Previously, we had covered the problems that high-school students (and parents) face while deciding a career path and studying abroad. Moreover, when you are targeting undergraduate admissions in the US, the process could be way more daunting and overwhelming. In this post, we will go through the step-by-step process for career and college admissions in the US.
Guidance for Career and College Admissions in the US
Co-authored by Misty Jhones and Anusmita Bhattacharjee
Deciding on what career path to take and how to get into college may be troublesome. Such decisions require effort and time to avoid any damaging and unwanted consequences in the future. For these crucial matters, we’ll pitch in some ideas you can use.
Preparing for College
College is a crucial part of a student’s education and career journey, especially if they aim for professions that require certifications. That is why preparing to get into college must be taken seriously.
College Application Journey
Applying and getting into college are two different things, but they are connected. You cannot get into the college you want without your application being processed. Below is a summary of things to do to apply and finally get into college:
- Pick your college
- Take standardized tests
- Write a motivational essay
- Ask for recommendation letters
- Apply to your preferred college
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Find scholarships
After all of that, you just need to wait for the results!
Possible Outcomes of a College Application
Remember that completing your college application process is not equal to a sure ticket to getting in. Any application can result in you getting accepted or rejected.
Getting rejected may be difficult and disappointing, especially if you really want to get into that university. Here are some possible reasons why a college application gets rejected:
- The required materials submitted during the application are incomplete. This would cause a delay in reviewing the application and may lead to rejection if ignored.
- The applicant doesn’t meet the academic requirements of the college. Grades are usually a large part of the many bases of acceptance of applicants in a college.
- There are too many errors in the application, which cannot be overlooked by the Admission staff. These errors are red flags for the Admission staff. If a student doesn’t take his application seriously, they will most likely not take their whole college career seriously as well.
Guidance for College Applications
To minimize the chance of rejection, it’s essential to have proper guidance when going through the process. It’s an excellent move to get into counseling programs and receive advice from knowledgeable people in career and college admissions. Read US College Admissions for Undergrads: 5 Critical Components and How to Tackle Them.
Counseling Programs
Some associations or institutions offer students help and guidance regarding the things they must know about careers and colleges. Professional counselors and advisors are involved in these kinds of programs.
Counselors and Advisors
There are certain people who specialize in counseling students who are trying to get into college. They’re usually educators, professionals, and sometimes are former admission officers too. These people will patiently discuss with you all the necessary things about your preparation and application.
How a Professional (Independent) College Admission Counselor Can Help with College Admissions in the US?
Suppose you are on a rollercoaster ride of life and do not want your child to sit at home and waste time just thinking about what to do with life after becoming a grad.
Now, what will you do? Will you run with your child at every gate of a high-level college for consultation regarding admission? Obviously, you cannot afford this.
It is where you need to hire a professional counselor who will understand and accumulate the mindset of your child for further studies. Hiring a professional is definitely a brainstorming session considering the budget but nothing can cost more than an established future and career of your child.
Who are Professional College Admission Counselors?
The term “professional college admission counselor” or “independent education counselor” is very popular among people but there are still many people out there who are not sure about the services provided by such individuals. They often get confused with the factors such as whether a counselor can help or not or even which category of students should look for such services.
How does a Professional College Admission Counselor Work?
An independent college counselor does not particularly work for a school or college. Based on their educational and work background a capable consultant can provide the students with information about colleges. Students with school counselors (who are again working with a lot of other students) can be helped by a competent consultant, they can provide proper information about colleges to help students find the perfect fit for them.
Related Article: Independent (Professional) College Admission Consultants vs Traditional Overseas Education Counselors
When you feel like hiring an independent consultant, make sure you hire someone who understands what you need and who is well versed to make proper recommendations. As we all know that knowledge is power, so even when it comes to colleges, it is always an advantage to know more about a particular college such as their application process, financial aid.
Complementing the School Counselors
The more you get to know about the processes the better off you will be in terms of searching for colleges that are a perfect fit and making a well-informed and knowledgeable decision about where to go or not. While some students still prefer to navigate the college search and admission process alone while others prefer their school counselors to assist them with the process. But the truth is the majority of the high school students do not get enough assistance or help from their school counselors.
Personalized Guidance on College Admissions in the US
A professional college admission counselor scrutinizes the need of a particular student and then carries on research altogether to check out which college fits him or her the best. After shortlisting colleges, the counselor assists the student in the application procedure. Since they know the inside of colleges and how the admission protocols are set, they can assist the students individually in that customized way.
Besides the admission does not only include the education trait but also several dividends like curricular activities and so on to make the application more appealing to admission officers. They not only make students ready for the competitive world but help to dig out individual personalities.
Get Personal Guidance On College Admissions
Book A Free Session With Sunita Bose
Identifying the Right-Fit Colleges and Securing Financial Aid
There are more than 4,000 colleges in the US. For any family, it’s not possible to know about each and every college; even 10% of all colleges would be too high.
There are critical factors like Early-Decision vs Early-Application rounds and Need-Blind vs Need-Based Scholarships.
Often families cannot assess colleges that match their cost criteria. Here an independent admission counselor can easily sort out the cost-effectiveness and affordable ones or colleges offering scholarships or other financial aid packages within your rich. Thus it helps the parents to relax with the financial stress and minimizes the run for admission.
It’s completely fine to be ambitious and apply to the most selective and prestigious colleges. However, you have to accept that the Ivy League and Elite Colleges are always the most competitive ones; and they are incredibly expensive as well unless you receive a generous financial aid package. Check out the Early Admission Statistics for the Class of 2025 (Fall 2021 admissions) of Ivy League and Elite US Colleges.
Hence, you need to choose a few good colleges with higher acceptance rates and affordable ones as well. More often than not, families miss out on exploring good and affordable options. A lesser-known college is in no way inferior and would open up tremendous job opportunities.
Read how to make a balanced college list for college admissions in the US.
Fact: The Majority of counselors in India lack understanding of the US college admissions process.
Most counselors in India are unfamiliar with the colleges and unique essay-writing tasks (one of the major pain points) that students face when attempting to apply to college in the US.
Having help from a professional college admission counselor who is familiar with the exact requirements of the standardized tests, the university admissions timeline, how to plan for it, financial aid policies, how to offer the best application, and how to edit that application to make sure it is error-free is of the utmost importance.
Career Guidance with Roadmap Development & Emotional Support
Besides, mental support is also intensive to build a sense of self-reliance within individual students. As the counselor knows the psychology of his student at his or her best, the counselor can stand as a pillar of strength. The student can also rely on the counselor for any kind of mental assistance.
This also helps the student to build college-friendly culture and strategic planning within him. It enables the student to articulate the reason for choosing a particular college that evolved through their mutual hardship that not only will cater to the success of applications but also for their enrollment in colleges.
Professional Services for Career Guidance and College Admissions in the US
Stoodnt provides a personalized guidance platform with insights, tools, data, and a network of experienced career counselors and college admissions consultants to help students and graduates in career selection, college admissions, study abroad, interview prep, profile building, job search, and career change. Here are our top counselors for undergraduate admissions:
US-Based Counselors:
India-Based Counselors
In Stoodnt’s custom packages, one India-based counselor (for local touchpoint and applications) and one US-based counselor (for US college admission expertise, essay reviews, and financial aid planning) work as a team with the applicants (families).
Preparing for the Future Job Market
The ultimate aim of students is to secure their careers. Based on these, counselors help them find the best suitable college environment to fit in and academic frames. So keeping in mind the competitive structures of colleges, the counselors recommend the best options from the list. They can help in personality development too. Punctuality, discipline, and responsibility- all come from practicing for accurate college entrance.
Related Articles:
How Karani Siblings Made it to their Dream Universities in Canada & USA
Mothers/Parents’ Roles in College Admissions Process (UG/MS): Dos & Don’ts and Case Studies
Invest in Your Future Now
These guidance types can be found easily on the internet and usually don’t come for free. As preparing for your career and college application is considered an investment in yourself and your future, paying for these guidance types is worth it. It’s also easier to accumulate money to pay for these nowadays. You can borrow from your relatives or friends, take a loan, such as that of Payday Depot, or use personal savings.
You might also like to read the following articles:
Transfer Admissions in the US for Indian and International Students
If you need personalized guidance with US college applications, feel free to book a consultation session (30/60-minutes) with our Counselors.
You can also reach out to us at customer.support@stoodnt.com!
Co-authors
About Misty Jhones:
Misty Jones is a health and wellness expert, author, and columnist. She used to deal in the fitness, supplement, bodybuilding, and natural weight loss industry and has been extensively published.
Her frequently groundbreaking journals and articles can be found in many publications like LeahsFitness.Com. She has been a co-author in various researches relating to health and sports nutrition found in many peer-reviewed journals and websites.
About Anusmita Bhattacharjee:
Anusmita is a journalist by profession. She works in digital media at present. Besides, she is experienced in television media also. She takes a special interest in writing communicative articles. She pursued her Master’s degree from the Institute of Mass Communication Film and Television Studies (IMCFTS, affiliated to Kalyani University, Kolkata).
Featured Image Source: PrepSkills
Note: This is a Sponsored Post!