By: Abigale Paterniti, Editor-in-Chief
Every year brings a reset. For school counselors, the end of one senior class is the beginning of something new, a new cohort of students who need guidance navigating one of the most impactful decisions of their lives.
Here’s what the Class of 2026, and the counselors who guided them, want the Class of 2027 to know.
For high school counselors, the work with one graduating class overlaps to the next. Mr. Vangeli described the job as a cycle of progression, finishing with one class and then turning around to start fresh with incoming seniors.
The work includes helping students fill out forms, writing letters of recommendation, reviewing college essays, and meeting with rising seniors in the fall to map out which schools they’re targeting. Tools like Naviance and the Common Application become central.
“Things I felt like I didn’t do well, I get a chance to improve on the next year.” said Mr. Vangeli, on continuous improvement.
Counselors make a point on proactively reaching out, sending passes, emails or even standing outside a classroom, to make sure no students slip through the cracks. Each counselor typically sets a goal to meet with freshmen at least three times throughout the year, with follow-ups built in throughout.
One of the clearest themes from counselors this year is that the college search process needs to be personal. With Maryland schools growing increasingly competitive, casting a wide net matters more than ever.
Counselors recommend using Naviance’s scattergram feature to look at specific colleges, finding the lowest GPA and SAT scores of accepted applicants, to get a realistic sense of where a student stands.
“Don’t apply to schools you don’t see yourself at, don’t just look at acceptance rate or ratings, look at your specific program.” said Sharvi Wankade, class of 26.
The college application season brings an overwhelming wave of pressure, from peers, relatives, teachers.
Sharvi has advice on filtering the noise. “Don’t let other people’s opinions sway you from applying to schools. Listen to your parents, they’re more knowledgeable and mature than you, and start your personal essay as soon as possible.”
Similarly, Ayo Somori, class of ‘26, offers advice on classes, “take HCC classes, do not overpack your senior schedule, build in time for yourself and for your applications.”
Time is the most valuable resource a junior has, most students spend too much time procrastinating out of the fear of rejection. Remember, rejection is only redirection. Start now, and enjoy every moment of senior year.