How can your High School Counselor Help?

Getting Started with College Counselors!

Let’s just give it up and say, “We need all the help that we can get!”...Right? Especially from people who are knowledgeable and experienced in the university admissions process.

Help can definitely come from your family, your friends, and your dance teacher, but it can also come from your guidance counseling office at your high school.

Whether you attend a large or small public or private school, there should be a counselor on staff that can help. Not a school psychologist, but a college counselor.

Most high schools in the United States should offer some assistance: In private schools, the counselor is usually available from the beginning of high school to graduation; in public schools, the counselors can be extraordinarily busy, so they may only provide their services in the latter years.

Either way, you, the student, need to be very specific with questions and schedule your appointments (sometimes far in advance). Be sure you check on the counselor’s availability and schedule an appointment with them.

So, how can your counselor help you?

Well, the college counselor is important because that person will complete work for you, including things like sending your transcripts to the schools where you are applying, writing your counselor recommendation, and (perhaps) reading your college essays.

A good counselor will be extremely helpful in offering suggestions, or recommending, colleges to attend. If you go to see them fully prepared, they appreciate the time you have spent in preparing for the meeting and will go to extra lengths to help you out! So take some time before you meet them to make a list of all the questions you might need to have answered.

Take advantage of offerings.

Sometimes, college counselors will have large class meetings to prepare you for the college admissions process. They will tell you what you will need to do, what paperwork you will need to submit, and discuss things like test dates, also defining the vocabulary around the process (like what is the Common Application, and what are the differences between the SATs and the ACTs). Take advantage of these meetings and attend each one - with your parents, if possible.

We hope this helps you have a good relationship with your college counselor. They are there to help you succeed. So, help them help you!

Additionally, Role Call Prep has all of this information on our website. Plus, we have a free platform with loads of resources - simply sign up here.  You can also write to us with your questions!

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Photo Credit: I am Nah