High School Counselor Week
Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country
.November 6, 2025
Fewer students are missing school. These state policies may have helped
NPR – November 1, 2025
After nearly doubling during the pandemic, the rates of chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools are finally showing steady signs of improvement. A new report looks at how policies in 22 states plus Washington, DC, have helped improve student attendance. There are several things states are doing right, including collecting and publishing reliable data, and investing in early interventions and outreach programs instead of punitive practices.
Schools brace for SNAP benefits lapse
K-12 Dive – October 30, 2025
About 39% of SNAP recipients are children under the age of 18…Advocates for low-income families are warning that childhood hunger will increase when funding expires Nov. 1, A prolonged federal government shutdown is causing some school systems and government agencies to provide outreach and extra supports for low-income families and children affected by the likely expiration of benefits. Some school systems, advocates and policymakers also said they are worried about the long-term sustainability of free-or reduced-price school lunch programs, as well as access to Head Start services if the shutdown isn’t resolved soon.
Social-Emotional Learning Can Boost Student Achievement. New Data Says By How Much.
EdSurge – October 30, 2025
Social-emotional learning programs can boost students’ academic performances, but a recent analysis found that program length matters when it comes to how much. Researchers analyzed 40 studies on SEL programs that included data from more than 33,700 students in first through 12th grade. They found that students who participated in SEL programs saw improved academic performance no matter their grade level or whether their performance was measured with GPA or standardized test scores. The data is part of a larger report which included research from 2008 to 2020. Researchers will release additional SEL analysis in a few weeks that includes academic achievement data through 2023, after which they will update the data and analysis every 6 months.
Before You Scream At Your College CounselorPost – November 5, 2025
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.
How to Review a College Application: A Checklist for Students, Parents, and CounselorsPost – October 29, 2025
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer
Real Support, Real Success: One Postsecondary Pathway Program That’s Working
EdTrust – November 5, 2025
Students today are navigating an increasingly diverse array of postsecondary pathways. The traditional route from high school to a four-year college is no longer the only option. Given what we know about recent enrollment trends and the link between a bachelor’s degree and social mobility — not to mention the proposed cuts to many federal programs — it’s increasingly important for states, nonprofits, and other organizations to fill the gap and support students. One organization addressing this need is Thrive Scholars, which utilizes proven interventions to increase access, persistence, and completion rates for under-resourced students who meet their achievement criteria. Thrive uses proven interventions to enhance access, persistence, and completion rates for first-generation, under-resourced students. https://apply.thrivescholars.org/eligibility
Schools Tapped Young Adults to Serve as Mental Health Navigators. What Happened Next?
EdSurge – November 3, 2025
The Youth Mental Health Corps is a national service initiative that deploys “near-peer” mentors across communities with limited access to mental health resources. The initiative comes as youth mental health has been at “crisis” levels for years now. At the same time, an estimated 132 million Americans, or about one-third, live in a community without adequate access to mental health resources. The Corps is an attempt to answer both challenges simultaneously. It aims to support middle and high school students who are experiencing, or may be at risk of, mental health challenges, while also giving recent high school and college graduates an opportunity to try on a career in behavioral health.
This New AI App Is Being Called an ‘Unacceptable Risk’ for Kids
Parents – October 30, 2025
Common Sense Media is out with a startling new report about the risks associated with both Sora and ChatGPT. Sora, an AI video app, lets kids create realistic content with almost no safety controls, which can expose them to harmful or dangerous material. And the app’s cameo feature lets kids upload their face and voice to create videos, which can lead to misuse.
Write or Wrong? Should Parents Edit Their Kids’ College Essays
U.S. News & World Report – October 30, 2025
Getting some help from parents, friends, teachers, guidance counselors or a paid counselor (if that’s how you roll) is fine. Parental micromanagement is not. This has to be their essay. I suspect that college admissions staff can sniff out when a mom or dad has meddled overmuch. (Like if your teen uses the word “overmuch.”) When it came time for my son to write his college essays, here’s what worked for us and where we drew the line. Your mileage may vary.
Students Would Pay More to Attend College With Peers Who Match Their Politics
The 74 – November 3, 2025
Higher ed is supposed to promote open inquiry and civic preparation. Avoiding opposing views will only make growing ideological divides worse
Head to Head: Does the enhanced ACT format benefit students?
The Southerner (Midtown High, GA) – October 22, 2025
Two of the publications’s editorsargue the pros and cons of the new, enhanced ACT format, and how they may be beneficial or detrimental to students.
Students worried about getting jobs are adding extra majors
The Hechinger Report – November 5, 2025
It’s part of a trend that’s spreading nationwide, according to a Hechinger Report analysis of federal data, as students fret about getting jobs in an economy that some fear is shifting faster than a traditional college education can keep up. Having more majors ‘gives you a competitive edge,’ many undergrads believe. They may be right…
Applying to College? How to Keep an Open Mind About Where to Go
U.S. News & World Report – October 30, 2025
William & Mary’s Vice Provost for enrollment, Lisa Keegan, advises parents and students to leave room for the unexpected.
70% of Americans say feds shouldn’t control admissions, curriculum
Higher Ed Dive – October 24, 2025
The Public Religion Research Institute poll comes as the Trump administration is pressuring colleges to change their policies. Most polled Americans, 70%, disagreed that the federal government should control “admissions, faculty hiring, and curriculum at U.S. colleges and universities to ensure they do not teach inappropriate material,” according to survey results released Wednesday. The majority of Americans across political parties — 84% of Democrats, 75% of independents and 58% of Republicans — disagreed with federal control over these elements of college operations.
Tuition Reciprocity Agreements Can Help Save On College
The College Investor – November 4, 2025
Tuition reciprocity agreements let students pay reduced out-of-state tuition at participating colleges across regional networks. Four major regional exchange cover most U.S. states, offering average savings of $6,000–$15,000 a year. For many families, understanding these programs can open the door to colleges beyond state lines without the steep price tag. Here’s where the major tuition reciprocity programs operate:
What ROTC Programs Are and How They Work
U.S. News & World Report – October 31, 2025
Students with a desire to lead and serve while earning a college degree may want to consider the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC. The programs are offered at more than 1,700 colleges nationwide by the Army, Air Force, Space Force and Navy. Students take military science and regular college classes, and have access to scholarships that cover tuition, fees and living expenses. Only those who plan to enlist are eligible for scholarships and must serve at least eight years after graduation. However, those awarded scholarships in Army ROTC can choose to leave the program after their first year with no military obligation. Students must apply and compete for scholarships, which are not automatic.
What’s New on the 2026-2027 FAFSA
U.S. News & World Report – October 30, 2025
Updates to the federal financial aid form include a simplified contributor invitation and real-time identity verification. Experts hope several form changes will further simplify the process. Here are some of the changes to the 2026-2027 form.
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How Social Media Can Help You Explore Colleges
Siena College Admissions Blog – November 3, 2025
The college search process has changed, and for the better. Today, you do not need to wait for brochures or campus tours to learn what a college is really like. Social media gives you instant access to student life, campus energy, and the community behind the classroom walls. Whether you are just starting your search or narrowing down your list, here is how you can use social media to discover your best-fit college and why it is one of the smartest tools you can use along the way.
Early Decision vs. Early Action: What’s the Difference and How to Decide
Bucknell University Admissions – October 14, 2025
Applying to college can feel like a race against time, especially when you start hearing about Early Decision and Early Action. Both options allow you to submit your application ahead of the regular deadline, but they differ in terms of commitment, strategy and timing. This guide walks you through how each process works, what to consider before applying early and how to decide which option best matches your plans.
Fewer Teens Are Using Drugs—but Experts Say There’s Another Big Threat To Watch For
Parents – October 31, 2025
For a tool created for social connection, it might seem somewhat ironic that many teens are struggling with their online interactions. But according to the experts, that’s exactly what they’re seeing in practice. Digital risk-taking doesn’t just impact the way teenagers interact online—it’s playing out offline, too. Due to their age and immaturity, they could be even more vulnerable to risk.
How RSD Warps Perceptions: Help for Highly Sensitive Teens
ADDitude Magazine – October 24, 2025
Help your teen recognize that rejection sensitive dysphoria stems from constantly expecting upheaval — and learn how to change that.
The ADHD-Friendly College List
ADDitude Magazine – November 4, 2025
Neurodivergent student support in college comes in many different forms, and can extend beyond disability services. Learn how to create a list of ADHD-friendly schools here.
Special education at a crossroads: What should the federal role be?
K-12 Dive – November 3, 2025
Major moves by the Trump administration have some debating, and others defending, the federal oversight system that supports students with disabilities. However, a major concern is that eliminating federal education oversight entirely does nothing to address existing concerns, noncompliance and ongoing low accountability ratings…and that special education services will get worse if states are not longer held accountable by the federal government.
Ed. Dept. Cuts Grants That Were Helping College Students Become Teachers
Education Week – November 4, 2025
Congress established the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program in 2008…which supports teacher-preparation initiatives at historically Black colleges and universities, as well as tribal colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions. Hundreds of college tudents are losing support that paid for tuition and other expenses. Even K-12 students may be affected—many in high-poverty areas where the pool of credentialed educators is smalll could see their educators disappear midway through the school year if the college students who were depending on Hawkins grants can’t find other ways to cover expenses
How Work-Based Learning Helped Two Oakland Teens Take Flight — Literally
the74 – October 29, 2025
High-quality work-based learning opens doors for students to discover a wide variety of careers, gain meaningful, career-connected experience, and graduate not just with a diploma but with a clear sense of direction and the concrete skills to match. And yet only 62% of high schools offer formal work-based learning programs. I sat down with two students, who are now studying for careers in aviation, to hear firsthand about their experience and understand the impact of work-based learning on high school students.