Posts Tagged: counselor

Why the Pathways Model Is Redefining Student Advising

How an Open-Choice Community-Driven Platform is Giving Students Control Over Their Future In the world of academic advising most platforms follow a predictable playbook you re matched with a counselor often through a rigid algorithm or availability matrix and your...

Why Some Students Burn Out Before Medical School—and How to Avoid It

Why Some Students Burn Out Before Medical School and How to Avoid It Burnout isn t reserved for residents pulling -hour shifts or physicians managing overwhelming caseloads It starts much earlier often in the years leading up to medical school...

Is Peer Advising for Everyone? (Yes, And Here’s Why)

When I first heard about peer advising for college admissions I was skeptical After all how could someone who was just a few years ahead of me possibly understand my specific challenges and provide useful advice Wouldn t I be...

I Used Both a Counselor and Pathways—Here’s How They Worked Together

When I first started the college application process I was completely overwhelmed There were so many decisions to make what schools to apply to what essays to write whether or not I should submit my SAT scores and I was...

What Peer Advisors Can Do That Counselors Can’t

When Maya met with her high school counselor about applying to college the conversation lasted minutes Her counselor was well-meaning and professional but she had students on her roster and limited time for nuance She reminded Maya to finalize her...

You May or May Not Need a $10,000 Counselor—You Do Need the Right Insight at the Right Time

When Jordan a high school senior from Maryland started applying to colleges he had access to his school counselor a few family friends who had been through it and the endless maze of forums and social media But what he...

Peer Guidance Isn’t a Shortcut to College decisions — It’s the Missing Piece

When high school junior Maya sat down to start her college applications she had the same tools as most ambitious students a long list of schools a spreadsheet of deadlines advice from school counselors and dozens of open browser tabs...

Why We Built Pathways Consulting: College Admissions Has a Broken Advice System

Why We Built Pathways College Admissions Has a Broken Advice System When we set out to build Pathways we weren t trying to disrupt college counseling just for the sake of it We were trying to solve a very real...

I Didn’t Know the Rules, But My Peer Coach Knew the Game

By Aditi R not her real name International Student from India Before I even began applying to colleges in the United States I knew I was already behind Not academically I had top grades extracurriculars and awards but behind in...

Finding My Edge When No One at Home Spoke English

By Sofia R not her real name First-Gen Student When I tell people I m the first in my family to go to college they nod politely like they ve heard that story before But it s different when your...

Helping Students From Underrepresented Backgrounds Means Listening First

By Carla J not her real name College Coach I ve worked with students from all walks of life but the ones who stay with me the longest are the ones who didn t think they belonged in the college...

How We Used Peer Advising to Reduce the Stress of College Apps

By Ricardo M not his real name Parent of a High School Senior If you had told me two years ago that a college student would be the person to bring calm into our home during application season I would...

The Missing Link in Our College Prep Plan: A Peer Perspective

By Marcus H not his real name Parent of a High School Senior I thought we had everything covered My daughter Laila not her real name had been preparing for college since middle school We had the grades the SAT...

From a Small Town to a Big Name School: The Peer Advice That Got Me There

By Isabella Hernandez College Freshman I ve always been proud of my small-town roots Growing up in a community where everyone knew everyone else s business I learned early on the importance of relationships hard work and staying grounded But...

What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My College Apps

By Aanya S Student and First-Gen US College Applicant If I could go back and have one honest conversation with my junior-year self it would start with this You re not alone and you don t have to figure it...

How Peer Advising Helped Me Choose the Right Early Decision School

I remember staring at a spreadsheet with ten colleges on it each with different programs deadlines and vibes and thinking How am I supposed to know which one to choose for Early Decision My school counselor was helpful with logistics...

The Value of Recent Experience in Navigating Today’s Admissions Landscape

If you had asked me two years ago whether I d be helping other students apply to college I probably would ve laughed At the time I was neck-deep in personal statements debating whether to go test-optional and losing sleep...

Peer vs. Professional: Why You Actually Need Both for College Advice By Your Side

When I started applying to colleges I had two people on my side One was a traditional college counselor with years of experience in admissions The other A senior from my school who had just been accepted to a top-tier...

What Does a Pathways Peer Advisor Consult Look Like?

Let s look at what it looked like to Emma a high school senior in Ohio trying to figure out her college applications and needing advice tailored to her specific situation Talking to Someone Who d Been Through It Changed...