Ryan is jovial and fun in conversations. He will tell you that he knows the right things to say to…read morecolleges to get them to assist you with financial assistance. He knows the buzz words, he says. He's a great salesman.
So, you might be tempted to pay the $1700 up front fee and the $40/month to receive a generalized newsletter in an email. You may do this thinking that it will all be worth it when he helps you negotiate the college costs in the end, because that is ultimately why you have hired him, right?
But, in truth what you will receive for over $2500 in total is a plastic file folder box with files in it where you can keep the information from colleges. (This should cost around $20 if you purchase it yourself at Staples.) You will also receive monthly newsletters.
If you want, you will be able to pay extra to receive a Myers Briggs test from a woman in his office. She is very nice and will talk to your kid about possible school choices. (The Myers Briggs test is available online for free, by the way.)
Then, he will file your FAFSA for you, but might be a few days (or weeks) late in doing so. He will use generic passwords, the same ones he uses for his other clients. He will ask you not to change the passwords because it's easier for him if your password is the same as all of his clients.
Finally, if your kid gets into their dream college (ranked in the top 15 universities in the nation), and are ready to make a decision, you might reach out to Ryan to ask for all of the negotiation help that he promised to deliver. Unfortunately, you will receive a very generic form letter with no school information or details. The letter starts out with something like, "While we appreciate the offer you gave to us, we would like for more aid in scholarships or grants..." There are no buzz words or inside knowledge. In the form letter you will find brackets that will say [insert details here] and you will find yourself doing much of the work that you have been paying for an expert to do.
The generic letter might not help one bit and the esteemed university might tell you that you do not qualify for financial aid or assistance, despite a significant cut in income. When you ask Ryan for help with this, you will probably receive a response email that states something like, "Wow. This is great information for me to know. I had no idea this university wouldn't help out first year students. I have other clients interested in this university as well." Then the email will end with something like, "So thanks for this information. Wish it all worked out better for you."
And, after all is said and done, you might feel very, very stupid for paying this nice salesman over $2500 for promises he did not deliver. But hey, you will still have a file box, a bunch of electronic newsletters, and he got to learn something from you about a university.
And no, he will not refund you for the items he promised but did not deliver.