Privileged American Families and Independent Academic Consultants They Employ

This article focuses on how economically advantaged families hire independent educational consultants ( IEC s) to help them navigate the college application process. We argue that the help provided by IEC s embodies the marketization of emotional and relational mediation that many privileged families pursue during times of great anxiety. We offer the concept of “family mediator” to illustrate the relationship between parents, children, and the IEC s whom these families employ. First, this article will chronicle why many advantaged parents feel apprehensive about their children's application to college and how they decide to turn to IEC s for help. Furthermore, we will demonstrate how privileged parents, especially mothers, rely on IEC s to assuage their feelings and emotions. Finally, we will examine how IEC s enable parents and children to avoid conflicts and sustain connections to each other. Nevertheless, we find that resorting to IEC s as emotional and intergenerational mediators may not always work. Some parents and children occasionally resist the mediation provided by these IEC s, just as a few IEC s are unwilling to work as the bridge persons in these privileged families in order to protect their professional reputation and boundaries.