full-service packages. These services include everything from school selection to interview prep, essays, deadline management, and parental coaching.  In metro areas like Los Angeles, a la carte services may charge $200+ per hour.

This trend isn’t limited to private school seekers. With more diversity in high school options—vouchers, magnet programs, charter schools—admissions systems have grown more complex. Families want help decoding the labyrinth. In competitive urban districts like New York City, the stakes feel higher, and many parents feel a consultant is worth the cost—even for middle school to high school transitions. mint

What Consultants Offer & How They Charge

Consultants provide a menu of services: recommending “best-fit” schools, prepping students and parents for interviews, guiding essays, managing timelines, and “positioning” the student narrative to align with what schools expect. Some also collaborate with test prep firms that leverage AI diagnostics to tailor strategies. In some cases, parents are coached on how to talk about their child in ways that align with school messaging.

Pricing models vary: hourly, comprehensive packages, or retainer-based “unlimited access.” One parent, for example, paid $3,000 for unlimited access to a consultant who then guided her daughter’s applications. For families targeting private schools, consultant fees often amount to 10–25% of annual tuition.

Motivations, Benefits, and Equity Concerns

Many parents justify the expense on grounds of clarity and time saved. Laurie McCarthy noted that she could have spent months researching, but the consultant condensed insights into two hours of savvy advice. Others view the service as a strategic investment in their child’s educational trajectory.

However, the article raises serious equity implications. This kind of “privatized advantage” amplifies existing inequalities. Families with resources can buy strategic coaching; those without can’t. It creates a two-tiered system in which advantage accrues not just from school quality or parental background, but from access to insider knowledge.

Implications for Educators and School Systems

For public school leaders and admissions offices, this rising consultant market signals a growing distrust in transparency. Parents don’t feel they can navigate complex systems on their own. Schools may need to rethink how they communicate and structure admissions to reduce opacity.

Educators should reflect on how much of their own admissions practices are discoverable or predictable versus opaque. Are the expectations, interview questions, essay prompts, and criteria clearly communicated? If not, wealthy families benefit more from coaching, while others remain behind.

Schools might also consider whether consultant-driven applications skew what they see in applicant pools, favoring those families with “application polish” versus substantive student fit. It raises questions about fairness in selection: is the “narrative” or the student profile being optimized?

Finally, educators in feeder middle schools may find parent demand for guidance rising. Offering workshops or “admissions literacy” to all families could help democratize access to knowledge that is increasingly commodified.

Conclusion

This WSJ article reveals that a growing number of parents are treating high school admissions like high-stakes college entry—hiring consultants and paying thousands to gain an edge. While the advice may provide clarity and reduced stress to those who can afford it, it deepens inequities. For educators and school system leaders, this trend poses ethical and practical challenges: Can we ensure admissions systems are transparent and equitable? Can we provide the same guidance to lower-income families? And can we design admissions practices that reward student potential over coaching advantage?

Original Article

Source: “These Parents Are Willing to Pay Up to $15,000 to Get Their Kids Into High School,” Wall Street Journal (Oct 7, 2025) 

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com