Get to know your teachers and counselors. All kinds of coolstuff comes across high school counselor’s desks (awards, contests, scholarships, special programs, leadership opportunities, camps, etc) Any one of them could have your name on it if your counselor has gotten to know you and what your interests and goals are.

 

     Colleges want students who are interested and interesting.  A resume filled with activities that show your interests is attractive to them.  High school counselors can help you build that resume by matching you to programs that develop your interests.  BUT they can't do that if they don't know you, so get to know them.
     One of the best actions you can take is to schedule time to meet with your counselor at least two times a year beginning in your freshman year to help them get to know you    If you are like me or like my step-son you might be thinking: what am I going to talk to them about?  Here are a list of questions or items you can bring to start the conversation with your counselor:

• bring a resume that includes your activities, hobbies, and goals (your goal can simply be finding your interests or going to college, or whatever your life dream is at that time)
• bring your schedule (though they can pull that up for themselves)
• ask them if your schedule will help you achieve your goals
• ask them if they know of any programs that match your interests
• remind them to keep you in mind if any thing comes across their desk
• (if you are a junior/senior) you can bring your test scores from PSAT or SAT and ask them how to improve or if they know of any scholarships or grants you can apply to with those scores

     Remember counselors are there to help you and helping them get to know you can pay off big!  If a camp wants students to apply, if a contest needs applicants, if a local community is looking for young talent they send mailers to your counselor. If your counselor knows a student who would be a good match for any of these programs they pass that information along to him/her. You may be the perfect fit but your counselor has to know that.