Make Your Guidance Counselor a Key Part of Your Team!

High school students are often told where to be and when to be there--but there's one person in your building you shouldn't wait to be invited to see. Guidance counselors are your important allies at your high school, and building a good relationship is in your control.

In fact, having a guidance counselor who knows you well can often make the difference between an admit and a refusal. At Arthur Smith Advising, we guide students through the process of creating an effective application; part of your strategy should be to build a team that can help you--and that includes your guidance counselor.

Guidance counselors often have very large caseloads of students. Your job is to be pro-active about meeting with yours and to take advantage of the meetings they offer. You may feel too busy to do so, but doing so is a rare opportunity. To get the most out of the relationship, students need to be pro-active and find a way to walk through the guidance counselor’s door (or find a way to set up that Zoom meeting!) and not wait to be asked. 

In mid-winter of ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade, guidance counselors begin setting up a student’s curriculum for the next year. Be sure to make the most of these meetings. Perhaps the most important factor in producing a successful college application to a selective college or university is to have chosen a rigorous course schedule. Guidance counselors are the gatekeepers to those courses; if you can help them understand your goals, you’ll get the access you need to be in the right classes for the following year.

These yearly interactions to set up a course schedule set the stage for the biggest impact a guidance counselor can have on behalf of a student: the secondary school’s letter of recommendation that is a part of every college application. Yes, picking two teachers who know you well and have seen your work in the classroom remains extremely important, but guidance counselor recommendations will place you and your work in the context of the entire class at your school, as well as recent graduates. This perspective is invaluable for college admissions committees. 

In addition to communicating your goals with your guidance counselor in your yearly course scheduling appointments, be sure to take these additional steps to build up a positive relationship. Help them help you when it comes time for their all-important letter of recommendation:

· Don’t wait until senior year to make sure your guidance counselor knows you by your first name on sight. Use your meetings as an underclass student to talk about more than your classes for the next year: keep them apprised of your goals and activities and develop a real relationship.

· Provide them with a resume and update it for them each year. At Arthur Smith Advising, we work with all of our students, regardless of their grade in school, to update this ever-evolving document.

· In the summer leading into senior year, write a letter to your guidance counselor outlining your goals for college and highlighting your accomplishments. Give them more insight into who you are and what you want to achieve!

Finding success in the college admissions process is a team effort. At Arthur Smith Advising we want to be a part of that team in conjunction with your key ally at your school, your guidance counselor. At your next meeting with them, put on your best smile, bring them a cup of coffee if you can, share your goals…and make them an ally!