As a parent, you understand that teens crave, sometimes even demand, to do things independently. The college admissions process is a great opportunity for teens to take the reins and direct the process themselves. After all, they are just a couple of years away from finally being adults, living on their own and making their own way in the world.

However, for many teens, engaging in the college admission process on their own comes with a high risk of burnout and anxiety, which can lead to missteps that could undermine their college opportunities. Instead, we recommend building a personal college admissions assistance team that will help make the applications process successful, exciting, and yes, even enjoyable.

If you're a teen applying to college, here are 5 groups of people you should enlist for college admissions assistance:

1. Family

Identify which family member can help you with time-consuming tasks.

Although some family members may get on your last nerve, they know you best. Identify which family member can help you with time-consuming tasks such as researching college information, sorting the tons of mail/email you receive from colleges, coordinating college visits, and researching scholarships you qualify for. Believe me, when your family members know what their specific roles are in supporting you, the freak outs happen less often, and we all know that’s a win-win!

2. High school counselors

High school counselors have a significant impact on the college process.

You have probably met with your high school counselor once or twice to either select or change your academic schedule, but that isn’t the main role your counselor plays. As the official liaison between you and the colleges you apply to, high school counselors have a significant impact on the college process. Beyond just sending your transcripts, counselors also write recommendation letters for both admissions and scholarships. In addition, they receive the most up-to-date information on colleges and scholarships. So if your counselor knows you well, you can bet that you will be kept in the loop. Wanting to make a new BFF? Then take initiative by letting your counselor know who you are.

3. Teachers

Many colleges will require teacher recommendation letters.

Sitting in the back of the classroom as a fly on the wall is considered lame nowadays. Successful applicants need more than good grades. Many colleges will require teacher recommendation letters, particularly those who have taught you in 11th and/or 12th grade. The global job market demands people who can connect, communicate, and contribute to a diverse group of people. Colleges want to see evidence that you are applying these skills in the classroom. Teachers will be instructed to write specific details on what your contribution was to the class as well as how you achieved it. No fly on the wall here! To make sure your teachers are on your team, be a positive influence in your classes to both your peers and those who teach you.

4. Coaches and other mentors

Coaches are special since they can showcase your passions and commitments that happen off campus.

Whether they are athletic coaches, dance instructors, bosses, church leaders, and/or community service supervisors, people in these areas can help represent you to prospective colleges through optional recommendation letters. This group is pretty special since they can showcase your passions and commitments that happen off campus, giving admission officers new information about you they wouldn't otherwise have.Also, for teens wanting to play for a college athletic team, you will absolutely need your athletic coaches to support your recruitment process (which begins as early as 9th grade!).

5. Friends

Keep in mind that there are a handful of colleges that will ask for a peer recommendation.

Your friends give you a sense of school-life balance which is so important. However, their friendship goes beyond studying or hanging out together. Friends tend to know you pretty well. They can be great listeners to bounce around ideas about college visits, programs, and finding the right fit. They are also there for you when you want to talk about any doubts or fears you might be experiencing about the upcoming changes. This is a time when your friends can be great sounding boards, because they're probably going through the same things. Additionally, keep in mind that there are a handful of colleges that will ask for a peer recommendation. If a peer recommendation letter is part of your college application, I offer one bit of advice: choose wisely. Your bestie might be your greatest fan, but make sure he or she also has the writing ability to effectively articulate why you are so great. Simply writing “My friend is like so amazing so please admit her!” will not cut it.

Ultimately, having a successful college admissions assistance team is knowing who to trust and how to delegate. Like any team, when you have the right members, the rules are easier to understand and the process is better to manage. So now that you're team captain, it’s time to select your team.

About our guest blogger

Sonja Montiel has served more than 15 years in the profession of college admissions. She founded College Confidence in 2002 to offer college admissions assistance and help students discover their sense of ownership in the admissions process.

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