What is a guidance counselor?
Your Guidance Counselor is a special person that every student can really benefit from knowing. It is important for you to meet your counselor and to understand what is a guidance counselor so that you begin to be advised for success in your future endeavors.
Guidance Counselors help students move from high school life into college life and are helpful with skill assessment, college admission and valuable community contacts.
Skill Assessments
The Guidance Counselor has access to a variety of skills tests. He or she will ask you questions about your own particular skills and interests and may administer a formal evaluation. These evaluations are designed to find out what your strong areas are so that you can pursue these areas in later life. For example, if you have a special skill, the tests will reveal this. This is to help you understand your own aptitudes for future success in jobs and college.
College
Sometimes, if you have developed a professional relationship with them and they know your work and teachers well, Guidance Counselors are able to write letters of recommendation for college. They know when you have performed especially well in a certain class or subject area and they can encourage you in this special ability. They also have a great deal of information about the scores and what types of grades are acceptable to get into the college of your choice. They also know about college preparatory programs. Finally, Guidance Counselors may be able to give you some wise advice about future career paths that you may ultimately choose to take.
Community Contacts
Guidance Counselors are experts at problem solving and can meet with you one on one in order to help you with special needs you might have. They are experienced professionals who may have a number of business contacts. It is quite possible that they may be able to refer you to people they know in order to help you in your goals and help you with any special situations or disabilities wherein you may need accommodations. For example, if you have any disabilities they may be able to assist you with vocational training or college advice.
This is an introduction to what is a Guidance Counselor and what they do in your school. They give skill assessments, college advice and help within the community. The Guidance Counselor can be a rich source of help to you throughout your high school and college years.
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This is so true. I am now in college, and luckily I asked our guidance counselor in high school to help me assess my work and what I want to be. Now, I am still seeking guidance from them. More power to you!!
This is a great post because it informs readers on the roles of guidance counselors. Our counselor at school is very helpful. He is very approachable and I talk to him about my family problems and those involving my boyfriend. He also gives me insights about what career path I may take when I grow older. He gives me really helpful advice that helps me in my everyday life.
Hi Dr Patricia Fioriello, Thank you very much for this very helpful and informative. I know that all the guidance and information I receive from my Guidance Counselor will greatly contribute to my career.
Hi Kristina, The first step to being successful is to take recommendations and advice from the experts. Your guidance counselor has experience in this area. We are glad that you understand the important role your guidance counselor plays in your life. Great job to your counselor and to you!
We are so happy to hear about your great relationship with your counselor. This is the way it should be. Thanks for sharing your experience so that other kids know that it is possible to have a good relationship with their counselor. You are a positive role model for other students!
Jovenson, more power to you! You made it to college with the help of your counselor but you had the skills, ability and dedication to do it. Visit again and tell us more about your college experience.