Is your teenager’s high school counselor an expert on college? Probably not. In fact, the odds are high that your counselor’s knowledge about college admission strategies, standardized testing and scholarships is limited. Ironically during this period of skyrocketing college costs, financial aid is often the subject that high school counselors know the least about. Many […]
Archive | High school counselors
Be Careful How You Answer These 2 College Application Questions
If you plan to apply to college as a “stealth candidate” listen up. Stealth candidates are teenagers who never contact a college before sending in their application. Stealth college applications used to be rare. Most teenagers contact colleges through traditional means such as requesting materials, talking to admission counselors at college fairs and visiting schools. […]
College Recommendation Letters: Saying Thank You
By Lynn O'Shaughnessy on December 14, 2009 in Admission practices, Admissions, High school counselors, Parents
This is the time of year when high school teachers and counselors are flooded with requests to write college recommendation letters. Writing a college recommendation letter is a thankless job and I’m glad that I’ll never have to write one. But that doesn’t mean that I’m off the hook. My role in the college recommendation […]
College Admission Crunch Time
By Lynn O'Shaughnessy on October 23, 2009 in Academic majors, Admissions, High school counselors, Other
I’m exhausted today so it’s hard to get motivated to write something for my college blog. I gave four lengthy speeches at college fairs around San Diego on three consecutive nights this week. During the past few days, I also spent a lot of time at High Tech High, which is my son’s school, talking […]
College Advice: Why High School Counselors Can't Always Help
By Lynn O'Shaughnessy on October 22, 2009 in Admission practices, College Costs, College readiness, Financial aid, High school counselors
For many families, college will be the second biggest expense they will ever face — right behind buying a house. Choosing colleges and figuring out how to pay for them is complicated, which is why students and parents often seek college advice from high school counselors. It’s typically difficult, however, for families who want meaningful […]
Mediocre College Advice from High School Counselors
Many parents are frustrated that they can’t get face time with the college counselor at their teenager’s high school. All too often families can’t meet with a counselor until the spring of their child’s junior year. By then overworked counselors are finished with their latest batch of seniors and they are ready to devote their […]