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It’s possible you’ll not notice it, however your highschool has a useful useful resource that may make it simpler to get into faculty and safe monetary help: your highschool counselor.
Most faculties have counselors obtainable to college students; in reality, 85% of public colleges and 48% of personal excessive colleges have not less than one counselor on workers. However you could not notice all the help that your highschool counselor can present.
In case your faculty has counselors obtainable, these are the very best inquiries to ask your faculty counselor so that you simply’re ready for faculty.
15 Good Inquiries to Ask Your School Counselor
Though some colleges could have counselors devoted solely to navigating faculty admissions and monetary help, most counselors are extra generalized, and help with every thing from selecting lessons in highschool to dealing with private points.
The most effective inquiries to ask a school counselor rely on what stage you’re in proper now:
About Excessive College Coursework
You can begin planning forward for faculty as quickly as your first 12 months of highschool. As a highschool pupil, ask your counselor the next questions:
1. What’s the proper highschool schedule for me?
If you wish to go to school, balancing coursework with extracurriculars is vital. Faculties look past grades; they need well-rounded college students that may improve the campus. Your counselor will help you take a look at each your faculty’s necessities and your pursuits to develop a schedule that includes your lessons, neighborhood service, and extracurriculars like sports activities or theater.
2. What programs do I must take to be prepared for faculty?
Faculties take your grades into consideration, however in addition they wish to see that you simply took difficult programs. Prime-tier faculties, comparable to Ivy League Universities, usually count on candidates to finish AP- and honors-level programs.
Ask your counselor about what lessons to take primarily based in your focused listing of potential universities.
3. Ought to I take the SAT or ACT? Do I must take each? Or do I must take them in any respect?
The SAT and the ACT are two standardized assessments that almost all faculties require as a part of the admissions course of. Some colleges have a choice for one take a look at over the opposite, and a few colleges don’t require both of them (additionally known as “test-optional” functions). Your counselor will determine what take a look at is finest on your chosen universities.
4. How do I put together for the SAT/ACT?
Your SAT or ACT scores will help you get into your dream faculty — and doubtlessly qualify for benefit help. Ask your counselor about one of the simplest ways to organize. Your counselor might be able to advocate free books, on-line sources and take a look at prep supplies that you should use to review for the examination. They might additionally have the ability to direct you to follow exams you may take to get an concept of what to anticipate.
5. Are my present grades excessive sufficient to get into my first-choice faculty?
Some faculties are extraordinarily selective; for instance, Harvard College’s acceptance fee was simply 3.41% this 12 months, making it the hardest faculty to get into within the nation.
Your highschool counselor can evaluation your transcript with you and allow you to know what grades you should get into your first-choice faculty. In case your grades aren’t the place they have to be, your counselor may give you an concept of how a lot you should enhance them to extend your possibilities of getting accepted — or assist you determine various colleges.
About School Prep
In your junior or senior 12 months of highschool, the school admissions course of heats up. You’ll slim down your listing of schools, tour campuses, and fill out and submit functions. Your counselor performs a pivotal position throughout this era, and asking the next questions will permit you to put together:
1. Is there a school truthful close by?
When you aren’t positive the place you wish to go to school, faculty gala’s are a good way to discover your choices. Faculties from everywhere in the nation come to those gala’s to share details about their packages and campuses, and the college representatives can inform you what makes their faculty stand out. Your counselor can provide the particulars for upcoming faculty gala’s in your space.
2. When ought to I begin making use of to schools?
On the subject of making use of to your dream faculty, timing is crucial. Some colleges have strict deadlines, and your counselor will have the ability to inform you when these deadlines are and collect the fitting supplies so you may submit your utility on time.
Typically, you’ve till January or February to submit your utility. However some colleges give choice to college students that apply early motion or early determination, which might require you to submit your utility months earlier; the deadline for early determination and early motion is often in November.
Your counselor can even remind you of necessary duties forward of the deadlines, comparable to requesting transcripts or asking academics for letters of advice.
3. What do faculty admission officers search for in a school essay?
Your faculty essay is likely one of the most necessary elements of your utility; it’s your alternative to inform your story and provides admission officers a greater understanding of who you’re. Your counselor can evaluation the essay with you and provide you with suggestions that may enhance your essay.
4. What ought to I count on in a school interview? How ought to I put together?
ome colleges require — or advocate — candidates to finish an in-person or digital interview. When you haven’t participated in a school interview earlier than, it may be nerve-wracking. Your counselor can make sure you’re ready; they will present typical questions interviewers ask and provide you with tips about how one can give the very best solutions to showcase your skills and achievements.
5. What ought to I do on a school campus go to?
In case you have the choice of arranging a campus tour, it’s a superb concept. There’s no higher solution to get a really feel for the campus. Your counselor will help you create an agenda for the go to primarily based in your pursuits and targets so that you don’t miss any necessary spots on campus.
About Monetary Support
On the subject of paying for faculty, your highschool or faculty counselor is a crucial useful resource.
As you start the monetary help course of, ask your counselor the next questions:
1. How does the monetary help course of work?
The monetary help course of is advanced, and plenty of college students discover it overwhelming. Your counselor can clarify the various kinds of help, comparable to scholarships and grants, and determine sources that may assist you discover extra help. They can even define what steps you should full to qualify for help, comparable to filling out the Free Utility for Federal Scholar Support (FAFSA) or state-based types.
2. What types do I exploit to use for monetary help and the place can I discover them on-line?
All college students ought to fill out the FAFSA. However relying on the place you reside and your chosen faculty, there could also be extra types to finish such because the CSS Profile. Your counselor can inform you what types you should fill out for state-based or institutional help.
3. Are there any good scholarships or grants you assume I might qualify for?
Many college students are shocked to seek out out that there are billions of {dollars} obtainable in scholarships and grants that you should use to pay for faculty. Your counselor will have the ability to share beneficial sources on the place to seek out these alternatives, comparable to The School Board’s Scholarship Search Instrument and Fastweb.
4. When is the deadline for monetary help?
Monetary help functions have strict deadlines. Though the federal FAFSA deadline isn’t till the top of June, many states and faculties have deadlines which can be a lot earlier and a few monetary help is first come, first served, so it’s helpful to finish it early. Your counselor can inform you when to submit your monetary help functions to make sure you don’t miss a deadline and get the utmost quantity of obtainable help.
5. What do I do if I don’t obtain sufficient monetary help?
Sadly, it’s a standard downside: after receiving your acceptance letter and monetary help package deal, you discover out that you simply didn’t qualify for sufficient help to cowl the full price of attendance. If that occurs, you could really feel like your dream faculty is out of attain. However your counselor can work with you to determine different choices.
In some circumstances, your counselor might be able to assist you submit an enchantment for added monetary help. Or they will help you discover different monetary help alternatives, comparable to impartial scholarships, work-study packages or pupil loans.
Getting ready for School
Now that you recognize the very best inquiries to ask your highschool counselor, you’ll be higher ready to start out the school admissions course of.
Asking your counselor the fitting questions will provide you with the data you should decide the lessons in highschool, choose a school that’s the fitting match for you and qualify for monetary help. Having these conversations together with your counselor early on within the faculty admissions course of will make the transition a lot simpler.
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