Have you contacted the school college counselor?

Parents of 11th graders, now that the semester or trimester is in full swing, I have a question for you:

Have you and your junior met with the school’s college counselor?

This is a critical step in the college admissions process at this time of year. Why?

This is a critical step in the college admissions process at this time of year. Why?

Without their school supporting your teen and understanding more about who they are and where they want to go to college - you could be losing valuable time, information and resources that your college counseling office provides.

Before I started Strategic Admissions AdviceI was a school guidance counselor. I understand firsthand what students and parents go through. From reviewing their classes, tests and college lists - there is a lot to consider when advising them on their next step in the process.

But at the end of the day, the role of the college counselor remains the same:

• Help students apply academic achievement strategies
• Help students plan for postsecondary school options (college, military, workforce) 
  

I advise my clients to start now by meeting with their college counselor to ensure everyone is on the same page. You wouldn’t want to be “undermatched'' when it comes to your  child’s college List. What is “undermatching?” Undermatching is when a school or independent college counselor poorly evaluates a student’s chances for admission. It’s when they suggest colleges that are essentially not a good match for a student by not taking into consideration their  strengths, interests, aspirations, culture or family dynamics. An “undermatched” college list only includes schools that the counselor is familiar with or is generated from free and generic resources.

You and your child deserve better. 

The role of the school of counselor can vary, but essentially at this time of the year, the focus of the school counselor should be to:

1. Build a college list
2. Spring college visits
3. Timetable for testing
4. Suggested teachers for writing recommendations
5. Reviewing transcripts
6. Strategize courses for their senior year
7. Review current and potential extracurricular activities
8. Determine a plan for the summer

Sounds like a lot? Yes, it is…

It is imperative that you and your teen contact their college counselor to address these points above.

And,  sooner rather than later.

Why?

Because this person needs to know and support your child. The college counselor will write a recommendation on behalf of your child. To help them with this, there could be parent and student questionnaires that you need to fill out. 

And much more…

Please make the effort to connect with your school’s college counselor in the coming weeks.

You may need to take the initiative and call to make an appointment. If you’re not sure where to start, or if the school counselor is too busy or you’re not feeling it is the right level of support for your child, we can help.

We want to give you a strategy. We want to support you. We want you to have clarity.

Please click here for information on how to schedule a Discovery Call with our team. 

We look forward to working with you.