What Are the Main Duties of a High School Counselor?

I'm curious about what high school counselors actually do day-to-day. Can someone outline the typical job duties they have? I'm considering this as a career and want to understand what responsibilities I'd have.

High school counselors have a pretty varied day-to-day job description since every high school and student body is a bit different. However, a counselor's role usually revolves around three main areas:

1. Academic Advising: High school counselors guide students in planning out their course schedules, making sure graduates will meet all requisite criteria for high school graduation or fulfill college admission prerequisites. This often means working with students to review their academic goals, both short-term (like improving grades in a certain class) and long-term (preparation for college or career paths).

2. College and Career Counseling: Counselors help students explore their post-secondary options, which may look like explaining the college application process, discussing admission requirements, and providing resources on college financial aid and scholarships. This could also involve coordinating college visits or setting up college fairs in your school. In parallel, they also help those students who are looking into vocational training or going straight into the workforce by offering career counseling and job readiness preparation.

3. Personal and Social Support: They provide emotional support and resources to students dealing with personal issues, from stress management to more serious concerns such as mental health issues. They're often trained to recognize warning signs in student behavior that may indicate problems. If necessary, they may refer students to external professionals or community resources for additional help.

Beyond these basic duties, they may also be involved in the mediation of conflicts between students, providing crisis intervention after traumatic events, or coordinating with teachers and administrators on individual education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities.

Keep in mind, the needs of the student population can greatly affect the day-to-day responsibilities of a counselor. In a low-income school district, for example, a counselor may be called upon to help students find community resources like free meal programs, educational opportunities, even things like housing assistance or healthcare for their families.

In a nutshell, being a high school counselor means wearing many hats, that's for sure! It's a role that allows for a lot of direct impact on students' lives, and it can be deeply rewarding. As you consider this option, keep in mind that the job can be stressful at times, given the high stakes of the students' issues you'll be dealing with. But the opportunity to make a difference can make it well worth it.