Home |  Forward |  More Advice |  Subscribe (Free) October 25, 2007
With Rachel Korn, former admissions officer at several top universities.
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of the Week
Visiting Colleges
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How Does Your High School Work?
HEAD Start
TASK: Okay, you know what you want - how does your high school get you there? You need to learn how your high school counseling office works and see the processes that will be required of you in completing your applications.

WHY: All colleges will have some similar demands from your guidance office: a transcript of your grades, a letter from a guidance counselor or an equivalent. You will need to figure out the timeline at your high school for making sure these things can be sent to your schools in time for your applications. Additionally, if you want help or have questions, you will need to know how your high school office works so you can get research assistance.

HEAD Lines
What you need to figure out:
  • When can you meet with your guidance counselor to work on your school list?
  • Are there college admissions programs that your school runs about planning the process?
  • Is there a library of college catalogs and admissions materials? How do you access it?
  • Are there other students who help out in the college guidance office? How do you use them?
  • What is the policy about getting out of class to meet admissions officers when they visit your high school?
  • How do you arrange for your guidance letter of recommendation and transcripts to be sent to the schools?
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Freshman Year Survival
From Other HEADS
I STARTED THINKING about colleges my junior year. My school was really college-oriented, so I was pretty aware of the search process and how it works. It helped that our counselors were really good; they had a list of all of us and made sure everyone applied to at least four places. I liked having my hand held that way.

--DANA NOTESTINE
EAST POINT, GEORGIA
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE


ASK QUESTIONS of your guidance counselors. I'd ask them, "What would you do if you were me? Where would you go to school if you were me? What did you do wrong during the process that you wish you could do over?" Most kids are afraid of looking dumb by asking a lot of questions. But everyone working at your high school already has a college degree, which means that at one time they were standing exactly where you are now.

--PAMALA BURNSWORTH
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY



Web Resources
Does your high school have a website? Now's the time to bookmark it. Or, if your counseling center is lacking, check out www.majorsexplored.com/high-school-guidance-counselor.cfm for a variety of checklists to download and print out to keep yourself in check.


HoH Tip
Did you know? In most high schools, a staff member is assigned to aid with the college application process. They do much more than just mail out forms: College advisers can be a valuable resource. They visit the schools, attend professional conferences, and forge relationships with the admissions staff at the colleges; they are constantly on the phone, e-mailing, and in contact with all aspects of the process, with the added advantage of insider knowledge and statistics for particular schools. Often, they are in a better position to make the right match than you would be. And they are advocating for you. Remember: You are never bugging the counselor too much!




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