After attending Rutgers-New Brunswick from out of state pursuing a management degree, Mrs. Aimee Thomson went on to work at a consulting company until Thomson began to feel unfulfilled in her position. “I don’t want to make money for the man for something I don’t really care about. I don’t want to do this forever,” Thomson said of her feelings at the time. So, for Thomson, it was back to the drawing board. She left her job and was unemployed for a couple months, while trying to find something new. Channeling some of her experience working in the information referral office at Rutgers, Thomson got a job working as an admissions counselor at Rider University, while simultaneously getting her masters in school counseling.  

Now, Thomson is in her eighth year at Hillsborough High School, and she loves it. She truly feels she has found her calling. “This position is really great because it has the things I liked about working in admissions, helping kids figure out their future and change the course of their future, and the things I liked about school counseling.”

Thomson, the college and career counselor as well as the lead school counselor at Hillsborough High School, is familiar with the overwhelming and indecisive feelings students are experiencing while deciding what to do with their lives.  With her ample experience in mind, Thomson said she is here to help seniors at Hillsborough High School figure out what steps they can take right now to set them up for success and fulfillment.

Thomson said she encourages the students she meets with to take the time to self reflect on who they are as a person and a student. She has found that one of the biggest roadblocks in the college journey is the outside influences that can put harmful expectations on students to make a decision that isn’t right for them, like going to a school just because it’s a big name. Thomson believes there are no bad schools, just bad-fit schools. This is where that personal inventory comes in, Thomson recommends considering size, distance from home, and competitiveness.  

She recommends students ask themselves, “Is that a place where you are going to be able to truly flourish?”  Thomson’s philosophy is that just because a school has all of the “things” –like your sport, your major, and notoriety– doesn’t mean it will make you happy. “The prize isn’t getting in,” she said.  According to Thomson, this way of thought is detrimental, and it’s the reason so many kids don’t stay at the school they start at. Some students might not even belong in college, so it’s important for them to know what they want to do and not make a decision based on the expectations of others. “You know what you’re gonna take.  The same thing you are taking now, except now you are paying for it,” she said.

Speaking of outside misinformation and influence, lots of students feel they have to apply to over 20 schools in order to be successful, but Thomson has had countless students only apply to a couple schools. It’s all about who you are personally, said Thomson, and what your situation is, especially financially.  This year, the FAFSA form is available December 1st, 2024. Along with federal aid, Thomson said students should be cognisant of the amount of state aid, and need- or merit-based aid.  Finances are an important part of making a college decision.  

In Thomson’s experience, out-of-state schools are way less likely to give comparable amounts of aid to students from other states. This is because these schools are responsible for the students of their state and are less concerned with students from out of state. New Jersey would be a great decision for families with a net income that is under $65,000, because of programs like the Garden State and Scarlett Guarantee (available at Rutgers only). 

As far as private scholarships, Thomson recommends waiting until later to find more specialized scholarships to apply to, since most of the scholarships in early fall are more broad in their scope of eligible applicants. Thomson encourages students to make smart decisions and not allow outside influence to cause students to make detrimental decisions like unpayable loans. “I will never say it’s worth it to take $40,000 dollars a year in loans in your undergrad,” she said.

Thomson had one final message for the seniors of Hillsborough High School: Don’t be shy to email her and set up a meeting.“Every year I really look forward to getting to know that year’s group of students,” she said. Thomsons added, “It’s such an exciting time and I want them to be able to take that time to make great decisions for themselves.”