CON: Should Sidwell College Counseling Begin Earlier?

For many students, the ultimate goal of high school is acceptance into college. The idea of college dominates high schoolers’ lives, and the college counseling office’s main task is to help students manage the overwhelming nature of the application process. At Sidwell, the college counselors become involved towards the beginning of their junior year. This is the appropriate time in a high schooler’s academic career to begin seriously considering and navigating the college process. As a freshman and sophomore, high school should be focused on academics and socialization, not the college process. Introducing college counseling to underclassmen could inadvertently mount pressure and stress on students who should instead be focused on their high school experience. 

Underclassmen, especially freshmen who are trying to adjust to high school life, do not need an introduction to CCO programming because that would eventually result in even more stress. In a study conducted by NYU, for students planning to attend college, the top stressors are academic pressure and the college application process, including writing essays and getting letters of recommendation. Since freshmen and sophomores cannot even begin writing essays, there is no reason to add more pressure and stress by introducing college counseling programming. Instead, managing academic pressure should be the main concern for younger high school students because academic success is crucial for growth. 

Additionally, the college process can be extremely competitive, especially since Sidwell has a reputation for sending students to elite schools after high school. Competition between students and self-comparison flourish during the college application process. Starting CCO programming earlier would inevitably result in more intense competition between students, which is an especially toxic learning atmosphere for younger students. 

In an article written by Harvard Summer School, the organization stated, “In your freshman year, you don’t need to worry about delving into the college search quite yet. Your primary focus should be on academic success and starting to explore your interests.” If there is no reason to begin the college search in freshman year, then there is no necessity for CCO programming. In that same article, Harvard Summer School wrote, “Sophomore year is a great time to begin exploring how your interests might impact your future career . . . Of course, there’s no need to settle on anything quite yet. Explore a variety of different opportunities. You never know what will spark your interest.” Only in junior year should students begin critically considering colleges, build a preliminary list and start studying for standardized tests. 

While the college counseling programs should not start until junior year, for freshmen and sophomores interested in staying on top of college preparation, there are other ways to be ready. These include taking different and challenging classes, keeping up good grades, applying for leadership positions in school, pursuing and developing passions and trying new things.