7 Things Your College Admissions Consultant Wants You to Know
As you prepare for college, there are a lot of things to make sure that you have on your to-do list and keep organized. That is why a college admissions consultant does a lot of the organization for you! As an independent education consultant, your college admissions coach can provide you with a college plan that is specifically tailored to your situation.
These coaches are there to guide you through the process and help you get the most out of your college admissions experience. With that in mind, here are seven things your college admissions consultant wants you to know as you prepare for college.
College Admissions Are Stressful: You Are Not Alone
One of the biggest reasons college admissions consultants exist is to remove the stress from the college admissions process and help students effectively organize the process. Many potential college students feel especially overwhelmed when dealing with college admissions.
There are a lot of working parts to consider from managing your high school grades to applying for college and writing admissions essays to financing your college career. It is important to know that you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed and you are not alone throughout the process.
Communicating with your parents, teachers, and college admissions coach can help you learn how to effectively work through the process and relieve some of the stress and responsibilities that come with college admissions.
College Planning Techniques
One thing that your college admissions counselor can help you with is making a college plan. College planning begins as you enter high school and continues until you are accepted into the college of your choice.
The first step to college planning is to take stock of your own abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and goals. This will help you understand what your options are and give you a clear idea of what you need to do to get to college.
Once you have a good understanding of what you want from a college and what you have to offer a college, you can begin searching for a college that fits your needs. You will then need to build a list of colleges that you want to think are the best fit for you. Finally, you will need to determine what steps you need to take to get accepted into the school of your choice and develop a plan of action to achieve each step in a timely manner.
College Selection Methods and Considerations
One of the most important steps of the college admissions process is choosing the right college. There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing your college but a college admissions consultant can help walk you through the decision process.
Choosing the right college begins with a college search. You will want to determine what are important qualities you are looking for in a college. This might include things like programs of study, location, tuition, housing options, course schedule, work-study programs, etc. Once you have an idea of what you are looking for, you can use college search engines to find colleges that might be a good fit for you.
Some reliable college search engines include the following:
- College Board College Search Engine
- College Navigator, U.S. Department of Education College Search database
- CollegeNet
- Peterson's
- Princeton Review
- UnivSource (includes non-U.S. universities)
- Colleges That Change Lives
- Niche
- CollegeData
- U.S. Department of Education College Affordability and Transparency Center: College Navigator and links to net price calculators of all colleges and other resources.
- US News & World Report: not a fan of rankings, but data can be helpful
- StudentsReview
After you have identified several potential colleges, you will need to narrow down the list to the top schools that you will actually apply to. This can be done through additional research, interviews with admissions or alumni, and campus visits.
SAT/ACT Prep
One of the most important steps in the college admissions process is taking college entrance exams such as the SAT or the ACT. Your college admissions coach is dedicated to helping you navigate the admissions process and that includes planning for and taking these tests.
There are a few different things to consider when preparing for college entrance exams. First, how much preparation do you need? You can take the PreACT or the PSAT as early as 9th or 10th grade to get a realistic idea of what the tests will be like and what your current level is.
There are also test prep courses that your consultant can give you access to such as ePrep. EPrep is online video-based testing course that will give you a real-world understanding of the test structure and strategies.
Financial Aid Planning
Financial planning is one of the most important parts of college planning for a lot of students. In many cases, where a student attends college is partially dependent on financial aid status and scholarships. That is why college admissions consultants are ready to walk you through the financial aid process from FAFSA assistance to CSS profile assistance to scholarship searches.
Extracurricular Activities
There is more to college than just academics, extracurricular activities can play a role in your college selection process and your college admissions process. It is important to know how to utilize extracurriculars to your advantage on your college applications and how to select a school that will cater to your extracurricular interests. This applies to art majors, student athletes, and any other extracurricular activity that may be of interest to you or your college.
Additional Options
Finally, your college admissions coach is available to discuss all your college options including the benefits of taking a gap year, resources for military personnel, or online and hybrid learning opportunities.
A college admissions consultant is available for any and all college admissions questions and as such, they want to make sure you are educated on all your options. These seven things are essential to your college success, contact Clark College Consulting today to learn more!
