I’m sure many of you have questions that have arisen during your college search. Some of these questions can be answered by your parents, teachers, or friends. Other questions cannot. So, who do you turn to in this instance? Well, a good start is to contact an admissions counselor at a college you are interested in.
These people can be a big help during your college search and application process. They have tons of knowledge about this process and are comfortable answering questions from prospective students. In addition, admissions counselors can be your biggest supporter at the college!
Contacting an admissions counselor may be a little scary to some, but don’t let that stop you. To make this a little less daunting, Bentley University, my alma mater, has a “Meet Your Counselor” section on their website with biographies of the counselors. Pages like this help students to find the staff to be more approachable. The website also lists the regions the person is responsible for, so you know who to contact.
Mostly any questions are fair game—keeping in mind you will be speaking to a college representative. Some examples of questions to ask include:
- “Here are my goals for my career/degree and what I imagine my life at college will be like. Do you think your college is a good fit for me?”
- “What is a good way to compare your college and others in the state I’m interested in?”
- “I’ve changed my mind about my major, can I change what I applied as on my application?”
As you can see, these are all questions that you may need some extra help answering; and it’s an admissions counselor’s job to be a resource to students during this difficult and confusing time. Although these people would love you to go to their school, don’t be afraid to also ask them general questions. Counselors can also help you figure out whether or not their campus is a good fit.
In short, admissions counselors are not only a great help, but they can be your biggest advocate during this process. So reach out! Introduce yourself and let them help you with a few of your questions—I don’t think you will regret it!