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WHO NEEDS COLLEGE COUNSELING AND WHY?

There are many instances when families and students may wish to seek additional assistance. Some of the more common reasons are as follows:

• Applying to highly selective colleges where the competition is fierce.
• Family is not sure of the best way to present the attributes of the student.
• GPA and SAT/ACT scores are not the strongest points for the applicant.
• Guidance/advising services at the school are unavailable or inadequate.
• Assistance needed narrowing down search process and choosing a major.
• Financial aid process and scholarship paperwork are overwhelming.
• The family would like a Professional Educator to advocate for their child.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SENIOR YEAR TO BEGIN A COLLEGE ADVISING PROGRAM. THE WORK REQUIRED TAKES A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND PLANNING. MEET WITH A COUNSELOR AS EARLY AS 10TH GRADE TO MAKE PLANS FOR HOW YOU WILL APPROACH THE WHOLE COLLEGE PROCESS. THERE IS NO REASON TO DENY YOURSELF THIS TIME.

LIMITATIONS OF GUIDANCE PROGRAMS

Guidance programs are an incredibly important aspect of the high school experience. However, not all counselors are created equal. As a result, students assigned to different adults are provided with varying degrees of assistance and knowledge. Some educators may only know about certain colleges, whether they are in-state, public, or local campuses. Many staff members will not be able to find the time to work with the hundreds of students assigned to them. Due to this, there are guidance officers who do not know individual students (and vice versa).

Everything in a school system has to be prioritized and documented. Students needing “crisis” counseling are going to be seen by the guidance staff first and for a longer period of time. Pupils who are doing well in school are not going to be the ones called down to the guidance office for individual review. Most of the duties of school counselors are now related to delivering services that would be similar to those of social workers. These activities take up far more time and energy than those associated with applying to colleges and universities. Please read the following short article published by the New York Times: Graduates Fault Advice of Guidance Counselors.