If you are applying for admission to a competitive college your application will include a form for your school counselor to complete. You will either need to give your school counselor a hard copy copy of this form or information that will allow your school counselor to access it electronically.

Counselor Evaluations

In general, counselor evaluations forms require school counselors to provide basic information about about the students' high school experiences and their ability to be successful in college. Below is a list of information that may be requested on counselor evaluation forms:

• General information about your high school
  
• How well the school counselor knows you
  
• Your grade point average (GPA) and class rank
  
• The level of rigor (difficulty) of your coursework
  
• Any disciplinary problems you have had
  
• The school counselor's impression of your ability to succeed in college
  
• Any extenuating circumstances to explain why your grades are not reflective of your potential

Getting to know your school counselor

It is important to get to know your school counselor in order for him or her to write an effective evaluation for you. The more information your school counselor has about you, the better able he or she will be to provide information that will persuade the college to take an interest in you.

It is best not to assume that your school counselor will remember your information after only one visit. School counselors usually have a large caseload of students (anywhere from about 250-900 students per year) and they are dealing with a wide array of student issues (such as suicidal students, bullying issues, parental abuse, truancy issues, and academic difficulties) on a regular basis.

Getting to know your school counselor will not only help your counselor create a more effective evaluation form for you, but it will also help you to be successful in the college application process. School counselors network regularly with college admissions personnel and they have a great deal of experience helping students with their applications for college admission. You will be able to get a great deal of helpful advice from your school counselor.

The counselor meeting

When you meet with your school counselor bring along written lists of information that will help him or her complete your evaluation. The types of information that will be helpful to bring to your school counselor include the following:

• Your plans for the future
  
• The obstacles you have overcome
  
• Your extracurricular activities and volunteer work
  
• Demonstrations of your leadership ability
  
• All of your academic enrichment activities

Meetings with your school counselor can help your counselor create an evaluation forms that will help you stand out from other applicants. To get the most out of your school counselor meetings, you should meet with your counselor regularly, ask questions, and provide your counselor with information he or she can use when telling colleges to about you.