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Your Child's High School Counselor
Putting It All Together
During high school, your child will have many different teachers, take a variety of tests and participate in numerous activities. The counselor is the one person who sees the entire picture of your child's four-year high school career and who can bring all that information together.
The counselor helps your child plan a challenging course schedule and determine how to best achieve educational goals. The counselor provides information on which tests to take, which colleges are a good fit and how to get on the right track for the careers that interest your child.
Many students have the same counselor throughout high school. While most counselors advise hundreds of students, others advise only a few and have time to contact your child regularly. It is your child’s responsibility to take the initiative for educational plans and actively seek help from the counselor.
Taking Classes and Tests
The counselor keeps a record of all your child’s classes, grades and graduation requirements. This includes creating a class schedule based on your child’s postgraduation goals. If your child is faced with problems, either academic or otherwise, the counselor can provide connections to resources in the school or community. If your child experiences problems in class, the counselor can also speak with teachers and monitor progress.
Another aspect of the counselor’s responsibilities includes advising your child about which college admission tests, such as the SAT®, to take and when to take them. The counselor can also help ensure that your child meets various colleges' admission requirements.
Exploring College Options
While you explore college options, ask your child’s counselor to connect your child to information on various colleges, majors and careers. Some schools even offer personality profiles to explore preferences, strengths and weaknesses. Ask about all the resources available, so your child can be confident when it comes time to make choices for the future.
Applying to College
Counselors can recommend colleges that match your child’s academic profile and career goals, and also suggest some potential "safety," "probable" or "reach" colleges. Encourage your child to explore all the options, come up with a final list of colleges and meet all application deadlines. The College Board’s College Search is a great resource to help you find colleges that would be a good fit for your child.
Official school transcripts are sent by the counselor. Your child needs to provide the counselor with a list of the colleges that need to receive transcripts and the required deadlines.
College applications often require a counselor recommendation, so it is important that students build a relationship with the counselor before senior year. They should let the counselor know their goals and plans, as well as their strengths.
Paying for College
Your counselor can also help your family to understand your child's aid awards and decipher how financial aid works. The counselor may also be able to connect your child to local scholarship opportunities.
Meeting with Your Child's Counselor
Most counselors have very busy schedules, with the bulk of their time dedicated to meeting with their students. If you have the opportunity to meet with the counselor, it helps to have some questions prepared:
- Is my child taking the right courses to meet college entrance requirements?
- If my child needs extra help, are tutors available through the school?
- If my child is a fast learner, are there challenging classes and programs available?
- What resources does the school have for my child to explore college and career options?
- Which college admission and placement tests should my child be taking?
- Which colleges would be a good fit for my child?
The counselor has experience helping many students through high school and college planning and can be a valuable resource to help your child succeed.
If your family moves to a new school district, counselors at both schools can help ease the transition. Ask the counselor at the former school to write a letter to the new counselor, describing your child’s strengths and weaknesses and any important academic points. Make sure your child schedules an appointment with the new counselor to discuss future plans and academic goals.
