College Admissions Counseling Program: Why? & How?

Proper academic planning in high school can set you on a track to develop the necessary skills to succeed in college. Students have a wide range of course options including: College Prep (CP), Honors (H), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Dual Enrollment (DE) courses. Some high schools offer different academic tracks.

You should seek to gain higher level critical thinking skills in all five major academic subjects (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and World Language) by taking as strong an academic curriculum as you can handle. A comprehensive, yet flexible, long term academic plan should be created through an in-depth Academic Coaching Program to balance all of your obligations.

It is important to do well in prerequisite courses in order to qualify for higher academic courses and tracks. It is also important to do well in middle school classes in order to be recommended for these tracks in high school. Math, foreign language and science placements are usually decided in middle school and build on previous knowledge. Taking higher level courses can lead to success on college placement exams which may allow you to skip introductory coursework, take higher level courses sooner or even graduate early.

Guided care, comprehensive feedback and personal reflection should be taken when selecting your course schedule. Put yourself in the best position to master valuable skills and not be left behind. 

Always consider that a balance between academics, extracurricular activities, friends and family obligations should be a priority. This thorough planning will allow you to perform at your best in all you do without causing unnecessary stress. 

A certified high school counselor can help you identify areas of academic interest and ability among the core five. From here, they can advise you about how to specialize in this academic area, such as selecting thoughtfully considered electives, which levels to take and which activities to pursue to complement your academic profile.

College Admissions Counseling can guide you through your concerns and can work with your School Counselor and teachers to ensure you are best prepared for college level work.

Note: For college majors requiring a portfolio for admission, such as Architecture, Music, Art, etc., these additional courses, portfolios and related skills will likely be considered. 

Your performance in college preparatory courses shows colleges your potential to succeed at college level work. Many colleges include academic electives within the core five academic subject areas when calculating your college prep GPA. Taking academic electives helps to build your skill set which will prepare you for challenging college level work.

Your overall high school GPA is shown on the high school profile included with your transcript to college admissions offices. This GPA is often the one used to determine your high school class rank. It can be weighted on a scale decided by your school district or on an unweighted 4.0 scale.

In some states, students in the top X percentage of their high school class may be awarded automatic admission and/or academic scholarships to state universities upon admittance. Many colleges will recalculate your high school GPA using their own weighting systems. This equalizes applicants from different high schools which weigh Honors/AP/IB/DE courses differently. You want to pursue the strongest academic curriculum possible without overloading yourself. In the end, many colleges want well-rounded, social contributors to their campuses. 

Many colleges use class rank for admittance and/or scholarship consideration. If you attend a selective public or private school, you may wonder if the school's rigor will be taken into account to compensate for a more competitive atmosphere and potentially lower class rank. 

The College Admissions Officer assigned to your geographic region has knowledge of your high school from your submitted school profile, past students from your high school who have matriculated at their college and their own research. 

A trend in many high schools is to report the class GPA breakdown as a distribution to colleges, in decile ranges or half-point GPA increments. Presently, many colleges do not count class rank in their admissions process while others do. A well-planned college admissions process can guide students in determining the necessary actions to formulate their college list considering their class rank.

Many colleges weigh your performance within the context of what is offered at your high school. Therefore, you will not be penalized for not taking Multivariable Calculus or a particular AP class if your high school does offer them. It is possible to supplement your transcript by taking Dual Enrollment courses at a local two or four year college provided you can arrange your schedule, transportation options and other commitments.

College entrance requirements are always changing. Some schools have returned to requiring applicants to submit standardized test scores, like the SAT and ACT, for admission. However, other colleges no longer require standardized tests for admissions purposes or have adopted test optional or test-blind policies. 

However, many colleges will request them for first year class scheduling once admitted, sometimes in lieu of their own placement exams. It is also important to be prepared for these exams as they could qualify you for scholarships. Some colleges place more emphasis on AP and IB scores along with performance in dual enrollment coursework to demonstrate college readiness. 

College Counseling can help you form a specific, detailed standardized testing submission plan to appeal to the widest range of colleges in your application strategy. For example, the SAT is known to evaluate reasoning skills and the ACT is known to evaluate knowledge acquired in Math, Science and English classes. As these exams reveal different proficiencies, you may perform better on one than the other. As a result, a strategy could be to take both exams early on and see which exam displays your performance best. Then, you can concentrate on that exam.

Many college admissions offices have discounted the value of these exams and instead focus on tests which measure college level academic work, the AP and IB exams. Students taking the IB curriculum can pursue the IB Diploma which is recognized worldwide as a rigorous, international, college preparatory secondary school diploma. The IB Diploma meets the standard for university admissions in many countries as an equivalent to their college prep curriculums. Some UK universities stipulate that graduates of US high schools pass multiple AP exams for admission if they have not earned the IB Diploma.

Crafting strong college essays and completing applications can feel daunting, but I guide students every step of the way. This includes personal statements, supplemental essays and the Common Application ("the Common App"), helping students showcase their unique voice, experiences, and goals.

Together, we focus on clarity, authenticity, and impact, ensuring each essay reflects the student’s strengths and story while aligning with the schools they are applying to.

College Admissions Counseling provides:

• Personal Statement Support – Craft a compelling narrative that highlights your individuality
   
• Supplemental Essays Guidance – Tailored responses that resonate with each school’s values and prompts
   
• Common App Expertise – Streamline the application process and present a cohesive, polished profile
   
• Confidence & Strategy – Build skills in writing, self-reflection and strategic storytelling
   

Your school will generally submit a school counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations to all colleges where you apply. The teachers you choose should be able to write about your academic abilities and character. Make sure to give them plenty of time to reflect on their relationship to you before the letters are due. Remember to always send a thank you note to these teachers who are being so generous with their time!

A certified school counselor can provide an objective standpoint on which recommenders could be best to ask for this valuable part of your application.