It’s possible you’ll not notice 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 accessible to college students; in actual fact, 85% of public faculties and 48% of personal excessive faculties have at the least one counselor on employees. However you might not notice all the help that your highschool counselor can present.

In case your faculty has counselors accessible, these are the most effective inquiries to ask your school counselor so that you just’re ready for school.

15 Good Inquiries to Ask Your Faculty 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 very best inquiries to ask a university counselor rely on what stage you’re in proper now:

About Excessive Faculty Coursework

You can begin planning forward for school as quickly as your first 12 months of highschool. As a highschool scholar, 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 have a look at each your school’s necessities and your pursuits to develop a schedule that comes with your lessons, group service, and extracurriculars like sports activities or theater.

2. What programs do I have to take to be prepared for school?

Faculties take your grades into consideration, however in addition they wish to see that you just took difficult programs. High-tier schools, resembling 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 record of potential universities.

3. Ought to I take the SAT or ACT? Do I have to take each? Or do I have to take them in any respect?

The SAT and the ACT are two standardized assessments that the majority schools require as a part of the admissions course of. Some faculties have a desire for one check over the opposite, and a few faculties don’t require both of them (additionally known as “test-optional” purposes). Your counselor will establish what check is finest to 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 advantage assist. Ask your counselor about one of the simplest ways to organize. Your counselor could possibly suggest free books, on-line sources and check prep supplies that you need to use to review for the examination. They could additionally be capable of direct you to apply exams you’ll be able to take to get an thought of what to anticipate.

5. Are my present grades excessive sufficient to get into my first-choice school?

Some schools are extraordinarily selective; for instance, Harvard College’s acceptance price was simply 3.41% this 12 months, making it the hardest faculty to get into within the nation.

Your highschool counselor can overview your transcript with you and allow you to know what grades you’ll want to get into your first-choice school. In case your grades aren’t the place they have to be, your counselor may give you an thought of how a lot you’ll want to enhance them to extend your possibilities of getting accepted — or assist you to establish different faculties.

About Faculty Prep

In your junior or senior 12 months of highschool, the faculty admissions course of heats up. You’ll slim down your record of schools, tour campuses, and fill out and submit purposes. Your counselor performs a pivotal function throughout this era, and asking the next questions will assist you to put together:

1. Is there a university honest close by?

If you happen to aren’t certain the place you wish to go to school, school festivals are a good way to discover your choices. Faculties from everywhere in the nation come to those festivals 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 festivals in your space.

2. When ought to I begin making use of to high schools?

On the subject of making use of to your dream faculty, timing is crucial. Some faculties have strict deadlines, and your counselor will be capable of let you know when these deadlines are and collect the correct supplies so you’ll be able to submit your utility on time.

Usually, you’ve got till January or February to submit your utility. However some faculties give desire to college students that apply early motion or early resolution, which might require you to submit your utility months earlier; the deadline for early resolution and early motion is normally in November.

Your counselor may also remind you of essential duties forward of the deadlines, resembling requesting transcripts or asking academics for letters of advice.

3. What do school admission officers search for in a university essay?

Your school essay is among the most essential 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 overview the essay with you and provide you with suggestions that may enhance your essay.

4. What ought to I count on in a university interview? How ought to I put together?

ome faculties require — or suggest — candidates to finish an in-person or digital interview. If you happen to haven’t participated in a university 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 recommendations on the best way to give the most effective solutions to showcase your abilities and achievements.

5. What ought to I do on a university campus go to?

When you have the choice of arranging a campus tour, it’s a wonderful thought. There’s no higher technique 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 essential spots on campus.

About Monetary Help

On the subject of paying for school, your highschool or school counselor is a crucial 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, resembling scholarships and grants, and establish sources that may assist you to discover extra assist. They will even define what steps you’ll want to full to qualify for assist, resembling filling out the Free Software for Federal Scholar Help (FAFSA) or state-based types.

2. What types do I take advantage of 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 extra types to finish such because the CSS Profile. Your counselor can let you know what types you’ll want 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 stunned to search out out that there are billions of {dollars} accessible in scholarships and grants that you need to use to pay for school. Your counselor will be capable of share beneficial sources on the place to search out these alternatives, resembling The Faculty Board’s Scholarship Search Device and Fastweb.

4. When is the deadline for monetary assist?

Monetary assist purposes have strict deadlines. Though the federal FAFSA deadline isn’t till the tip of June, many states and schools have deadlines which can be a lot earlier and a few monetary assist is first come, first served, so it’s helpful to finish it early. Your counselor can let you know when to submit your monetary assist purposes 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 typical drawback: after receiving your acceptance letter and monetary assist package deal, you discover out that you just didn’t qualify for sufficient assist to cowl the entire price of attendance. If that occurs, you might really feel like your dream faculty is out of attain. However your counselor can work with you to establish different choices.

In some instances, your counselor could possibly assist you to submit an attraction for extra monetary assist. Or they will help you discover different monetary assist alternatives, resembling impartial scholarships, work-study packages or scholar loans.

Making ready for Faculty

Now that you already know the most effective inquiries to ask your highschool counselor, you’ll be higher ready to start out the faculty admissions course of.

Asking your counselor the correct questions offers you the knowledge you’ll want to decide the lessons in highschool, choose a university that’s the correct 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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