<p>I graduated high school a couple years ago and I'm only now applying to colleges. I feel like I could really use the help of a guidance counselor, but I don't have access to one as I'm not a student. I've read a little bit about private counseling, but from what I've seen, prices are too high for my budget. Are there any options for me in this situation? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I assume that you’re in California, but I don’t know where. Here are a few possible resources in California and online (and I’m not recommending any of them specifically; they are just programs I have come accross):</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.10000degrees.org/students]Students”>10,000 Degrees | Students]Students</a> | 10,000 Degrees<a href=“located%20in%20San%20Rafael%20area”>/url</a>
[url=<a href=“http://openaccesscollegeadvising.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/]Open”>http://openaccesscollegeadvising.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/]Open</a> Access College Advising<a href=“online%20services%20for%20low-income/first%20generation%20students%20started%20by%20counselor%20at%20University%20of%20San%20Diego”>/url</a>
***** prep (free services on how to apply to college and test preparation if you register with site) (sorry this is z i n c h)
[url=<a href=“HugeDomains.com”>http://collegesnapps.com/]CollegeSnapps[/url</a>] (free mobile app tracking college applications)</p>
<p>Have you contacted the high school you went to to see if they will help?</p>
<p>Thank you, midatlmom - I’ll take a look at those resources.</p>
<p>BeanTownGirl - I did talk to my old counselor briefly, but students from the high school I went to very rarely apply to college, so she wasn’t very helpful, unfortunately.</p>
<p>I’m in a similar situation, being homeschooled. Honestly, there is nothing that really replaces a good guidance counselor. You kind of just have to do it on your own, with the help of websites like CC and books. Your local library probably has lots of books about college admissions, some of which are very helpful, some of which are useless, and all of which contradict each other.</p>
<p>When you’re going it alone, you have to be very organized. Save every admissions-related document (I learned this the hard way, when Georgetown never got my school report and my mom had to type up a completely new one). Keep track of all dates with an online calendar. I use Google Calendar with text alerts for all events. You need a lot of foresight when it comes to standardized testing, because registration deadlines are several weeks in advance and you need to make time to study. You’ll also need to check with the schools you’re applying to about their policies regarding counselor and teacher recommendations for your situation.</p>
<p>Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. There are some amazing resources on this forum and you should be able to find plenty of knowledgable answers to all your questions.</p>
<p>Thank you, mmmgirl! I hadn’t thought of looking at the library for related books, that’s a great idea. For the most part, though, keeping things organized and such isn’t really the problem. I have a pretty unique situation (well, who doesn’t?) and I seem to have endless questions that are all very specific. CC and other sites are wonderful resources for the more generic things, but it would be really nice to sit down with someone who knows colleges and the application process and get some of the biggest issues figured out. Perhaps it would be worth it to invest in one session with a private counselor?</p>
<p>ninevoltheart</p>
<p>I looked over some of your past posts, and I understand that your situation is somewhat unusual. The thing that you need to ask yourself is what kind of student might a college not want to take a chance on? Colleges want students who can do the work, they want students who will not pose significant problems and they want students who will be engaged in the academic and extracurricular life of the school You have to convince a college that your problems are behind you and that they will not reoccur in the stress-filled environment of college. Be positive and upbeat in your essays. Think about how the admissions committee would view your application if you provided no explanation of anything on your high school transcripts and then think about how much explanation you really need to provide. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I understand what you’re saying. I’m sure I do come across as a risk on an application. <em>I</em> know that I am better now and that I can handle the college environment, but I need to do a better job of proving it to them. That’s what I’ll be working on this next year 
Thank you!</p>