Every year, roughly 100 Marksmen apply to dozens of colleges that stretch from the beaches of California to the bays of Rhode Island. 

For many, years of hard work and dedication are compacted into stapled-together resumes and applications that are judged among thousands of others, creating a fierce competition to secure admission.

So to increase students’ odds of going to their top college, the College Counseling Office grants juniors and seniors access to its resources, aiding upperclassmen with the stressful admission process.

Regularly meeting with their counselor to discuss various topics pertaining to their college decisions, older marksmen gain confidence and expert knowledge about their options beyond Upper School, opening up options they never thought of before. 

But even with this valuable resource tucked into the first floor of the Robert K. Hoffman Center, some, like senior Asher Babilla, consider getting further assistance, often choosing to take advantage of private counselors independent of the schools to try and get a more in-depth analysis of their resumes. 

“I started meeting with a freelance college counselor during my freshman and sophomore years,” Babilla said. “I’ve been working with him mainly in the last two years, and he’s been helping me with the same things the college counselors here do.”

The advantage unique to private counselors is that, since they usually manage fewer students than the average college counselor working at school, they can offer very personalized and specific advice.

“The counselors here have a lot to keep track of, so my parents just wanted to make sure that I had enough focus on me,” Babilla said. “I split my counseling between my independent counselor and the college counselors here because I wanted more perspectives, and having two professional opinions was definitely helpful.”

Working with multiple counselors, however, is a serious and an often expensive commitment that doesn’t work for everyone, but for some, hiring an independent counselor can provide valuable insight into the complex process of college admissions.

“Choosing to get a counselor depends on the person,” Babilla said. “If you already have an idea of where you want to go and what you want to do, I probably wouldn’t recommend hiring one, but if you don’t really have a dream college or major in mind I think it’s really helpful.”