Start Early and Have a Brighter Future with the Help of Your High School Counselor

As early as the first year of high school, students can ask for help from their high school counselors to chart the future for them and assist them in choosing the best college for their personalities and abilities. You can never plan too early for the future and if you or your child has the foresight to desire preparing for the future now, you can start by scheduling an appointment with his or her high school counselor.

7 Ways for a High School Counselor to Help Students Have a Brighter Future

Determining the KSAs of the Student – A high school counselor can only provide adequate help to students if he is given sufficient time and means to get to know the student well. Firstly, a high school counselor will determine the subjects that the student naturally excels at base on results from the student’s IQ tests and his past and present grades. In the event that the student has dismal school records up till the present, a high school counselor will usually focus on these students until they finally uncover their latent skills and abilities.

Customizing the Academic Load – Once the KSAs of a student have been determined, a high school counselor will usually proceed in suggesting changes to the student’s academic load to better prepare him for his future career. If, for instance, a student is mostly interested in having a career in architecture, a high school counselor may enroll the student in advanced math classes and encourage him to join building workshops in school.

The Role of Emotions – One-on-one appointments between students and high school counselors are generally part of every school curriculum to allow high school counselors to gauge the present emotional and psychological conditions of a student. Such interviews will allow the high school counselor to determine if a student’s capability of handling all sorts of pressure, if he’s most suitable to a particular study environment, and other similar factors.

The Role of Family History and Background – Many students experience trouble in determining their future because of family conflicts. In such cases, a high school counselor may act as a mediator in order for parents and children to see eye to eye. A high school counselor, being an adult and a professional, may finally convince parents to truly listen to what their children have to say about their future.

Getting Financial Aid – A high school student may not be born with the required financial resources in order to get into the school he’s aiming for. Some may not even have enough money to get into any college at all. If so, a high school counselor will be able to help these students find the best people or organizations to approach in order to have part or all of their tuition funded.

In these situations, there is a high degree of involvement and interaction between the high school counselor and the student. The high school counselor will usually provide personal assistance in formulating letters of scholarship requests, monitor the grades of the students throughout high school, and give suggestions as to which colleges should they best apply to.

Picking the Right Career – The inability to decide as to which career they wish to pursue in the future must never be seen as a personal defect. High school counselors understand this, and it’s why they always provide the best help possible to students battling with uncertainty about their futures. By taking the time to get to know each student well, a high school counselor will be able to narrow down the career choices for the student until they’re able to zero on something that engages the person’s interest while making the most out of his skills and abilities.

Picking the Right College – Some students know what they want to be in the future but are uncertain as to which academic path to take to best attain their goals. This is another situation in which a high school counselor can assist a student by giving him a list of options to choose from and explaining each alternative to the student. A high school counselor will also encourage students to explore options that they may previously haven’t been aware of having such as long-distance or international study.

You’ll never know what a high school counselor can do for you until you finally talk to one. Schedule an appointment now and start planning early for you or your child.