College is an exciting time for young adults to explore who they are without living in the shadows of their parents. They must learn to thrive independently, which can be a struggle for some students. However, before facing that challenge, high schoolers have many responsibilities to ensure they receive the best opportunities for success. Not only do students face pressure to decide on the perfect career, major, and college, but they also have test scores and extracurricular activities to navigate. Luckily, they don’t have to tackle it all on their own.

High school guidance counselors are one of the best resources for students in the decision-making process. After working with juniors and seniors for a while, they become even more experienced and better prepared to support struggling high schoolers in the future.

“The hardest aspect I see kids getting stuck in is getting started in the process,” school counselor Jamie Manley said. “They get stuck, or paralyzed, and they think there’s a wrong decision, [so] the hardest part is probably convincing kids that there’s not a wrong college option for them. The most questions I get are mostly where to apply and how to apply.”

She helps them figure out what they’re looking for in a college and narrow down the options from there. After discovering the college that best suits the student, she focuses on breaking down the application process.

“In the spring, we meet with juniors and their parents right before school gets out to walk through what [they] can be doing in the summer to prepare for July and August applications opening,” Manley said. “We do senior college and career presentations at the very beginning of the school year, and then our goal is to meet one-on-one with our seniors before October [prior to application deadlines].”

She makes sure that she touches base with each student in 10-15 minute conferences so they can have their questions answered and get started on the processes. If they are struggling with something in particular, Manley finds a way to sort the issues out.

“My theory, or approach, to counseling is called solution-focused theory, and my goal when I’m meeting with kids is [to figure out] what the problem is, how we can solve it, what the most rational way for us to look at something is … and then, to improve on that,” she said.

She gives them valuable advice, such as taking into account their chosen career salary in comparison to college expenses so that they can be financially prepared after graduating. Manley recommends utilizing Emerson’s vast network of resources, such as inventories, and helps them find other trustworthy research sites. She knows that students who come into her office already having some knowledge about college are more qualified to make their decision and easier to aid.

“[I encourage students to] do [their] research in 11th grade because [they] hit the ground running in 12th grade … and know what questions they need help with,” Manley said.

Apart from assisting students with applications, counselors make a huge impact on their futures. They aim to equip students with skills that aren’t just beneficial for college applications, but real-life situations as well.

“The goal would be that we’re equipping them to make smart choices, so whether that’s making a smart choice where you’re applying, or making a smart choice about how you communicate with people,” Manley said.

Even though many painstaking steps are involved, she believes that it’s all worth it in the end, seeing the excitement light up on students’ faces when they’re accepted.

“I really enjoy when kids come back and I get to find out where they were accepted, or what they’re gonna do, or even when they’re surprised by the choice that they make that might’ve been completely different from where we were originally looking,” Manley said. “Really what it looks like is just big celebrations, lots of smiles, lots of hugs.”

Despite dealing with some occasional students who aren’t willing to listen, Manley truly enjoys her career and the bonds that come easily from working with the students. Those bonds are still shared with some seniors who were touched by Manley. High school counselors put in the extra effort to benefit students, making them truly invaluable to students’ lives.

“I’ve always looked for that extra way to find connections with kids because that’s what makes it worthwhile,” Manley said.