High School Counselor Week

Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country

 

October 24, 2019

Big Picture

High-Tech Surveillance Comes at High Cost to Students. Is It Worth It?
EdSurge – October 22, 2019
While none of these methods have been proven to be effective in deterring violence, similar systems have resulted in diverting resources away from enrichment opportunities, policing school communities to a point where students feel afraid to express themselves, and placing especially dangerous targets on students of color who are already disproportionately mislabeled and punished.

Defunding Student Mental Health
Inside Higher Ed – October 18, 2019
The largest community college in Pennsylvania is eliminating mental health services on campus. Higher ed experts worry more struggling two-year institutions may follow suit.

Congress: Pay Off Student Loans This Way
Forbes – October 17, 2019
The College Affordability Act, which would update the Higher Education Act of 1965, offers a simple promise: combat the rising cost of tuition and increase federal student aid so that every student can afford to attend college and earn a quality degree.

Four Proven Ways to Put Students on the Path to College
Education Week – October 21, 2019
Preparing students academically isn’t enough

Columns and Blogs

Advising the Transfer Student
Post – October 23, 2019
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D
Answering the “Why this college? question
Tribune News Service – October 23, 2019
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

Got talent? Don’t miss college fairs for students in the
visual and performing arts!

Post – October 16, 2019
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer

Counselors

Many school counselors are assigned lunch duty, test proctoring
limaohio.com – October 22, 2019
A bipartisan-sponsored Ohio House bill aims to redirect school counselors toward the original functions of their job

RHS helps students apply to college with less stress
Rutland Herald – October 23, 2019
Jen Pros, chairwoman of the RHS guidance department, said the goal of the Senior Stress Relief Day was for students to have one-stop shop for assistance for anything to do with the college process, even if it’s just a matter of being overwhelmed.

St. Lucie County School District adding more school counselors, thanks to grant
WPEC-CBS12 FL – October 16, 2019
The district just learned it’s getting a $1.6 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to add more counselors.

Podcast—College for Everyone: How College Counselors and Admissions Officers Can Get You There
NACAC College Admissions Decoded – 10/15/2019 (LISTEN)
This candid discussion of what educators and college admissions professionals can do to help students and their families achieve the goal of getting into college provides practical advice and thought-provoking questions about the purpose and the pathways to higher education.

Parents

Admissions Apps & College Consultants for High School Students
Northeast Ohio Parent – October 16, 2019
This month’s column looks at sites designed to help guide parents through the process.

After a College Applicant Hits ‘Send’
The New York Times – October 22, 2019
Regardless of outcome, the application process itself forces the kind of growth parents dream of.

Video

Here are the best colleges for financial aid, happiness and more
Today – October 17, 2019
Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Robert Franek stopped by TODAY to talk about the 2020 edition of The Best 385 Colleges, an annual publication based on the feedback from a survey taken by 143,000 students. The book covers academics and administration, quality of life, politics, campus life, town life, extracurriculars, social scene and schools by type

Admissions Process & Strategy

College Application Season, Yikes!
The East Hampton Star (NY) – October 17, 2019
One counseling coordinator reminds students there are over 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, so there are amazing schools all over the country that have programs just as good as the ones they’re thinking about.

Experts share tips on applying to and preparing for college
Chattanooga Times Free Press – October 2, 2019
In one of numerous sessions at the state College Goals conference, a school college and career advisor and a VP of college and career success led students through an interactive session on what college admissions officials look for when they are reviewing applications and selecting students.

US, UK college application processes go head-to-head
The Stanford Daily – October 17, 2019
Each country is distinctive in its education structure, application processes and student diversity. The Daily sat down with five students who applied to both American and British universities to get their perspectives on the differences in admissions processes.

Career & Technical Education

A New College Program Inspired by Coding Bootcamps, Informed by Liberal Arts
EdSurge – October 11, 2019

Amazon funds computer science courses across the U.S.
Chain Store Age – October 21, 2019
The Amazon Future Engineer program is funding full-year intro and advanced placement (AP) computer science courses, primarily for public Title I schools that have never offered AP computer science courses before.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

FAFSA tool change could make application process more difficult
The Temple News – October 17, 2019
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which in previous years allowed filers to transfer all information from the 1040 form into the FAFSA, doesn’t allow families to transfer numbers from the tax schedules. 

Life in the World of FAFSA: Advice On The College Loan Application Process For Parents In Divorce.
JD Supra – October 22, 2019

The Scary Part Of Financial Aid – Missing Out On Free Money For College
KHTS Santa Clarita – October 18, 2019
Federal financial aid data showed that overall, more than half of U.S. high school graduates were eligible for free aid in the 2017-18 academic year. But many of them left money on the table. And high school graduates eligible for a Pell Grant missed out on $2.5 billion – yes, billion – simply by not applying.

What Does It All Mean? Breaking Down Financial Aid Terminology
NCSA Blog 
To help students navigate the financial aid process, we’ve created a glossary of financial terms that you need to know before applying to aid

Here’s why you might owe taxes on that scholarship
CNBC – October 23, 2019
While you generally don’t have to repay scholarships and assistantships, the catch for families is that they may be subject to income tax.

Technology & Tools

Sallie Mae Unveils Planning and Paying for College Resource for High School Students and Counselors
Ludington Daily News (MI) – October 18, 2019
A group of high school counselors from across the country helped the company develop the right resources, including videos, blog posts, and FAQs, for topics like completing FAFSA, obtaining scholarships, budgeting for college, navigating financial aid offer letters, and understanding student loans.

The Write Stuff: 4 College Admissions Essay Editing Services Reviewed
Wired – October 18, 2019
College applicants seeking an edge can turn to online services which will spruce up their admissions essays. I tested four of them, all reasonably priced and seemingly legitimate.

Inside the Strange World of PSAT Memes
InsideHook – October 19, 2019
It’s a somewhat controversial topic, as the College Board has requested that students not post any allusions to the tests, lest others who haven’t taken it yet be tipped off as to what to expect. If you suspect that the College Board’s warnings about posting memes have also been turned into memes, you are quite correct.

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Inside The Admissions Office

Course Rigor and Curriculum Strength Aren’t Just Numbers
The UVA Admission Blog
October 22, 2019

There are so many strange assumptions out there about how we assess strength of curriculum in the UVA admission process. I thought I’d address some of the most common things I hear in hopes that you’ll understand how we approach this part of the review.

Your Application Is In…Now What?
Georgia Tech Admission Blog
October 17, 2019

A lot of focus is placed on the process of visiting, applying, and choosing your best college match. But there’s a good bit of time between the moment you submit your application and when you receive an actual decision. Here are some ways you can make the best use of the newfound time you suddenly have on your hands.

Teen Health

Overall time on social media is not related to teen anxiety and depression
Science Daily – October 22, 2019
Eight-year study shows screen time isn’t the problem

What Do Parents Need to Know About CBD?
Youth Health – October 18, 2019
Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD oil, has become a health craze. It may help create feelings of calmness and relaxation, but it’s not the same as THC, which is the psychoactive component in marijuana.

When College Students Want Mental Health Help but Get Stuck Waiting in Line
Vice.com News – October 16, 2019
Amid a historic increase in students seeking counseling services, many find themselves forced to endure long periods without help.

Why Do So Many Teens Drop Out in October?
PR Newswire – October 22, 2019
Learn4Life celebrates Dropout Prevention Month with Back In School events around California,to help rescue teens before they give up on the idea of graduating

SAT, ACT & AP

Are The ACT Test Changes For The Best?
The University Network – October 17, 2019

3 Reasons Your PSAT Score Matters
U.S. News & World Report – October 7, 2019

Changes coming to the Advanced Placement program
The Philadelphia Tribune – October 22, 2019
Beginning this school year, the AP Program is providing free digital practice resources. A new question bank will help students master content and skills with real AP questions that their teacher assigns. Personal progress checks will give students real-time evaluations of their work with helpful score explanations. And, the tools are mobile-friendly.

Disabilities

Group gives friendship opportunities to the disabled
University of Wyoming News – October 15, 2019
College life can be alienating. Without a good way to find friends, students might spend all their time staring at the walls of their room. For people with disabilities, this problem may be magnified. The Best Buddies at the University of Wyoming tries to alleviate this problem, one outing at a time.

Students With Dyslexia Aren’t Dumb. Teachers Can Help Them See That.
EdSurge – October 16, 2019
here are a few ways educators can change their perception of dyslexia and help their struggling readers change their perceptions of themselves.

Student Voices

College application process sometimes feels like a scam
The Times (Ottawa, IL) – October 22, 2019
The author is a senior at Ottawa High School
As I was working on an application a few days ago, I stumbled across a group of questions in which the particular school wanted to know whether I had parents, grandparents or siblings who were alumni.

Just For Fun

12 signs you’re losing it over the college admissions process
Boston Globe – October 23, 2019
As any parent of a college applicant will tell you, the process will drive your whole family mad. When the death of the family cat is seen as golden material for an essay, you know you’re in trouble.