Freshman Year is the Best Time to Start College Counseling
Your teen’s high school counselor is a critical person in the college admission journey. Developing this relationship with the parent, teen, and college counselor will take some time. This relationship should start with the teen reaching out to the counselor and introducing themselves early in their freshman year.
Your teen may simply stop by the counselor’s office in-between classes or over lunch. If your school is a small rural or private school, this introduction may not be necessary—a relationship may already be present. But it’s important for your student to tell the counselor they want to specifically talk about post-high school plans.
Counselors are invaluable resources and mentors for academic and career goals. Your student’s high school counselor can help create that four-year academic plan that will lead to any post-high school goals. Having a four-year high school plan is important regardless of whether your student is aiming for a two or four-year college degree or a trade certificate or endorsement.
Consider your student’s high school years as a journey, with the college counselor as the captain of the ship. You wouldn’t start out on a trip without first consulting maps, itineraries, or available tools onboard the ship. Your student’s college counselor can suggest high school classes, possible extracurricular activities, and job possibilities. They can share admission requirements, deadlines, and the many details required to meet your student’s goals.
