page_title: College admissions in the United States
section_title: High school counselors
hierarchical_section_title: College admissions in the United States / Participants / High school counselors
caption_attribution_description: English: In a presentation to students and parents about applying for colleges, Summit High School guidance counselor Erin Day advises students to consider how success in their upcoming college can be defined by goals such as "appreciating beauty" and "finding the best in others."
context_page_description: College admissions in the United States refers to the process of applying for entrance to institutions of higher education for undergraduate study at one of the nation's colleges or universities. For those who intend to attend college immediately after high school, the college search usually begins in the eleventh grade of high school with most activity taking place during the twelfth grade, although students at top high schools often begin the process during their tenth grade or earlier. In addition, there are considerable numbers of students who transfer from one college to another, as well as adults older than high school age who apply to college.
context_section_description: Some high schools have one or more teachers experienced in offering counseling to college-bound students in their junior and senior years.  Parents often meet with the school counselor during the process together with the student.  Advisors recommend that students get to know their school counselor.  The counselor usually works in conjunction with the guidance department which assists students in planning their high school academic path.
  School counselors are in contact with colleges year after year and can be helpful in suggesting suitable colleges for a student. Mamlet and VanDeVelde suggest that it is improper for an admissions counselor to tamper with a student's "authentic self." According to their view, ideal counselors have experience with college admissions, meet regularly with college admissions officers, and belong to professional organizations. Counselors do not complete interviews, write essays, or arrange college visits. Most counselors have responsibility for helping many students and, as a result, it is difficult for them to provide individualized help to a particular student; one estimate was that the average ratio for all high schools of students to counselors was 460 to 1. Only about a quarter of public high schools have a counselor devoted to college counseling issues full-time, while almost three-quarters of private schools have a dedicated college counselor. Private school counselors tend to have substantially more contact with university admissions staff than public school counselors.
caption: High school advisors can help parents understand aspects of the college admissions process.
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