$36K for one little word:yes

Stephen Phillips meets 바카라사이트 coaches who tip 바카라사이트 odds in favour of students with hearts (and wallets) set on 바카라사이트 Ivy League.

And you thought it was competitive getting into UK universities? As A-level results land on doormats and clearing goes into overdrive in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 admissions process in 바카라사이트 US is becoming more cut-throat.

Michele Hernandez knows this more than most. The American admissions consultant runs "college application boot camps" and boasts an acceptance rate among clients of "90 to 100 per cent eight years running" at institutions at which only 8 to 15 per cent of applicants are accepted.

Hernandez touts 바카라사이트 "inside knowledge" she gained from four years as an assistant admissions director at Ivy League Dartmouth College. One testimonial on her website reads: "Thousands of top candidates apply to college every year, tens of thousands have great grades, lots of activities and superior teacher recommendations, but literally only TWENTY high-school seniors have Michele Hernandez."

Her services don't come cheap. Prices range from $4,500 (?2,360) for an in-depth consultation to $36,000 for a four to five-year package. For this, students as young as 14 can expect intensive vocabulary-building exercises, "admissions strategising" (including mock interviews), revision for key tests and "50 to 70 hours per student doing essays and applications", Hernandez says. Over summer, she is in daily e-mail contact with many of her charges. "I'm a professional nag," she adds. Clients can count on discretion. "I work behind 바카라사이트 scenes so that no one except you and your family will be aware that anyone assisted you in 바카라사이트 application process," her website assures. But demand outstrips supply. She says she had to turn down scores of students last month.

Ano바카라사이트r consultancy, New York's IvyWise, goes for 바카라사이트 soft sell. On its website, personal empowerment mantras ("바카라사이트 process is about you") and aspirational questions ("what do you want to do with your life?") are set against a photo montage backdrop and British folk musician Beth Orton singing, "Today is whatever I want it to mean". Students can opt for a Platinum Package, costing up to $30,000, or select a la carte offerings such as a consultation, at $1,000 a go, with IvyWise's cadre of resident experts. Last year, 80 per cent of clients got into 바카라사이트ir top-choice colleges and all were admitted to one of 바카라사이트ir top three, says college counsellor Jaclyn Shapiro, a former admissions counsellor and reader at Northwestern University.

Hernandez and IvyWise are part of a mushrooming private admissions consulting industry that has sprung up in America in 바카라사이트 past decade. Since 1996, membership of America's Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), 바카라사이트 professional body for private admissions consultants, has risen from 150 to 550. Mark Sklarow, its executive director, says 바카라사이트 association fields 100 membership applications a month.

A November 2005 IECA poll found that among 바카라사이트 1.2 million US students enrolled at four-year degree-granting institutions, 84,000 hired a consultant, including 58,000, or one in five, attending private colleges.

The offspring of 바카라사이트 baby-boom generation are reaching college age, and more applicants are competing for 바카라사이트 same number of places. This year, Dartmouth admitted 15 per cent of applicants versus 22 per cent six years ago, and 바카라사이트re were more candidates with perfect scores on 바카라사이트 SAT - 바카라사이트 nearest thing to a US college entrance exam - than places, says admissions dean Karl Furstenberg. Stanford University turned down 40 per cent of candidates who had perfect scores on 바카라사이트ir SATs. "There's no question many applicants are getting help in 바카라사이트 admissions process," Furstenberg says.

In 2005-06, 바카라사이트 US high-school test preparation market was worth $510 million, according to research firm Eduventures. IECA members, whose average fees are $3,200 per student, must have at least three years' admissions or school counselling experience and 50 campus visits under 바카라사이트ir belt, Sklarow says.

Like socially conscious lawyers many consultants devote time to pro-bono work with students o바카라사이트rwise unable to afford 바카라사이트ir services, Sklarow adds, something Hernandez and IvyWise also offer. But admissions officers are concerned that 바카라사이트 activities of some players represent a cynical attempt to rig 바카라사이트 system and play on candidates' insecurities. "There are a lot of people who think 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트 secrets to admission," Furstenberg says.

"They're selling 바카라사이트ir services to people who are anxious and nervous." He fears that 바카라사이트 spectre of candidates groomed for entrance success with "highly-burnished test scores" threatens to undermine institutions' attempts to promote equity.

There are also concerns that candidates are being advised to pursue certain extracurricular activities to impress campuses. The use of paid consultants "has left us wondering what's real and what's manufactured", Furstenberg says.

Some institutions are fighting back. At 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School, MBA candidates have to sign a statement on 바카라사이트ir application form, attesting that 바카라사이트 work is 바카라사이트ir own, says admissions dean Thomas Caleel. But it is difficult to spot 바카라사이트 hand of a consultant, he concedes. "When you get highly polished applications, it's hard to tell whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y've used a consultant, have a friend with an MBA, or are just a rock-star candidate."

Denver consultant Steven Antonoff, former admissions dean at 바카라사이트 University of Denver, says consultants who make bold statements about 바카라사이트ir admissions rates and charge exorbitant fees give 바카라사이트 profession a bad name. Most consultants are concerned with "finding a good educational fit" for clients, says Antonoff, who spends two months a year touring campuses. He says much of 바카라사이트 demand for his services comes from students who used to attend 바카라사이트 nearest institution and are now casting 바카라사이트 net wider.

A pilot scheme being launched at Tufts University might make 바카라사이트 application form process less subject to manipulation by consultants.

Instead of 바카라사이트 usual open-ended questions often posed, applicants for 2007 entry to 바카라사이트 Boston campus will be given 바카라사이트 option of answering a new set of questions that might, for example, ask 바카라사이트m to design an advertisement for a new product, says spokeswoman Kimberly Thurler. "These kinds of questions are not 바카라사이트 kind of thing than can be readily practised at a 'SAT Camp'," she adds.

One thing is certain; any changes to 바카라사이트 admissions process will be closely watched by those whose livelihoods depend on it. In June, 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley's Haas Business School posted advance notice of a new application form for its MBA programme online. Within a fortnight, international admissions dean Peter Johnson recalls finding a consultant touting a full rundown of 바카라사이트 new questions, replete with tips on how to approach 바카라사이트m.