When did your child's school assign a college counsellor?

[MD Mom]

DD's school ( small private day school) had two college counselors for the class of just over 70. They started with the junior class just after the senior class completed most of the admissions cycle (after New Year's). They did offer general sessions in the fall of junior year, but got more specific later in the year.

[Munequita]

D's school had two full time college counselors who started working with them and parents when it was time to register for classes for sophomore year. They met with parents and kids and worked with academic counselors. It was great, they really got to know the kids over the four years

[qialah]

My D's independent school did exactly as MD Mom described.

[coffeebean17]

Wow, I'm amazed by what the guidance counselors do at some schools. Our high school doesn't do anything like that. The counselors meet one time with the kids in the fall of senior year to make sure they're on track to graduate on time. That's it.

Our children were basically on their own for college planning, scholarship searches, etc. College visits aren't even excused absences at our high school.

[mathmom]

coffeebean, I actually think our counselors do an amazing job especially considering that there are at least 200 students per counselor. It's a very well oiled machine and they make good use of a combination of large group, small group, individual meetings and great handouts.

[Mamadubbs]

My D goes to a catholic college prep HS. They start talking to the kids about college as soon as their freshmen year starts. 99% of our grads go on to college and the other 1% into the military. So our guidance counselors are very focused on working with the kids on college selection, areas of study and scholarships. Last year our grads earned over $15 million in scholarships with a class of 187 students. Even so, I have found that the more proactive the student is, the better off they will be. Best of luck to you

[Charlie87star]

We had one counselor for 2,000 kids. You were lucky to get an appointment at all at my school since you didn't have to do them if you decided you wanted one it may have been a couple of months before you got in

[labbydog]

Thanks cromette for the online site suggestions. I am amazed at the differences in what the college/guidance counsellors do in various schools. Myself, I am a very visual person, so I have to physically "see" the school before I can form an opinion about it, and that can be hard to do. I suppose son will need to narrow down the choices. I wish I could get him more fired up about the process; he seems to show little interest at this point.

[SteveMA]

labbydog--since he is still a junior you do have a lot of time to visit. Since you have visited some urban schools I would suggest picking out a couple schools that are more suburban or rural that are close to your house just to do a tour to see what he thinks about those campuses too. His level of interest is pretty typical. Tours seem to help that process along for a lot of kids. Go online to 2 schools near you that are different then what you have already toured and just sign up for a visit and go, even if he is not interested in attending those schools now, consider it a fact finding mission.

If he still likes the more urban settings the go to the Collegeboards site and search for urban schools around the size student body he likes. You can do a lot of research on the internet about programs, etc. to narrow down choices. Then schedule a time to go visit his top choices--spring break junior year is a very popular time to go. We've done 4 tour visits that included several schools and then a tour here and there for individual schools (we have twins). We started summer after sophomore year because of their activity schedule, did our last major tour trip over Labor Day weekend. It just takes time.

[IUmom7]

Due to budget cuts, our public school that my two attend/attended has 1 counselor for all the grades (7-12)--1,500 kids. We figured out with kid 1 that counselor worked her butt off but really had to focus on getting the senior's stuff together (applications, recs, etc).

She did offer lots of helpful links etc, and had a number of suggestions for schools that might interest my high-achiever. However, the schools she recommended did not do merit aid and our budget didn't allow for blank check to any school.

I went to the library and read up. I ran the FAFSA estimator and looked at what we'd saved vs costs at top schools. I researched merit aid--CC is such a gold mine of info. Meanwhile, kid was thinking about what she wanted in a school, environment, academics, majors, etc.
I then helped her find schools that we could potentially afford and where she had a good shot at merit.

If costs are not an issue, less work for you! If costs ARE a factor, I'd factor that in sooner rather than later. Nothing worse than a big list of schools you cannot possibly afford!

Good luck and good for you that you're investigating now. You have plenty of time to sort through.

[Lakemom]

At our public school, our students have the same counselor for 4 years and the guidance was always too little too late.

There are a few other websites that are very helpful in addition to cc. One I used a lot the first word is college and the second rhymes with fowler but change the "f" for a "pr"

Knowing that your son prefers urban schools will narrow your list. Once you get feel for the size campus he prefers, then that will narrow it further. Good luck!

[PackMom]

No help from anyone at our kids' large public school. Unless you're a behavior problem, you get no face time or help from GC's. Kids are responsible for requesting transcripts fr. Guidance office and then mailing them off to universities themselves. If you want more than three, you have to pay $3 for each additional transcript.

[DougBetsy]

labbydog - Be sure to visit your state flagship U. Your son may never attend. But, submitting an application is usually worthwhile for a variety of reasons (financial, admissions safety, etc). Further, if it's a large U mega-school, he should definitely take a look around so he can form a love it or hate it opinion.

[sseamom]

My D's 6-12 school has a FT college-readiness person who begins with the kids in 6th grade to get them learning and talking about the college process. By junior year they have a list and have seen several visitors a year from various colleges and others representing what they call "juicy jobs". During senior year taking the SAT and/or ACT is part of the curriculum, as is the application process. She will visit the student's parents at home if need be to explain and help them with it. There are quite a few families in which the student will be the first in the family to go to college, and/or English is not a first language.

This year the school will hold its first college fair, with an eye to bringing in colleges that don't typically get to the huge convention center fairs in the NW.

This is a public school supported by a foundation in a public/private partnership. I can't wait to see how it all shakes out for D. We are very lucky to have gotten a spot at this school.

[Scribbulus]

My kid's independent school has a college counselor and an assistant counselor for classes of between 40 and 50 students. The summer before freshman year each student and a parent is required to schedule a meeting with the US headmaster and another with the college counselor. At that meeting we're given a chart of the whole process and a year by year list of what we; ie student and family need to do. Freshmen and sophomores meet twice a year, junior year starts a push w/meetings and workshops, then in the spring after the current senior class is one they have to start talking to their teachers about letters, etc.. Senior year, each senior has to meet at least once every 2 weeks to show their progress on apps, letters, essays etc.. (have no idea how the counselors manage that). Goal is for all apps to be submitted by Christmas break, allowing time to any late additions or time to make new choices if everything falls through in the spring. If the student is not making progress the councilors push pretty hard, then the headmaster gets involved, then they contact the parents and go from there. All students schedules have to be approved by counselor or headmaster and if they deviate from the recommended ones (types of classes and rigor), and then if the counselor agrees, the parent has to approve the final.