Have a high school junior? Get started now to make college admissions less stressful

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Mine is Reddit. It's a hot mess of first-date WTFs, family disasters, niche product reviews.

For obvious reasons, the algorithm pushes college admissions content at me. This time of year, lots of posts from stressed out kids, freaked out over their applications, their rejections, even their admissions. It makes me want to give all those kids a hug. They will be fine.

But it also makes me wish they had some guidance about a year earlier -- they could have avoided most of that stress.

If you have a student who's a high school junior and you're just starting the college admissions process, working with a college consultant now -- as opposed to senior year or not at all -- can minimize much of the stress.

Here's why. By hiring a counselor like Balanced Path, you gain:

• a structured program that sets goals and helps manage deadlines.

• a list of colleges built not on vibes, where their friends are applying, or how cool the dorms are (although those can all be part of what you consider!) -- but on a thoughtful consideration of how the college can best support your child's academic, career, and social needs. We consider financial fit, as well!

• A personal essay that's written in several controlled sessions, with guidance and support, rather than angst and guesswork.

• Get them prepared to apply early, if possible, to maximize admission chances and merit aid (read more about that here).

• Choose classes for senior year that will support your college goals, not undermine them.

These are all benefits I wish I could have given to my current batch of hard-working, talented, and quite successful** high school seniors. And definitely to those stressed-out kids on Reddit.

These are all benefits you can give your high school junior right now. Investing in college admissions for juniors can have a big effect on your child's mental health and success through this intense process. Schedule a 30-minute free consultation with me to talk about your options, and how I can help.

**Those kids, on average, are getting into 73% of their schools, and we don't have all the results yet, so that number may well go up! Read about the lessons from working with them here.