3 Questions to Ask Your College Counselor (And 2 to Avoid)
Getting into college can be hard and finding the right college for you can sometimes be even harder. That’s where college counselors come in. Effective college counselors (whether independent or at your school) make sure that you put your best foot forward when applying and that you focus on colleges that are strong matches for you. However, how do you maximize your time with your college counselor? What are some important questions to ask them? On the flip side, what are some mindsets that are less helpful when going to a college counselor? We are going to dive into these questions.
Some Important Questions to Ask College Counselors
How do I match my own interests and credentials to the colleges that I’m looking at?
College applications are about telling the story of YOU: your passions, your motivations, your beliefs, and your achievements. The most important thing is to tell your story from the heart and be authentic, while communicating how the college experience that you are applying for can help you achieve your goals. However, don’t try to fit into the exact box that you think the college is looking for. Colleges are looking to accept a person, not a number. In other words, let yourself shine!
With my grades and scores and credentials, what colleges should I focus on?
Optimally, this is a task for your college counselor, however you can use tools like Niche.com to look at average credentials of accepted students at universities and filter by your interests. This is a good first step, however don’t be discouraged by the numbers you see and decide not to apply solely based on that. Rather, let a college counselor take other factors into account to help you narrow down your college list into “reach”, “target”, and “likely” schools. In addition, if you only apply to “reach” or “likely” schools, you aren’t maximizing your desired outcomes effectively. Its important to strike that balance of risk-taking and being realistic, and college counselors are an essential resource to find that balance.
Do I need to take the SAT or ACT?
It used to be the case that almost everyone took the SAT or ACT when applying to college. However, many schools went test-optional during COVID. Since then, while many colleges are requiring testing again, there are many others that have retained either a test-optional or test-free policy. As a result, whether or not you should take the SAT or ACT is based on your eventual college list.
Questions to Avoid
How many AP classes do I have to take to get into a good school?
There isn’t a single algorithm that is correct or incorrect, and it is very common for families to think they need to hit a certain quota to get into a selective college. Taking AP classes is important (for those high schools that offer them), however students and/or parents often place too much emphasis on taking a certain number. What is much more important is how well you perform in the classes that you choose to take, along with determining how many rigorous courses suit you and your interests.
Am I better off applying from a public or private high school?
Don’t think too much about the school that you are applying from. Yes, doing well at a more challenging academic high school, both public and private, can be one of the many factors to improve your chances in applications.
However, it is very common for parents to think that their child will have a greater chance of admission if they do okay or even poorly at a challenging academic high school, rather than well at a less-highly-ranked high school. This is completely false. What matters is that you have a rewarding experience, follow your passions, and do as well as you can at whatever school you’re attending.
Takeaways
In summary, it can be very common for families to think that they need to hit certain quotas in order to be admitted into a college or university. This makes sense, especially since the United States is the only university system in the world that includes both subjective and objective credentials when building their first-year classes. As a result, when applying to US schools, think about the story that you are telling. Yes, strong grades and scores are important, however they are not the only important factors. Remember, colleges are accepting YOU, not just your grades or scores.
Interested in answers to some other common college questions? Feel free to check out our article Former Princeton Admissions Dean Answers College Questions on the “Getting In” Slate podcast.