Which statement best describes the counselor's role in senior year recommendations and essays?

• A. Counselors write all student essays and submit them to colleges.
• B. Counselors guide and help prepare recommendations and essays, aligning them with target colleges and deadlines.
• C. Counselors decide the student’s major and career path and communicate it to colleges.
• D. Counselors are not involved in the essay process.

Answer: (B)

Guiding and coordinating the senior-year recommendations and essays captures how the counselor supports this part of the process. The counselor helps the student brainstorm topics, shapes drafts for clarity and voice, and ensures the essays align with what target colleges are looking for, while staying true to the student’s perspective. They also manage the logistics—working with teachers who write recommendations, gathering required forms, tracking deadlines, and making sure everything is submitted on time. The student remains the author of the essays, and decisions about majors or career paths come from the student with guidance, not from the counselor.