How to Maximize Your Time With Your College Counselor

Your College Counselor Is An Essential Part Of Your Support System While Applying For College…

Yet many students are unsure how to approach their relationship with their college counselor. A strong relationship with your college counselor starts with respecting their time as well as yours. To do this, you need to learn how to maximize your time with your counselor.

With only so much time to devote to a meeting with your college counselor, you need to come to every meeting prepared. In this article, we’ll help you understand how to prepare for college meetings and how to make the most of them while you’re there!

What You’ll Find In This Article

• Time is Money!
• How to Find the Right College Counselor
• How to Make the Most of Your College Counseling Meetings
• A College Counselor Can Help You Get Into College

Time Is Money!

Maximizing your time with your college counselor is essential if you want to do everything you can to get into college.

Your college counselor will often ask you to do prep work between sessions, like filling out forms or researching colleges on your own time. These tasks may seem trivial, but it’s important that you do your prep work. With only thirty minutes to an hour to work together, you’ll want to be efficient in your meetings with your college counselor. In order to do this, you need to walk into your meeting prepared, ready to listen, and with questions to ask.

How To Find The Right College Counselor

While many students will have their needs met by a school guidance counselor, those who need more personalized help can turn to a private college counselor. With the specialized help provided by a private college counselor, you can increase your chances of getting into your dream college and take a lot of the stress of college applications off your shoulders.

Finding the right college counselor can be a time-consuming task if you’re not sure what to look for. When evaluating a counselor’s services, there are several questions you should ask:

1. What type of services does the college counselor offer?
2. Will you have access to a counselor who works solo, or to a team of counselors?
3. How accessible will the college counselor be? How often can you arrange meetings?

Private college counselors work in a variety of formats and offer many different services. Here at WeAdmit, for example, we create a team of counselors who work toward your success by helping you create the perfect college portfolio, reviewing your application essays, and assisting you through the financial aid process. Plus, we’re available any time thanks to our unique online platform!

Additionally, the right college counselor for you is one who is also fully dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. The ideal college for you shouldn’t be based on prestige or where your parents went to school, but on your unique passions and life goals, and a good college counselor will recognize this and help you find the right school for your unique situation.

How To Make The Most Of Your College Counseling Meetings

In order to make the most of your college meetings, you’ll need to do several things before and during each session. Don’t worry about preparing too much before your first meeting though; instead, come in with an open mind and plenty of questions. The following tips will help you maximize the time you spend with your college counselor at every meeting afterwards.

COME PREPARED

You should always approach your meetings with your college counselor with an open mind. However, this doesn’t mean you should come totally unprepared.

Even if your college counselor has a copy of your transcript, be sure you know your own grades in the classes you’re taking. Having a clear picture of your academic record can save you and your counselor time searching through papers, leaving more time to talk about your goals and the types of classes you should be taking your senior year.

Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to come to your first college counseling meeting with ideas and questions. While you may not feel confident enough to create a reach, target, and safety school list on your own, you can still come to your meeting with a mental list of schools that you’re interested in. From there, your counselor will be able to gain insight into the types of schools you’re interested in and help you narrow down the college search.

MEET YOUR DEADLINES

Your college counselor will be a busy professional, and if they ask you to turn a form or worksheet in by a certain time, it’s not just busywork. Meeting your deadlines will be crucial to your relationship with your college counselor, in both how effectively they can assist you in the college application process and in how much extra work you potentially put on their shoulders by being late.

Don’t procrastinate on tasks given to you by your college counselor. While it can be tempting to wait until you’re in the right frame of mind to fill out worksheets about your future, there are ways you can adjust your mindset right now in order to meet your deadlines.

BRING NOTES

The human brain is great at many things: remembering details is not one of them. Throughout the week, if a question or idea pops into your head that makes you think “I need to ask my college counselor about this,” write it down! There’s absolutely no shame in bringing notes to your meetings with your counselor. In fact, they may even be impressed with your attention to detail!

Avoid limiting yourself to questions and problems as well. Take note of the positive things that happen between your meetings with your college counselor. From finally earning an “A” in microbiology to landing the leading role in your theater’s production of Macbeth, keep your college counselor in the loop about your achievements. They’ll know how to best present your accomplishments in your application and essays, and will also be excited for you too!

ASK QUESTIONS

You’ve heard “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” before, and it’s especially true in the world of college admissions. There are so many myths and widely accepted half-truths about applying to and paying for college that it’s only natural you’ll have plenty of questions.

One of your college counselor’s main goals is to take the stress and confusion out of the application process. There’s no need to just stick to the questions you have on your list of notes. If you think of a question while talking with your counselor, feel free to ask!

Remember, they’re here to counsel you, which means asking questions is part of the process. Your questions may spark important discussion or help your college counselor narrow down parts of the college admission process that are giving you trouble.

LISTEN WELL

It can be tempting to zone out when there’s yet another adult telling you how to live your life, but you should always remember that your college counselor has your best interests at heart.

Your counselor’s years of expertise in the college admissions field are likely of no more use to them personally, as they’ve gone through college already, but they want to put this knowledge to use helping you achieve the same academic success they did. Your counselor has been in your shoes before, and they’re here to help.

Focus on listening and absorbing your college counselor’s advice. Respect their time and expertise, and they’ll do the same by respecting your time and valuing your opinion. By building a strong relationship with your college counselor, you can work together toward the common goal of helping you be admitted into the right school for your needs.

BE HONEST

Choosing where to attend college isn’t all a numbers game. While there are plenty of logical concerns to picking a college, from your test scores to what a college offers, there is an emotional side to picking a school as well. A good college counselor will recognize this and help you work through the “head vs. heart” debate to choose a school where you can flourish.

This means that, in order to find a school where you’ll thrive, it’s important that you’re honest with everyone; and that includes being honest with yourself. Don’t let your choice be swayed by anyone else’s expectations and instead focus on your own passions and life goals.

Especially if you’re struggling with burnout, you should always be honest with your counselor about the way the college application process is playing out for you. They’ll be able to help guide you toward the college where you’ll fit while taking as much stress as possible out of the process.

A College Counselor Can Help You Get Into College

Applying for college can be extremely stressful, but with a support system in place, you can ease much of the burden off of yourself. A college counselor can guide you through the college application process and answer your questions. Sometimes, simply having a counselor who’s been in your shoes before can motivate you toward the finish line!

Our WeAdmit counselors know what it’s like to apply to college, and we’d love to hear your questions about the process. Our expert team of counselors will work with you and your family to come up with the college admission plan tailored to your specific needs, making the whole college experience that much smoother.

If You’re Ready To Take The Next Step On Your College Journey, We Hope You’ll Get In Touch!