How to Utilize the Resources at Your School

 Despite the high caseloads that school counselors may face, many high schools are providing a variety of opportunities for students and families to learn more about the college admissions process without having to travel for college visits.

In the fall, high schools open their doors for college representatives to conduct 30- minute presentations to high school juniors and seniors. Frequently, in the fall or spring, high schools will host college fairs for all high school grade levels and open them to students at any school in the region.

Many school counseling teams will provide Financing College and/or College Nights during the school year for students and parents to provide important information about paying for college and/or how to coordinate the college admissions process with counseling staff.

Counseling Offices tend to post resources around the school or the office, so students can learn about colleges and experiences they may not have previously heard of. Additionally, many schools are sending emails to students and families about upcoming events and college admissions important information.

Many high schools offer some sort of college admissions online software program such as Naviance/Family Connection, Cialfo, etc. Behind the scenes, high school counselors will use Naviance to gather high school transcripts and letters of recommendation to send to colleges when applying. For students and families, this tool can allow students to explore colleges and careers, learn about the selectivity of different colleges, and more. Students can create their college lists and do .research on individual colleges to review the acceptance history and the average GPA and test scores of students admitted from their high school. It is a wonderful college counseling tool and many schools offer a service like this.

When students are ready to start the college admissions process, it is important for students to learn about the services offered at their high schools and to set up appointments with their school counselors to learn about the resources available and how to get started. No matter what, it is impossible to complete a successful college admissions process without the help of your school, making it important for you to make sure your personal efforts are coordinated with theirs.

Families from the USA and All Over The World — Sign up for a FREE 20-minute phone call or online video meeting now so we can learn about your family’s college admissions needs and how we can provide support.

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