Kristen BixbyThere are many people within the world of college admissions who can help you when you need it. But many people ask, what’s the difference between a College Counselor and a High School Counselor? What’s the role of an Admission Counselor? Well, the staff at Campus Bound has been in each of these positions, and while the job roles may over-lap somewhat, here we offer an overview of each position and who to go to when.
College Counselor: A College Counselor is someone with extensive knowledge and experience in the world of college admissions. They are up-to-date on admissions trends, policies and requirements. Since these counselors specialize in this area, they may be the best source of information for students and parents and helpful in: making a college list, assessing admission chances, writing and reviewing essays, filling out the applications, and more. College Counselors are counselors by trade, so they care about students and families and work within the bigger context of family dynamics, but specialize in the area that is college admissions. College Counselors have anywhere from 1-20 students they work with, typically, and therefore can provide intensive guidance.
School Counselors: School Counselors work in a school setting and are charged with helping all of the students on their caseload (typically 150-300 students) succeed in school and pursue post-high school opportunities. School Counselors often get to know their students and families over a longer period of time. They help students with classes, teachers, testing, extra-curriculars, scheduling, health issues, mental health concerns, transcripts, post-high school plans, and much more! It’s a VERY tall order. School Counselors are unsung heroes who have to be knowledgeable about a variety of things and able to help all of their students and families with whatever comes up. School Counselors can help families through the fundamentals of applying to college, sending transcripts, requesting recommendations, and more. The availability and role each School Counselor is willing or able to take on differs greatly.
Admission Counselor: A College Admission Counselor works for a particular college and is charged with bringing in the best possible “class” each year. They spend the summer and fall recruiting the students they want. They sometimes conduct interviews or seminars to get to know applicants. Then they read all of the applications and make decisions about who gets accepted and who doesn’t. Admission Counselors are very knowledgeable about the details and admission policies of their school. Parents and students who have questions relating to one particular school can certainly reach out to the Admission Counselor of that school. Students can introduce themselves to Admission Counselors, or request an interview so that the counselor can get to know them better. An Admission Counselor can be responsible for anywhere from 100-1,000 applicants. The availability of admission counselors varies from school to school.
The roles of these three counselors do overlap, but their jobs are all very different. They typically work together to help students and families have a successful experience applying to colleges.