The Important Questions Students Should Ask School Counselors When Planning for College

School counselors are valuable assets for high school students planning for and applying to college. High school counselors have a myriad of information about college preparation and admissions tests. They are also great sources of information about educational support and career choices. However, students need to be the ones to seek out their school counselors to request help and vocalize their needs. Ergo, students seeking guidance in the college planning process would benefit greatly by drawing on their school counselor’s wealth of knowledge.  

Below, we’ve compiled a list of questions that will help our high school students gain the information they seek to better navigate their college planning, and we’ve organized them into the five main categories of the college preparation process. 

1. College Ready Recommendations

It is crucial for students, under- and upperclassmen alike, to be aware of the impact that their high school courses make on their higher education. High schoolers need to be making the best course choices for success in college—and their school counselors can help! 

Here are a few pivotal questions that high school students should be asking their school counselors:

  1. What classes should I take to prepare for college?

  2. How can I create a reasonable class schedule that will allow me to complete them?

  3. Are there any honors or AP courses that I either qualify for or could work toward?

  4. What elective courses are recommended?

  5. Will my honors/AP/elective courses transfer to my desired college/university?

  6. How does my current high school transcript hold up against scrutiny? How can it be improved upon?

  7. What is my current class rank?

  8. Are there any college planning sessions scheduled?

  9. Are there any college fairs scheduled?

  10. What college resources/guidebooks/handbooks are available to take/borrow?

  11. Are there any recommended extracurriculars/volunteer work/activities that can improve my college portfolio?

  12. What are the requisites for our school’s honors societies? What do I need to do in order to qualify?

  13. How does our school stack up against other schools? 

2. Admissions Tests Help

High school counselors know the dates when their school hosts various tests like the PSAT/NMSQT®, ACT®, and SAT®. Students need to make sure that they have spoken to their school counselors about those upcoming tests, but also be sure to register for those tests if needed. Furthermore, some schools automatically sign their students up for school-day test administrations, but many do not.

  1. When is the next PSAT®/NMSQT, ACT®, or SAT® being administered?

  2. Do I need to register?

  3. How does our school’s/my class’s average test scores compare to other schools?

3. College-Specific Support

School counselors also have connections to recent high school graduates; graduates are usually open to speaking with high school students about their college experiences. Connecting with alumni can help high school students garner inside information on specific colleges, and further narrow down their college search. 

Additionally, school counselors know which schools (particularly state schools) are usually favored by other students. In some cases (particularly top-tier schools), colleges and universities will not select more than one or two applicants from the same high school. This is vital information to have when keeping college admissions expectations in check.

  1. Can you connect me to any recent graduates who have attended any of the colleges that I’m interested in?

  2. What colleges do many of the other students from our school typically apply to?

4. Financial Aid

Students can ask their school counselors for help locating available scholarship opportunities—especially local ones.

Likewise, counselors have plenty of experience helping students sort through financial aid options. Students should take advantage of any and all recommendations that their school counselors can offer to help them secure the most financial support for college.  

  1. Are there any recommended scholarships that I could work toward?

  2. What public/private scholarships are available to apply for?

  3. What forms do I need to use to apply for financial aid? Can you help me find them?

5. Education and Career Advice 

School counselors also have great insight into various education and career paths. Students should let their school counselors know what their goals and aspirations are to find out what direction/suggestions their counselors might have to help them explore different education and career paths.

  1. Do you have any information that would help me consider a career in _______?

  2. Given my current transcript, what are my available options for college? Two-year vs. four-year programs? Community college vs. trade school vs. private/public college/university?

  3. How can I make my college application/college portfolio stand out—particularly if my application/portfolio is submitted to a pool with other applicants from our high school?

High school counselors are part of our clients’ educational support system. Students can only better their chances in making the most of their high school education and increase their odds of getting into their choice schools when they take advantage of the network of advisers available to them.

As their test-prep teachers and tutors, we also play a huge role in our clients’ educational support system. By encouraging our students to use all of their available resources, we help them to better prepare for their academic journeys ahead.

For more college planning guidance for your test-prep business and your clients, check out some of our older blog posts listed below. And to stay in the know with our latest advice, subscribe to our blog and receive our tips and suggestions straight to your inbox!

Matt McCorkleTest-Prep Advice, College Applications, College Scholarships, College Planning