If you’ve made the major decision to attend college, you’ll face a host of choices and action items before you even set foot on campus. A college counselor can help you decide which schools to apply to, how you’ll get into the school of your choice and what to major in.
In this article, we’ll explain how a college counselor can assist you with the application and admission process. We’ll cover the benefits of consulting with a college counselor and when to seek college counseling services.
If you’re wondering how to apply for college, a college counselor can help. Whether you’re hoping to head to college right after high school or your education journey has taken a different path, a college counselor can assist you in achieving your goals.
Some college counselors work at high schools to assist students with a smooth transition to college life. Others work independently or with counseling organizations. Online college counseling services are becoming increasingly popular as well.
A college counselor is a one-stop source of knowledge when it comes to the college admissions process. Rather than having to handle the entire process yourself, you can turn to a college counselor for support and guidance every step of the way.
The services college counselors provide include the following.
Whether you attend online or in-person college counseling, the process looks the same.
You will meet with a counselor, and if the two of you have a good rapport, you might select this person to help you along your college admissions journey. Your counselor might ask you lots of questions at first to assess your strengths, weaknesses and interests as a student and get a sense of what you’re looking for in a college.
Most college students choose to enroll in their school of choice based on criteria like affordability, proximity to home and whether the school offers their chosen program. College counselors can help students look at their needs and desires more closely and find a school they may not have initially considered, but which turns out to be a great fit.
In addition, college counselors often have a broad knowledge of local and national scholarship offerings and the best scholarship options for each student.
Depending on your goals, you might meet with your college counselor regularly over several months and more frequently during critical periods, such as when you’re putting together the application for your top-choice school. Other times, like when you’re awaiting acceptance letters, you may only need brief, occasional check-ins with your college counselor.
Once you’ve decided to pursue a degree, it’s never too early to start consulting with a college counselor. High school students can have college counselors review their grades and advise on course selection as early as ninth grade.
Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, online college counseling is now widely available. Several reputable companies provide online college counseling services (we’ll discuss a few of them below) and understand how to connect with student clients to nail down a strategic path to college acceptance.
For the most part, online college counseling works in much the same way as in-person counseling does. Video platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts facilitate meetings, during which your counselor can answer any questions you have, review applications or essays and share their knowledge about schools or scholarships that might suit you.
Everyone has a different college counseling experience, but in general, your sessions should consist of discussion, collaboration, planning, execution and review. Below we explore how a college counselor can help you throughout the college application process.
One of the first things your college counselor will want to know is what you’re looking for in a college and what you’re hoping to get out of the experience. This information helps them assist you in finding and applying for the best schools for you, not just the most obvious schools based on size, price and location.
This step can be done as early as ninth grade. If you have your sights set on a particular school, your college counselor can take a look at your grades, help you choose coursework and inform you which standardized tests you’ll need to prepare for to give you the best chance at admission. This part of the process is particularly important if you want to attend a college with competitive admissions.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 85% of full-time undergraduate students were awarded financial aid in the 2019-20 academic year. But financial aid can be difficult and time-consuming to navigate.
A college counselor can help you fill out the FAFSA and find scholarships to reduce the burden of college expenses.
Shortly after your senior year begins, it’s time to start applying to your top-choice schools. Your college counselor can help with this important process, ensuring you have the strongest application possible.
It’s hard to deny the benefits of additional support when you’re navigating the murky waters of college admissions. From choosing where to apply to ACT and SAT tips, a college counseling service can help. Below, we’ll take a look at some benefits of college counseling.
When you work with a college counselor, you have access to a dedicated expert who knows what colleges like to see on applications. They also know the application process and can help you stay on top of deadlines, to-do items and particular requirements for each school you apply to.
A college counselor gets to know you on an individual basis so they can best help you highlight your strengths on your college applications. Your counselor also knows what your prospective schools are looking for, meaning they can help you craft the best application for each school you’re applying to.
Between standardized tests, application deadlines and financial aid paperwork, college applications involve a lot of moving pieces. With a knowledgeable professional there to help you stay on track during this complicated process, you’ll have less to stress about.
Below we list a few popular online college counseling services that can help you navigate the college admissions process.
