Maybe you’ve read our posts on the importance of your guidance counselor recommendation in the college admissions process. Or maybe you haven’t yet. If you haven’t, check out this post on Guidance Counselor Letters of Recommendation. It’s very important that you establish a relationship with your guidance counselor early on in your high school career. It’s very important that your guidance counselor gets to know you as an individual so he/she doesn’t just fill out a template recommendation that doesn’t set you apart from Harry. But let’s say you didn’t believe us when we told you how important the guidance counselor recommendation really is.

We now have some more data to back up our stance. According to a study conducted by the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) to which the Founder of Ivy Coach is a member in good standing, the guidance counselor recommendation is one of ten things that colleges want from applicants and 19.4% of college admissions counselors believe it is the most important part of your application, according to “The Huffington Post.” So is it the single most important part of your application, according to the data? No. But 19.4% matters quite a bit in the competitive, high stakes games of selective college admissions.

So ask politely if your guidance counselor can meet next week. Thank him/her for writing your letter of recommendation. Thank him/her for sitting down for an hour with you to go over course selection. Don’t ask for course changes because you want a better lunch break. The impression you’re leaving on your guidance counselor is a lasting one — one that will have a tremendous impact on your chances in the selective college admissions process.