“Where do your students go to university?” Nothing makes me more apprehensive than when I am asked that question.

Thirteen school years in the international university counseling realm, and I still sometimes judge myself based on the outcomes of my students. When I hear other counselors talk about where they got their students into university, I start thinking about the various stakeholders who also worry about your student outcomes. 

Counselors carry all the hopes and dreams of students, parents, community members, and school administration. Nothing feels more stressful when heads of schools, board directors and the parent organisation start to ask about the places where students applied and got in. 

The institution uses the data to promote the worthiness of the school, the preparation of the education structure and validate teachers. Parents use the outcomes to justify the cost or sacrifice of education. Students humbly brag on social media accounts or for proper recognition and pride to their families. 

However you identify your role in the university advising universe, we also cannot help but get into the wonder of it all. You know that feeling when that special student gets into that special school, the one whose logo you can see emblazoned on t-shirts and sweatshirts in H&M? It’s all perfectly innocent and fine, but where does that come from?

The things we carry… the bias we bring into the university process.

As guides on this journey, we are charged to bring lots of knowledge, outlook, and even our opinions to help students form their lists for where to apply. This is the first place where our biases need to be addressed. What are we bringing in to determine if a school is good enough for our students? Over the years, and making many mistakes or assumptions along the way, here are some things that I’ve learned and keep in mind when advising students in the university admissions process.

Seek to understand the three Ps and the role they play in university advising

Daniel Wickner, founder of Identity Centered Learning, states that institutions impose dominant culture identities onto students and we often award the student’s Proximity, Proficiency, and Personification to the dominant culture.

Think about the schools that are labelled as good or best – they are often centered in Western culture and worthy of recognition and praise. Why is this important? Why is that important to us as counselors? It’s because success is still measured based on the dominant cultural perspective. 

Recognise that our own culture or the influence of other cultures may influence our definition of a “good school”

I remember the first time that I didn’t feel good enough as a counselor with a parent. My focus on having a contingency plan or unpacking the reasons ‘why’ for a particular school during a meeting did not sit well with them. Accusing me of treating their son as less than worthy, they implied that I was not good enough to counsel their child, because I was Black. “Your people do not understand,” was the direct quote. Admittedly, I carry that feeling into my work everyday, but in different iterations.

I remember the first time that I didn’t feel good enough as a counselor with a parent

Initially, I used that to cloud my judgment and my personality. No, I didn’t attend an Ivy League college. No, I didn’t come from wealth. I thought that to prove my worth, I had to push kids in certain directions instead of listening to them when they stated what they and their parents wanted in their journey. 

For example, I had an academically talented student that I thought would be perfect to apply to a highly selective school in the US. But the student instead wanted a different journey.  “Ms, I really just want to have a good life and go home,” they said. “This school is not far from my grandmother and cousins. Is the school not good enough?” When asked that question, I realised how much someone else’s culture and bias turned into my own.  

Understanding our own biases, whether they come from our own cultures or others, allows us to do the honest work of partnering with our students in this post-secondary journey. 

Make sure your in country schools get the same treatment of time that you would offer to any other school

Maybe this is a phenomenon that only affects a handful of schools, but when was the last time you hosted a local university on your campus? What message does that send to your student body and parents if you promote the schools from out-of-country, and make no space for the schools in the country?

Higher education is valuable. Period. 

Make time to speak to students about their own values and biases as you start this journey

One of the key lessons I start with students on the post-secondary journey is that it’s not about rankings or what it takes to get into university, but instead it’s about mindset and values. 

I had a student my first year abroad who had their heart set on going to a particular school in their home country. I saw this student as intelligent, thoughtful and, in my opinion at the time, better than that particular school. But I went along with it as we curated the things they needed to apply. 

I asked that student, “Are you sure you don’t want to apply to a couple of other places? I know your parents really thought you would apply to the US.” My student, ever so thoughtful, stated that: “I want to be in a place where I can just be me and learn. When I see others come back they are not themselves and they forget who they are.”

The most important thing in all of this is putting our biases to the side, and listening to what our students have to say. I am so glad my student said that to me, because they were right!