How to choose a study abroad consultant in Ghana
Choose one who tells you who pays them, puts every fee in writing, and promises nothing they cannot control. A good consultant helps your child build a funded list, plan the work and check the aid forms. A bad one guarantees admission or a visa, writes the essays, or keeps your passport. You do not need anyone at all: EducationUSA's free advising in Accra and Kumasi is a good first stop.
How do I choose a good study abroad consultant?
Choose one who tells you who pays them, puts every fee in writing, and promises nothing they cannot control. Then check that what they offer is something your child cannot easily do alone, such as building a funded list or checking the aid forms.
We are a consultancy ourselves, so read this guide with that in mind. The tests below are the ones we would want any family to apply to us.
Do we need a consultant at all?
No. Every part of a US application can be done by your child, with your help, from free information. Universities publish their requirements and aid policies. EducationUSA, the US State Department's advising network, gives free advice in person and online at its centres in Accra and Kumasi.
A consultant can still be worth paying for. Families most often choose one when the school has no college counsellor, when no one at home has been through the US system, or when they want an experienced second pair of eyes on the list and the aid forms. Decide what you need help with before you decide whom to pay.
Who pays them, and why does it matter?
It decides whose interests their advice serves. There are two kinds:
| Commission agent | Independent consultant | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | Mainly the universities it recruits for, as a commission per student | Your family, as a fee |
| Which universities it suggests | Often its partner institutions | Any university, in principle |
| Cost to your family | Often low or nothing | A stated fee |
| The question to ask | Is this university right for my child, or does it pay you? | What exactly does the fee buy? |
Neither is automatically bad. Some agents give honest advice, and some independent consultants overcharge. But a family should always know which kind it is dealing with.
For a Ghanaian student who needs full funding, the test is simple. Ask whether the list includes universities that meet full need for international students. If every university on it is a partner, the list was built around the agent's income, not your child's aid.
What should a good consultant actually do?
Help your child do the work well, not do it for them. Useful help looks like this:
- Building a funded list, with each university's aid policy for international students checked.
- A plan and deadlines, so the school's part and the aid forms are not left to the last week.
- Feedback on essays, through questions and comments, while the words stay your child's.
- Checking the aid forms against the family's documents, so the figures agree.
- Reading the offers with the family, so you compare what each one leaves you to pay.
What are the warning signs?
Five, and any one of them is enough to walk away:
- A guarantee of admission, a scholarship or a visa. No consultant controls these. The US Embassy in Accra has warned that no fixer or consultant can guarantee a visa.
- Writing the essays or filling in the application as if they were your child. It is dishonest, and it shows.
- Keeping your passport or original certificates. Hand over copies, and keep the originals at home.
- Fees that are vague, or due in cash with no receipt. Every fee should be in a written agreement.
- Changing figures on the aid forms to make your family look poorer or richer. Any wrong figure is a false statement, and it can cost your child the offer.
What questions should I ask before we pay?
Ask these six, and expect clear answers in writing:
- Who pays you? Do you receive commission from any university you might recommend?
- What exactly does the fee cover, and what does it not?
- Which universities have your students attended with full aid? Can I speak to a family you have worked with?
- How do you help with essays? Who writes them?
- Will you check our aid forms, and how?
- What happens if we stop halfway? Is any of the fee refunded?
A good consultant answers all six without hesitating. A family that has worked with them should be willing to talk to you.
How much should a consultant cost?
There is no standard fee in Ghana. Compare what each fee buys, not the headline price. A cheap package that leaves your child with no funded offer costs more than it looks. An expensive one that only fills in forms your child could fill in alone is poor value.
Ask for a written list of services and deadlines, and pay in stages, against work done, where you can. And remember the free options: EducationUSA, the universities' own admissions and aid offices, and guides like this one.
What if something goes wrong?
Act quickly, and in writing. What you do depends on what went wrong:
- The work is poor or late. Raise it with the consultant in writing, against the services and deadlines in your agreement. Most problems end here if the agreement was clear.
- You want to stop. Check the agreement's refund terms, ask for any documents back, and make sure you hold every login: the Common App, the CSS Profile and each university portal. Change the passwords.
- Your passport or certificates are being held. Ask for them back in writing, with a date. If they are not returned, report it to the police.
- You suspect fraud, such as a fake admission letter or a demand for money to "release" a visa. Stop paying, and keep every message and receipt. Report it to the police, and contact the university or the US Embassy directly to check what is real.
Whatever happens, your child's application belongs to your child. The accounts should be in your child's name and email, with passwords your family controls, from the very first day. A consultant who insists on owning the accounts is a warning sign of its own.
What should we do first?
Write down what you actually need help with: the list, the essays, the aid forms, or the whole process. Visit or contact EducationUSA first. Then, if you still want a consultant, ask the six questions above of at least two.
If you would like to put those questions to us, you can book a call. We will answer them plainly.
Questions people ask
Do I need a consultant to apply to US universities from Ghana?
No. Every part of the application can be done by your child, with your help, from free information. EducationUSA advises families for free in Accra and Kumasi. A consultant is a choice, not a requirement.
What is the difference between an agent and a consultant?
An agent is usually paid a commission by the universities it recruits for, so its advice tends to favour those partners. An independent consultant is paid by your family. Ask anyone you consider which one they are, and who pays them.
Can a consultant guarantee admission or a visa?
No. Only a university decides admission, and only a US consular officer decides a visa. The US Embassy in Accra warns that no fixer or consultant can guarantee a visa. A promise of either is a warning sign.
Should a consultant write my child's essays?
No. A good consultant can ask questions, suggest a structure and point out what is unclear. The words must be your child's. An essay someone else wrote reads like someone else, and universities treat it as dishonest.