<p>My son goes to an independent school in good standing, but I have been told he won't be assigned a college counsellor until November of his Junior year. This seems a little late to me. Isn't he supposed to be getting guidance is figuring out if he wants a big/small school, urban, suburban, etc.? We took a few tours/info sessions over the summer, but he doesn't have a clue.</p>
<p>Our school really doesn’t assign a “college counselor”. Counselor’s are assigned according to last name and stay with the kid all the way through high school.</p>
<p>My school is the same as Crommette’s. </p>
<p>But really, November of junior year gives him plenty of time to sort out his application list.</p>
<p>Our school does not have a college counselor. The students are lucky to meet once a year with their guidance counselor. It is a complete waste of time. We learned that we are completely on our own - no helpful guidance, and often inaccurate information.</p>
<p>And besides–isn’t that what CC is for? ;)</p>
<p>It’s doubtful that a counselor will help him much with those types of decisions. Those are really just personal preferences that he’s going to have to decide on his own.</p>
<p>I agree, those things are what he and his parents should be working on. A college counselor will be helping with information for test dates, applications, etc.</p>
<p>At my sons very small private school (63 kids were in his graduating class) in January of their junior year they start a class (4 kids in each class) with the guidance counselor on all things college, where they worked on their essays, apps, lists, etc. The class goes until Dec 1st of their Sr. yr when all their applications must be in the GC office. Perhaps something similar is done at your kid’s school which is why the college counselor isn’t assigned until end of 1st semester jr. year.</p>
<p>They don’t tell our kids much of anything. If a kid doesn’t take some initiative and/or have parents that do - he’s going to be sunk.</p>
<p>Okay, thank you everyone. It sounds like it is not too late. But, how can I (we) help him wrap his head around the type of school he wants? We visited Washington DC schools this past summer, and he really liked Washington. He thinks he wants to study Political Science/Government, so I think DC would be good for that. But where else should he look? He said he thinks he would prefer an urban rather suburban school.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of sites online that can help you narrow your choices.</p>
<p>Here’s one:
[CollegeData</a> - College 411 - College Match](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/search/college/college_search_tmpl.jhtml]CollegeData”>College Search & Match with our College Finder | CollegeData)</p>
<p>I think Collegeboard.com has one. </p>
<p>Try googling “find a college match” “choosing the right college” - just start researching. Your son’s list will begin to materialize. You just have to dig in there and do the research.</p>
<p>I think that’s plenty of time, but yes college counselors can be helpful. Our school had one college counselor that all students had access to as needed. The guidance counselor met with students and did formal stuff like transcripts. College counselor made school suggestions, tracked and publicized scholarships, coordinated college rep visits/fairs and even talked through essay choices and mock interviews with students. Very helpful. Much better access to her on a daily basis than to guidance.</p>
<p>At my D15’s school, they have the same gc for 10-12th grade, and that’s the person who will provide college guidance.</p>
<p>Same counselor, assigned by last name all through HS (actually beginning 8th grade, to choose 9th grade classes).</p>
<p>I like ours a lot, she is responsive by email and will meet more than the minimum if asked.</p>
<p>Our school assigns kids counselors freshman year that stay with them all four years. They start talking about college planning with the PSATs junior year and have the first official college planning meetings with students in January. Later in the spring they have a big college fair and a night time event where panels of admissions counselors discuss their type of college/what they are looking for with students. (Usually at least one LAC panel, one highly selective college panel, one SUNY/NYS university panel, one engineering school panel, and one panel in Spanish.)</p>
<p>DD’s school ( small private day school) had two college counselors for the class of just over 70. They started with the junior class just after the senior class completed most of the admissions cycle (after New Year’s). They did offer general sessions in the fall of junior year, but got more specific later in the year.</p>
<p>D’s school had two full time college counselors who started working with them and parents when it was time to register for classes for sophomore year. They met with parents and kids and worked with academic counselors. It was great, they really got to know the kids over the four years</p>
<p>My D’s independent school did exactly as MD Mom described.</p>
<p>Wow, I’m amazed by what the guidance counselors do at some schools. Our high school doesn’t do anything like that. The counselors meet one time with the kids in the fall of senior year to make sure they’re on track to graduate on time. That’s it. </p>
<p>Our children were basically on their own for college planning, scholarship searches, etc. College visits aren’t even excused absences at our high school.</p>
<p>coffeebean, I actually think our counselors do an amazing job especially considering that there are at least 200 students per counselor. It’s a very well oiled machine and they make good use of a combination of large group, small group, individual meetings and great handouts.</p>