The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

I originally planned a different blog topic for this Monday (and will revisit it in the future), but circumstances have transpired over the past week or so that have compelled me to put these thoughts into the world. It hasn’t been easy for me to write, but I feel the need to say something in this vein at the very least in an effort to use this space to work through my thoughts and frustration at a situation that’s entirely out of my control.

(The lack of control is a big theme here, as you’ll come to understand, readers, and thank you for bearing with me.) Read More

Not all colleges in Colorado have riding teams, but many do -

here's the definitive list of Colorado schools

for those looking west of the Mississippi.

Thinking of attending one of the nation's service academies for college?

The majority of them have organized riding teams and/or programs, but

here's what you need to know before you begin the application process

.

Your School Counselor and You

You’ve probably read jokes about school guidance counselors or gotten a laugh out of a comic strip that features their less than stellar advice, but even if you’re fortunate to work with an educational consultant throughout your college search, you can’t overlook the importance of your school counselor in the process.

That’s right, even as student-counselor ratios continue to rise nationwide, these hardworking individuals still play an important role in helping you become a college freshman.  Namely, your guidance counselor:

• Helps plan your schedule of college preparatory courses.  Colleges require specific, approved high school coursework for freshman and your school counselor is responsible for helping you choose the appropriate ones for you.

• Helps you register for standardized tests.  Your counseling office maintains a schedule for all local offerings of the SAT and ACT and can help you select the right date, sign you up, and work with you to get the testing fee waived if your family can’t afford to pay.

• Submits recommendation forms to colleges.  Most college applications require a recommendation from a school counselor, either by letter or in response to questions on a form.  Your application cannot be considered complete without this information.

• Release your official transcript to colleges.  An official transcript must feature the raised seal of your high school on it and this version can only be submitted by the guidance office at your high school.  Thus, your counselor is the one in charge of releasing it.

In order to learn how best to work with your own school counselor, schedule a meeting with him or her early in your junior year (if not before).  Ask for course recommendations for your senior year and come up with a testing schedule.  In the spring of junior year, meet again to outline the steps you must take in the fall to submit your applications completely and in a timely fashion.  Taking the time to create this type of proactive relationship with your counselor can help ease the stress of the college application process and reassure you that you’re on track to achieving your college goals. 

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