Are you starting to apply to colleges but feeling unsure about where to start? Whether you’re planning ahead in middle school, are in early high school, or ready to start the college application process, our expert college counselors are more than prepared to advise you. Our team of experts have worked in admissions offices across the country, so we understand how your application is reviewed in context and how to stand out to admissions officers.
We hear over and over from families that seeking help from Marks Education’s college admissions counseling team made them feel prepared and confident through the college planning and application process. Our tailored college counseling packages are designed to provide everything that you need, and nothing that you don’t.
In this article, learn what you can expect from an hourly college admissions counseling session at Marks Education. Whether you’re considering hourly meetings or investing in a package, contact us to learn about how we can help you set and achieve your educational goals.
Before the Meeting: How to Prepare
Before your scheduled meeting, your Marks Education college counselor will request a few essential documents from you to understand your academic and extracurricular background. These documents may include your grade report, transcripts to date, standardized test scores or practice test results, and an activities list or resume.
To guarantee a productive meeting, we ask that you send these documents to us at least 48 hours in advance. This allows us to review your information and prepare for our discussion effectively. We include 15 minutes of prep time within your hourly session so we can come to your meeting prepared to make progress.
The Meeting Framework
Part of what makes Marks Education so unique is our personalized touch. We pride ourselves on getting to know our students and making recommendations that best suit them. Generally, we start our meetings by discussing any questions you have and clarifying any issues. After we’ve established our goals for our meeting and time together, our counselors will typically cover the following topics:
1. Academic Discussion
Most of the time, our sessions start with a discussion on your academics. We’ll go beyond your transcript and ask about your workload, time management skills, and even about the amount of sleep you’re getting. Before our session, we’ll have researched your school’s profile and will be able to discuss how your application will be viewed in context. This is done alongside asking questions about any special honors, recognition, and your relationship with teachers/coaches/etc..
2. Extracurricular Engagement
If you’re applying to school in the United States, extracurriculars will play an active role in the conversation. This could include community service, sports teams, or any other way you spend your time. We want to understand what is important to you and how you show that in and out of the classroom.
3. Grade-Specific Advice
Marks Education meets with students in each year of high school. Meaning, the direction our conversation takes next will depend on whether you’re a 9th/10th grader or 11th/12th grade high school student.
For 11th/12th graders, who will be attending college in the more immediate future, we tend to focus on college-related opportunities and considerations. We’ll discuss factors like the size and types of colleges you’re interested in, what programs might best help you achieve your goals, identifying areas where you would thrive, and more.
For 9th/10th graders, we might discuss how you can make the most of your summers, pursue personal interests, or how to seek out extracurriculars that interest you and align with your future plans. While college applications won’t be the primary focus of this session, you’ll find that making sure you’re set up for success will make all the difference when it comes time to draft them.
4. Strategy
One key theme throughout our meeting is the idea of maximizing your options. We believe in helping you develop interests, connect with teachers, and make the most of your current academic year.
We often bring up the importance of your school’s profile as part of your planning process. If this information is not readily available on your school’s website, we’ll request it and reference it during our discussion. It’s important to understand how your academic achievements and activities fit into the context of your school, your local area, and the national profile. This is something colleges consider very carefully.
5. Review
As we wrap up our meeting, we’ll take some time to review any key points from our conversation, including any “to do” items. We consider it important that families and students have clear next steps to keep them on track: whether that means following up on a recommended summer program or implementing new essay writing strategies.
Expectations
The Marks Education team has worked in admissions offices across the country. We come to each session prepared with decades of institutional knowledge to help you prepare for and apply to college. Through years spent helping students through the admissions process, we have established timelines and communication practices that keep students on track and experience a smooth application process.
Curious to learn more? Reach out to schedule a free consultation with a Marks Education college counselor now!