Upasana Gupta - November 18, 2014
How Essential is a College Counselor?
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As I see my kids growing and heading to high school, I wonder whether it is worth to hire an independent education counselor to help navigate the college admission process, and of the take-aways we will get as a family vs. independently handling the process on our own. The bottom line being: Is it worth the effort and money?
A lot of my questions were answered when I spoke with Erika Coplon, an independent college counselor and owner of Coplon College Consulting for over a decade. Coplon clearly mentions that it is not essential for all students' to have an independent college counselor. "I really take it on a case-by case basis," she says. For example, we discussed a student who came to her between his junior and senior year, a very strong student from California- who knew where he wanted to go, knew what he wanted to major in, and felt very competent in writing his application essay. "So for someone like that, who is a stellar student, very self-directed, and very motivated he does'nt really need me," Coplon says. "He is perfectly well equipped to go through this process on his own. But unfortunately this is not most students'."
The type of students' Coplon typically counsult with vary in range - There are students' who are strong, they may not necessarily have the perfect grade point average, but they are engaged and interested in college. They have a solid track record, but are confused about: where do I apply? what is a good college fit for me? While there are others, who are overwhelmed with the entire college process- how do I figure out the college admission process? and once I do, how do I know what to do when?
"It all depends on how much a student knows, and needs that personal individualized attention from a counselor," Coplon says.
In her role as an independent college counselor, Coplon helps students' by:
Understanding Their Passion: When Coplon first meets a student, she encourages them to talk freely and discuss about what excites them. She wants to get a sense of where their passions may lie in life. Sometimes this is all very non- traditional. For example, a student may like collecting comic books. But often Coplon finds that students' have a fixated notion of college, at times without realizing who they truly are or figuring out what kind of environment they can thrive in. "Īt has to be working at a research lab at UCLA, it has to be the big, daunting task or responsibility. But it does'nt seem to be getting in the heart, in the honest way of who are they and what makes them happy," Coplon says. This is where an independent counselor steps in and tries to make that perfect college match based on who a student really is.
Ignoring the Outside Noise: Coplon's advice to students' is to really ignore the college rankings. They should use them only as one small data point in the process. Coplon finds that students' often get carried away with all the media hype about college rankings and only stick to schools making the top 25 list. She encourages students' to broaden their college search by asking themselves some very pertinent questions- where are you most happy? When and where are you most engaged? Think of what you like as a learner? Do you like sitting in a small classroom setting and engaging with your teacher or maybe you are someone who sits in the middle of a class, you listen carefully and take lots of notes and does not need a lot of direct engagement with the teacher. "Students need to start paying attention to these details as they make their transition to university life," Coplon says. "I think many students do a disservice to themselves by only sticking to the popular schools. Be true to yourself- this process is not about packaging yourself- trying to pretend you are somebody you are not, or inflate what you have done. It is about knowing who you are and knowing what the schools are about and then making the match."
Providing Overall Guidance: Coplon helps students' figure out which standardized test is a good fit for them and when they should take these exams. She helps students' with their application essay and writing prompts. "I think essays are really really tough for students," Coplon says. "It gets very difficult for students' to write about themselves. They don't want to brag- so they are often confused in trying to showcase talent without bragging." In her role as counselor, she engages in reviewing college applications, brainstorming ideas, mock interviews and short-listing schools with students'. "Most students' don't have a plan or clear college approach when they come to me. They just get confused with all the supplemental applications and additional responses they have to come up with. So we try to work together and work smart."
Typically, independent counselors work with students' once they start their junior year in high school. Coplon recommends potential families to get solid references before hiring a counselor. She works as a team member with her students' and by the time they reach their senior year, students' generally have a list of very good options in terms of their college list.
Coplon's mantra as she guides students' is to always have options and no regrets. "It can get tough to get a denial letter, but it's always worth to try."
Whether an independent college counselor is essential or not is for the parents and students' to determine. Majority of high schools' provide free counselors to high school students' and they are probably one of the best ongoing sources of support for students' who plan to go to college. But the question is- how much individualized and personal attention does your child need? And how prepared is your high schooler in dealing with the whole college admission process? Answer to this is probably an indicator of how essential or not an independent counselor is.