Top issues in college counseling

For anyone who's gone through college counseling, what seems to be the most frequently mentioned issue? Or if anyone knows from experiences of friends or family, I'm intrigued to know what kind of problems tend to recur the most.

From engaging with numerous students about their college application experiences, one recurring theme that often emerges is the overwhelming complexity of the process. Many students feel anxious about the sheer number of tasks they have to complete for each application - from researching each college to deciding what major to apply for, writing a compelling personal statement, to gathering supplementary materials like transcripts, recommendation letters, and results of standardized tests.

Another frequently mentioned issue is understanding the financial aspects of attending college. Understanding tuition costs, calculating out-of-pocket expenses, identifying scholarship opportunities and filling out financial aid forms like FAFSA can be quite challenging and daunting for many, especially those from low-income families.

Choosing the right college is another recurring issue. With thousands of colleges to choose from, each with different strengths, campus cultures, and opportunities, students often struggle to identify the ones that would suit them best.

Finally, there's time management - figuring out how to balance the time-consuming college application process with already busy senior-years of high-school, filled with AP classes, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs, can be very challenging for students.

Thus, college counseling often focuses on navigating these four areas: the application process, financial aid, choosing the right college, and time management.