Life at MA

College Talk Already?

Freshman perspectives on early college guidance

By Taj Chattha '28 in Spring 2026

This year, there has been a change when students are assigned college counselors. Is “sooner than later” the right approach, or does the class of 2029 think differently? I interviewed 10 freshmen from different social circles to understand how they feel about getting their college counselors this year rather than next year.

Dr. Pulliam explained the reasoning behind this shift, “We made the decision to assign college counselors earlier in a student’s high school journey so that every family has a clear point of contact from the start. Our goal is to build meaningful relationships over time, rather than concentrating our work only in the later years. By connecting with students earlier, we’re able to support their growth more holistically and help them engage with the college process in a thoughtful, developmentally appropriate way.”

 I asked each of them five questions: Do you feel stressed about college? Do you know who your college counselor is? Would you rather get your college counselor next year or do you prefer having one now? Do you care about branding and labels when it comes to college? Has college talk shown up at home or just at MA?

The majority of the freshmen said they prefer having their college counselors now. The general feeling was that starting earlier gives them more time to build a relationship with their counselor, so that by the time the process gets more serious, their counselor knows them better. A small few felt that sophomore year would have made more sense since there isn't much a freshman can do for college prep just yet.

When it comes down to stress, the answers are more split. Some already feel the pressure when thinking about clubs, grades, and extracurriculars with college in the back of their mind. Others are calm as of now and remind themselves that freshman year is still early and that stressing out now won't help them perform better.

When it comes to the branding of big-name schools, most freshmen said reputation matters to them a little bit, but it's not everything. The consensus was that a well-known school can open doors, but finding the right fit and happiness matters just as much, if not more.

College talk hasn't stayed just at school either. Almost every student said it's come up at home too, especially those who have older siblings already going through the process. For some, it's their parents bringing it up, and for others, they're the ones who are starting the conversations.

For the class of 2029, the college conversation has already begun, whether they were ready for it or not.