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A major aspect of a school's academic success is the percentage of seniors that attend college. Many students have the assistance of parents to help them with the process of applying to college and becoming academically prepared, however that is not always the case. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have fewer accommodations therefore they rely heavily on the assistance of the school counselor (Simmons). For this population in particular, it is vital that they have access to as much college preparation assistance as possible. With the lack of support, many may decide not to attend college at all (Simmons). Research shows that the role of the counselor is critical in this aspect of academia as their knowledge and expertise is what guides students in the direction that best suits their needs. According to Simmons (2011), the responsibilities of school counselors are vast. It is because of their extensive list of demands that school counselors are not able to devote as much time to assisting students with college preparation. It is suggested that school districts modify the structure of the counseling department in high schools to better support the growing need of college preparation at this level (Simmons). Without this change, the opportunity to attend college for some will be nonexistent.
Preparing School Counselors to Prepare Students.
When it comes to preparing students for college, there is a great deal that school counselors must do to ensure that students have exactly what they need. With so many responsibilities falling in the hands of school counselors many are unable to provide direct services to students for college preparation. The change mentioned by Simmons (2011) was reiterated in research by Bardwell (2010). Bardwell (2010) states that school counselor graduate programs are not equipping potential counselors in regard to college admission coursework.