The Joys and Woes of College Counseling

Recently, the college counseling process commenced for the Class of 2026. Mila Cooper ’26 and Niki Das ’26 and Lawrenceville’s College Counseling Office share their thoughts on this new journey.

IV Formers have much to look forward to despite the anxiety. Das is eager to “learn more about how to approach [her] applications and how to make [herself] seem more qualified.” 

Likewise, Cooper is “excited to learn about all the different options and opportunities out there.” To her, “slowly figuring out those [next] four years of [her] life is very exciting, even if it’s a bit far off and scary.” Das hopes to get “support from an adult with a lot of experience in college counseling,” while Cooper hopes that she’ll “reflect more on her experience at Lawrenceville and learn how to express that in the college essays.”

As the admissions process grows increasingly competitive, many components of the complicated process concern Lawrentians. Das is nervous to start her essays and Cooper worries about standardized testing, which she believes “[adds] another layer of stress to the process.” Luckily for the IV Form, the College Counseling Office is here to help!  Yes, counselors help brainstorm essay ideas, but the school further prepares IVth Formers by incorporating the “Essay Writing” course into the Spring term to help prepare for writing supplemental essays. 

Above all, Das hopes her counselor will be most helpful in “preparing [her] to deal with all of the tasks that [she has] to handle and helping [her] with time management for the process.”

Cooper hopes her counselor will aid “in the refining of [her] college list and tailoring [her] application to different schools because that part of the process they know a lot more about than I do.”

While the process has just started for the Lawrenceville IV Formers, most have over a year left of working with their college counselors. Director of College Counseling Holly Burks Becker P’06 ’09 ’12 promises  that IV Formers “will be astounded by who they have become and the differences in their friends and classmates in 15 months… the college search process has an impactful and powerful role.” Students begin to understand the opportunities for their undergraduate years and outline who they want to be in college and beyond. 

However, the  college counselors do worry that students assume where they go “will define them in the eyes of others” despite the existence of innumerable future pathways that can lead them to success—college is only the first step. Becker urges students to focus on their own identity, not others’ perception of them. 

IV Formers must remember that the college counseling office at Lawrenceville excels at providing resources for students. One alumnus wrote in their exit survey,  “[my counselor] gave me everything I needed to know—I just needed to read it.” The counseling program takes pride in their communication, professional experience, and willingness to discover individual students’ needs. Becker advises students to “follow the curriculum and stay on top of the process…if you take it step by step, you will do well.” Though challenging moments pop up here and there, the steps as a whole are “eminently doable.” 

IV Formers: there will be an enormous number of opportunities to advance your college knowledge, so “dive in and be present” with your counselor. Picking out and refining a college list is an important first step. When choosing colleges, Becker asks IV Formers to stay open to new ideas and institutions, and work to create a “vision that is nuanced and personal.” There are countless great colleges out there, both domestic and international. Inevitably, “noise” will surround the college process. “You’ll hear lots out there that’s designed to stress you out so you follow that path in worry,” Becker remarked. For example, the proliferation of social media accounts designed to exploit students’ insecurities might seem overwhelming to a  chronically-online Lawrentian. However, Becker reminds IV Formers to not let other forces take away their college processes: “don’t let it happen. It’s your process.” As you undergo the shared college application experience, turn toward each other for support and advice. Do not let the stress of getting into college come in the way of  maintaining positive relationships with peers and having a joyful IV form and V form year.