How Many Counselors Does a High School Need?
Or to flip the question, how many students do you think a school counselor can handle while still working effectively? 50 students? 100 students?
What about 500 students?
According to a recent article from the New York Times, the national ratio of high school students to counselors is almost 500-to-1. Last year, Time Magazine also mentioned a similar figure, stating that a public high school counselor usually has a caseload of 471 students.
Meanwhile, the recommended ratio from the American School Counselor Association is 250 students to 1 counselor.
When college application season comes around, there are thousands of colleges to choose from. Without access to a high school counselor, students may miss out on invaluable advice on their list of colleges or on a strong recommendation letter from their counselor.
For students just starting high school, make the most of the time you have to meet your school counselor. There may be 499 other students waiting behind you to meet with the counselor as well.