Managing deadlines, deciding if and where to apply early, and staying motivated are essential elements to the application process, and a college counselor will help you juggle all of that along with your academic work so that you can make an informed college decision while staying on top of your grades. Standardized testing, while not required to go to college, is still an important part of the application for many students, so working with a counselor to decide which tests to take and when, as well as how to prepare, is an essential part of the process.