Chances are you’ll not understand it, however your highschool has a useful useful resource that may make it simpler to get into school and safe monetary assist: your highschool counselor.
Most faculties have counselors obtainable to college students; in actual fact, 85% of public faculties and 48% of personal excessive faculties have a minimum of one counselor on employees. However you might not understand the entire help that your highschool counselor can present.
In case your college has counselors obtainable, these are the very best inquiries to ask your school counselor so that you just’re ready for faculty.
15 Good Inquiries to Ask Your School Counselor
Though some faculties could have counselors devoted solely to navigating school admissions and monetary assist, most counselors are extra generalized, and help with the whole lot from selecting lessons in highschool to dealing with private points.
The perfect inquiries to ask a school counselor depend upon what stage you’re in proper now:
About Excessive College Coursework
You can begin planning forward for faculty as quickly as your first yr 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 essential. Schools look past grades; they need well-rounded college students that may improve the campus. Your counselor might help you take a look at each your school’s necessities and your pursuits to develop a schedule that includes your lessons, group service, and extracurriculars like sports activities or theater.
2. What programs do I must take to be prepared for faculty?
Schools take your grades into consideration, however in addition they need to see that you just took difficult programs. High-tier faculties, akin to Ivy League Universities, typically count on candidates to finish AP- and honors-level programs.
Ask your counselor about what lessons to take based mostly 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 checks that almost all faculties require as a part of the admissions course of. Some faculties have a desire for one take a look at over the opposite, and a few faculties don’t require both of them (additionally known as “test-optional” functions). Your counselor will determine what take a look at is finest to your chosen universities.
4. How do I put together for the SAT/ACT?
Your SAT or ACT scores might help you get into your dream college — and doubtlessly qualify for benefit assist. Ask your counselor about one of the simplest ways to organize. Your counselor could possibly advocate free books, on-line sources and take a look at prep supplies that you should utilize to check for the examination. They could additionally be capable to direct you to observe 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 school?
Some faculties are extraordinarily selective; for instance, Harvard College’s acceptance fee was simply 3.41% this yr, making it the hardest college to get into within the nation.
Your highschool counselor can assessment your transcript with you and allow you to know what grades it’s essential to get into your first-choice school. In case your grades aren’t the place they should be, your counselor may give you an concept of how a lot it’s essential to enhance them to extend your probabilities of getting accepted — or provide help to determine various faculties.
About School Prep
In your junior or senior yr of highschool, the school admissions course of heats up. You’ll slender down your listing of schools, tour campuses, and fill out and submit functions. Your counselor performs a pivotal function throughout this era, and asking the next questions will permit you to put together:
1. Is there a school truthful close by?
In case you aren’t certain the place you need to go to school, school gala’s are an effective way to discover your choices. Schools from all around the nation come to those gala’s to share details about their packages and campuses, and the varsity representatives can let you know what makes their school stand out. Your counselor can provide the particulars for upcoming school gala’s in your space.
2. When ought to I begin making use of to high schools?
In relation to making use of to your dream college, timing is essential. Some faculties have strict deadlines, and your counselor will be capable to let you know when these deadlines are and collect the suitable supplies so you may submit your utility on time.
Usually, you’ve gotten till January or February to submit your utility. However some faculties give desire 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 normally in November.
Your counselor also can remind you of vital duties forward of the deadlines, akin to requesting transcripts or asking academics for letters of advice.
3. What do school admission officers search for in a school essay?
Your school essay is among the most vital components 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 assessment 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 faculties require — or advocate — candidates to finish an in-person or digital interview. In case you haven’t participated in a school interview earlier than, it may be nerve-wracking. Your counselor can make sure you’re ready; they’ll present typical questions interviewers ask and provide you with tips about the way to give the very best solutions to showcase your skills and achievements.
5. What ought to I do on a school campus go to?
If in case you have the choice of arranging a campus tour, it’s a superb concept. There’s no higher method to get a really feel for the campus. Your counselor might help you create an agenda for the go to based mostly in your pursuits and targets so that you don’t miss any vital spots on campus.
About Monetary Assist
In relation to paying for faculty, your highschool or school counselor is a essential useful resource.
As you start the monetary assist course of, ask your counselor the next questions:
1. How does the monetary assist course of work?
The monetary assist course of is advanced, and plenty of college students discover it overwhelming. Your counselor can clarify the various kinds of assist, akin to scholarships and grants, and determine sources that may provide help to discover further assist. They can even define what steps it’s essential to full to qualify for assist, akin to filling out the Free Utility for Federal Scholar Assist (FAFSA) or state-based types.
2. What types do I exploit to use for monetary assist 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 school, there could also be further types to finish such because the CSS Profile. Your counselor can let you know what types it’s essential to fill out for state-based or institutional assist.
3. Are there any good scholarships or grants you suppose I may 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 utilize to pay for faculty. Your counselor will be capable to share helpful sources on the place to seek out these alternatives, akin to The School Board’s Scholarship Search Instrument and Fastweb.
4. When is the deadline for monetary assist?
Monetary assist functions have strict deadlines. Though the federal FAFSA deadline isn’t till the tip of June, many states and faculties have deadlines which can be a lot earlier and a few monetary assist is first come, first served, so it’s useful to finish it early. Your counselor can let you know when to submit your monetary assist functions to make sure you don’t miss a deadline and get the utmost quantity of accessible assist.
5. What do I do if I don’t obtain sufficient monetary assist?
Sadly, it’s a standard downside: after receiving your acceptance letter and monetary assist bundle, you discover out that you just didn’t qualify for sufficient assist to cowl the whole price of attendance. If that occurs, you might really feel like your dream college is out of attain. However your counselor can work with you to determine different choices.
In some circumstances, your counselor could possibly provide help to submit an attraction for added monetary assist. Or they might help you discover different monetary assist alternatives, akin to unbiased scholarships, work-study packages or pupil loans.
Making 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 suitable questions provides you with the data it’s essential to choose the lessons in highschool, choose a school that’s the suitable match for you and qualify for monetary assist. Having these conversations along with your counselor early on within the school admissions course of will make the transition a lot simpler.
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