The quality of counseling about college options in American secondary schools ranges from wonderful to woeful. At its best, counseling is personal and detailed, the way it is at the Westtown School, a private Quaker boarding school near Philadelphia. There, two college counselors work closely with 100 seniors. They hold mandatory seminars on the admissions process, for juniors as well as seniors. Sometimes college admissions officers are invited to conduct mock interviews and dispense admissions tips.
Students also receive a comprehensive workbook that explains each phase of the admissions process.
Most families don't spend that much on secondary education, nor do their children receive such high-quality counseling. At many public high schools, counselors spend as much time dealing with disciplinary problems as they do giving advice. Still, counseling can be very good in public schools, especially in the suburbs. This is a model of a public education system. It's very unusual and expensive,'' says counselor Susanne Leggett.