Helpful guidance in the waning days of the main college application season
Your future is important. It reflects the things you do today. It’s never too late to start shaping your future. You can do so by getting solid advice and guidance from a college counselor.
If you are wondering why you should hire a college advisor, here are some tips that can answer your question. If you are a late applicant, you ABSOLUTELY need a college counselor.
Hire a college counselor or college advisor
College applications can be quite tedious. Last minute applications are even more stressful. Selecting the right mix of schools, writing college essays, and exploring and dealing with scholarships and financial aid can all be very overwhelming.
A college advisor or college counselor can aid significantly in alleviating some of the stresses associated with the college application process, whether you are an early applicant or a late applicant. What a college advisor will do is help you build a list of colleges based on your interests, academic record, and other relevant factors (e.g., SAT or ACT scores). Your college advisor will help you to organize what you need to do and how you need to do it so you can prioritize and meet important deadlines. As such, they will help you to determine what tasks you need to do first based on their level of importance. Your college advisor will also help you develop a strategy to gain admission to college, even within a limited timeframe. When hiring a college counselor or advisor, ensure they have a wealth of experience dealing with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. This aids in their competency and increases your chances of success.
Secure your letters of recommendation ASAP
Your letters of recommendation reinforce your application, as Vanderbilt University has pointed out. This is what will help potential colleges know who you are. Admissions officers are looking for students who are not only academically impressive, but who also have great character and other compelling parts of their story. A college advisor will help you devise a strategy to get the best out of your recommendation letters. This includes helping you choose the right people to write them for you. There can be challenges, however, in getting your recommenders to write the letters quickly. In light of that, you should plan to ask for letters as soon as possible, and stress the urgency to your recommenders at the outset.
Notify your school's guidance counselor of your plans right away
Besides your parent(s) or legal guardian(s), your guidance counselor is the first person who should know your plans. Guidance Counselors can offer great insight into college applications because it is often the case that they have helped numerous students navigate the college admissions process. Also, in some instances, guidance counselors may have close ties to the colleges that you are interested in. Either way, your guidance counselor will likely play a critical role in submitting your transcript and other required documentation to colleges where you apply. Therefore, you do not want to wait for the last minute to inform your guidance counselor of your plans and end up in a misunderstanding about deadlines, or miss out on valuable advice. Additionally, if your school uses Naviance, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! It can aid you greatly (despite being a little confusing at times). In most instances, your guidance counselor can help you sort out any Naviance-related issues.
Write Your college essay ASAP, leaning on your college advisor
Your college essay can make or break your application, as Tufts University has advised. WRITE IT IMMEDIATELY! Your college advisor or college counselor will guide you through this process based on the schools you are applying for. Some students may be especially inclined to hire a diverse college counselor if there are aspects of their personal story that stem from certain diversity dimensions or unique experiences. They may feel they need a person with a particular background to guide them in crafting their college essay. Regardless of whom you hire, the key is to develop a strong, compelling college essay that puts your best foot forward.
Looking for a college counselor near me for last-minute applications to college?
Trust Wisdem USA to guide you. Our team will help you navigate tight deadlines and produce polished, compelling application materials. As diverse college advisors, we are comfortable counseling students from a variety of backgrounds and helping them reach their goals.
Our approach is also not cookie-cutter. It is tailored specifically to you, your needs, and desires. This means that we adopt a uniquely personal touch, even amid the rush of last minute applications to college. We will help you find your best college fit, and will help you navigate through the clutter with organization, prioritizing, and developing winning strategies.
Want more information? Contact us today.