From Campus Tour to Career (Part I)

In my time as a Director of College Counseling, I genuinely enjoyed meeting prospective families during campus tours and information sessions, as well as guiding them through the high school admissions process. I saw these moments as valuable opportunities to connect families directly with their journey ahead by highlighting our student outcomes, discussing opportunities, and helping them understand how to best prepare for their long-term college and career goals. 

Our leadership team allowed me to demonstrate how we empowered students to explore pathways, build skills, and make informed decisions that shape their future success beyond graduation. We used this approach to connect all of our community stakeholders to support our mission and drive success for our students.

Through this approach, I found that the true impact happens when collaboration and communication across multiple stakeholders, including students, families, educators, and institutions, are aligned with the individual strengths and interests of each student. That is where the real magic lies: in creating pathways that are both personalized and purposeful.

Today, as we advise our student athletes and their families in navigating the complexities of college admissions, athletic recruitment, and the evolving NIL landscape, the same approach rings true. Centering each student’s goals while fostering strong communication among all parties ensures that the guidance we provide remains intentional, holistic, and future-focused. 

Much like the prospective high school families that took time to visit with me in the college counseling office, we encourage our student athletes and their families to prioritize the Career Services Department during their college visits. With an outcomes focused approach to the college visit and admissions process, prospective student athletes and families can focus on fit as it relates to their aspirations.

Future-driven planning is at the core of POLARIS Student Athlete Consulting.

We intentionally align each student athlete’s current interests, strengths, and goals with a strategic plan designed to support long-term success. The transition from high school to college brings greater independence, responsibility, and self-discovery. When students are met with future-focused, personalized support, especially through robust career services, this transition becomes more than a challenge. It becomes a launchpad for lifelong growth and achievement.

“Because at the end of the day, your students deserve career guidance that meets them where they are—not where they were five years ago.” —Emily McSherry, Founder & CEO of Advize

Advize is a career exploration platform that bridges the gap between students and real-world career information, delivered at scale through insights from working professionals. Their unique technology, structured interview framework, and integrated classroom tools make it easy for students and universities to access essential career guidance. They have a growing library of over 10,000 short-form videos featuring nearly 800 Advizers, which empower learners to explore pathways, gain firsthand perspectives, and make more informed decisions about their futures.

When you think about Emily’s quote, it is absolutely spot on.

Our colleague, Beth Wilner, Ph.D. of Rosecliff College Consulting, encourages students and families to ask thoughtful, future-focused questions during the college search process. These questions help shift the conversation beyond surface-level campus impressions and toward long-term outcomes. They prompt a deeper examination of how institutions prepare students for life after graduation by aligning academics with career goals, offering meaningful career readiness programs, and responding to the evolving demands of the workforce.

• With the job market and career paths constantly changing, how does your school help students choose majors that stay relevant and lead to strong career opportunities?

• How are you preparing students to be career-ready by the time they graduate, especially in today’s fast-changing economy?

• What are you seeing in terms of job placement for recent graduates, and how does your school respond to those trends?

• Are certain industries hiring fewer graduates than before, and how do you support students who want to enter those fields?

• How early can students begin exploring careers and building skills like interviewing, networking, and finding internships?

Beth’s approach to college counseling is rooted in values, systems awareness, and strategic action, empowering families to ask meaningful questions that lead to well-informed, future-driven decisions.

While Rebekah Paré of Paré Consulting encourages students and families to look at the institutional strategic plan to see where/how often career-related activity is incorporated. The presence or absence of career development in the strategic plan can be a strong indicator of how seriously the institution takes post-graduation outcomes. It reflects whether career readiness is embedded into the student experience or treated as an add-on.

Since provosts and presidents are often held accountable for implementing the strategic plan, it is entirely appropriate and also strategic for families to ask questions such as: 

• How does career readiness factor into the institution’s long-term goals?

• What are the leadership’s stated commitments to student outcomes, internships, and employer engagement?

These types of questions not only demonstrate thoughtful engagement in the college search process but also help families identify schools where career planning is not just a department's responsibility. Instead, it is a campus-wide priority supported by institutional leadership.

This opportunity-focused approach to the college admissions process moves beyond simply preparing students for acceptance. It helps lay the groundwork for the future they’re building through college, career, and life. By centering long-term goals and aligning support systems around each student’s unique strengths and aspirations, we help ensure that the choices they make today lead to meaningful, lasting opportunities. When institutions prioritize career development and commit to collaboration, personalization, and strategic planning, they empower students not just to reach graduation, but to step confidently into their futures with purpose and direction.