Junior year is often the most chaotic period of high school for students. Stressing over perfect grades for upcoming college applications and achieving a desired ACT score while also balancing extracurriculars and homework makes it difficult to create dedicated time to think about college. Luckily, HHS has outstanding resources for college help and advice, and college counselor Ashley Davenport has fulfilled her new role successfully this year.
During a Q&A with Davenport, she introduced herself and her role at HHS while offering her best advice for juniors and current seniors navigating college admissions and scholarships.
What is your role here at the high school?
I was hired because it was part of the strategic plan created last year to have someone brought in who could be more devoted to just college counseling. Mr. Deavers had to balance the seniors and college, and it was a lot for him. There was a need to have someone to be able to focus on just the college part, but also to make it more comprehensive so that it was not only focused on seniors.
I am trying to shift my focus to working with juniors. This allows me to help with planning before college applications and the summer before senior year. I just want them to be as prepared as possible.
Will you talk about your college experience and background that led you to want this job?
I graduated from Altamont, which is a big college preparatory school. I got into the University of Pennsylvania, which is a great school. I went there because I thought I wanted to go to medical school. It was not a good fit for me academically or emotionally. But it was a good name, and I had fallen into the name trap. I feel like if I had gotten better counseling then maybe things would have ended differently. I ended up transferring to Birmingham Southern which was incredible and exactly what I needed. But with that, I lost my scholarship to Penn and I just felt so alone in the process. When I started dabbling with college counseling, I realized that I loved it. You can expose people to resources they might not be aware of and truly change someone’s life.
What is the biggest challenge you see among juniors and seniors right now?
Seniors right now are realizing that they need to find money. They make it in to their desired schools but realize that now they have to pay for it. Juniors are still figuring out where they want to apply, and learning to be ok if they don’t get in. It is a much more difficult process than most kids think. There is such an extensive process to getting into schools, and even after you are in you are still filling out essays for scholarships. I think it can be hard for juniors to wrap their heads around this.
What are some common misconceptions about college among kids right now?
Most kids tend to think about college in terms of what fun will I have come the beginning of the semester and not where it will put them in four to 5 years. Especially with the cost of college, you really need to make sure you have a job when you graduate. I would encourage them to think more long-term. The focus should be on what will I get in the end of my college experience.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to current juniors?
I would say to figure out a list of reach schools, middle ground schools, and safety schools. Include schools that you know you can afford and play the game of college applications. Keep your focus on your plan, not what everyone else is doing. College is personal, and it is your life. And college isn’t for everybody. It is so important to remember this. And if you get somewhere and you aren’t doing well there, it is okay to get out.
Do you feel like there is a good awareness in our school of the available resources we have for college help?
Honestly, I don’t think so, not with me at least. I want to get it out there. I want kids to know that I am approachable. Sometimes I don’t think kids even know what to ask when they need help. I want to start pushing more communication with 10th grade to introduce them to the available resources so they are better prepared come junior and senior year.
