<p>When does the student contact the admissions counselor? Before they apply? Thanks.</p>
<p>When you have an actual question for them… or if you meet them when they come to some event in your city or at your high school. Get yourself on the mailing list for the colleges you are interested in if you haven’t yet so you will get notifications of events they have near you. You might meet them if you interview on campus, too (if they are there, sometimes they make a point to meet students from their region who come in for an interview).</p>