A number of high schools in the United States have on-campus school counselors for a reason; these individuals are certified and trained to help students deal with various issues he/she may be facing at school, whether it is related to study or other factors.
Apart from these areas, school counselors also provide assistance to students who are just beginning to apply to college. Not only do they help students with the application process, they also assist them in decisions related to what major they should opt for as well as what they need to do in order to prepare for admission.
If you’re a student who is about to begin applying to college, it is advisable that you set up a private session with your school counselor so that the both of you are able to determine which college will be suitable for you. It is best to state what you want and expect at the onset so that your school counselor is made aware of what your goals are and how you plan on achieving them.
Once you have informed your student counselor of your goal to get into college, he/she can help you by:
- Planning your classes: Depending on what you plan to major in, your school counselor can help you decide which classes taken during high school can help in your college admission.
- Identifying special opportunities: Your school counselor can inform you of local college fairs as well as opportunities for you to visit the campus via internships or summer programs. This way, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the college that you plan on applying to.
- Highlighting the things you need for a college admission: Your school counselor is well aware of the various tests you will need to prepare for in order to get into the college of your choice. He/she can help you get registered for preparatory tests for SAT, ACT and even TOEFL.
- Figuring out how you should pay for college: A lot of colleges offer financial assistance on a need or merit basis. Your high school counselor can help point out the colleges that offer this facility. He/she can also tell you about various scholarship offered by different colleges.
- Putting everything together in time for the application deadline: Staying in touch with your school counselor will help you keep abreast of the various application and test deadlines. Your school counselor will also help make sure that you have all documents in place to go with your application.
Your school counselor is available for any questions you may have regarding your college application process so don’t hesitate to ask. If you make sure to use your school counselor to your advantage, your college application process is bound to be a breeze.