High School Counselor Week

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

 

 

High School Counselor Week is on Spring Break
Publication will resume April 23rd

 

April 9, 2020

Big Picture

Financial hits pile up for colleges as some fight to survive
Fox 13 (TN) – April 7, 2020
Scores of colleges say they’re taking heavy hits as they refund money to students for housing, dining and parking after campuses closed last month. Many schools are losing millions more in ticket sales after athletic seasons were cut short, and some say huge shares of their reserves have been wiped out amid wild swings in the stock market. Yet college leaders say that’s only the start of their troubles…

Education Dept. advances long-standing plan to loosen regulation of online college learning
The Washington Post – April 1, 2020
Colleges and universities would have an easier time rolling out new models for online programs, while a wider variety of higher-education providers would have access to federal student aid dollars under regulations advanced Wednesday by the U.S. Education Department.

College enrollment data can be ‘affirming’ and guide improvements in K-12
Education Dive – April 1, 2020
StudentTracker for High Schools has roughly 13,000 subscribers. Some school leaders are trying to make the most of the data on where their graduates go.

Columns and Blogs

College Advice for Juniors
Post – April 8, 2020
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D.

Worried about the wait-list?
Tribune News Service – April 8, 2020
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

Colleges still welcoming applications for fall 2020
Post – April 2, 2020
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer

Counselors

Advisors Fear Fewer Students Will Enroll in College Amid Coronavirus Closures
Rivard Report (TX) – April 2, 2020
This year, with campuses closed…because of coronavirus, counselors fear summer melt could extend by several weeks, harshening the impact and lessening the number of students who ultimately enroll in college.

It’s not a vacation: What high schoolers should do during lockdown to boost college chances
NorthJersey.com – April 7, 2020
High school students are facing a wave of uncertainties in the wake of coronavirus school closings, but they should not wait for school to reopen to focus on their college goals, say counselors and admissions officers.

Despite school closures and heavy caseloads, school counselors are finding ways to stay connected with students
ABC 15 Arizona – April 1, 2020
As parents, teachers and kids settle into remote learning school counselors are also hard at work, addressing their students’ social and emotional needs.

High school counselors give guidance by videoconferencing
WSAZ-3 (WV) – April 1, 2020
Kanawha County Schools rolled out a new tool this week for high school counselors to help students who would normally walk into their office and talk to counselors directly. ‘This is designed to be Telehealth so it meets all the HIPPA guidelines…’

Parents

Here’s what to do if you suddenly can’t pay for college next year
CNBC – April 7, 2020
For many students and parents, the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on their ability to pay for college.

Here’s How College Admissions Are Changing This Year — and What High School Seniors Need to Know
Money – April 7, 2020
With hundreds of college campuses closed by COVID-19, high school seniors and their families are wondering how they’re supposed to make a decision about where to attend if they can’t visit in person. Or if they can afford college at all with abrupt changes to their family’s finances.

College Admissions and Coronavirus: How Students and Families Should Navigate the New Normal
Town & Country – April 3, 2020
Leading college college admission coaches offer their best advice on testing and applying—and why the news isn’t all bad for students.

Admissions Process & Strategy

Take virtual tours of hundreds of college campuses for free without leaving your house
MLive (MI) – April 5, 2020
Future college students who can’t tour a campus because of the coronavirus pandemic need not worry. There’s a website for that.

How to Deal With College Admissions During the Coronavirus Crisis
Teen Vogue – April 7, 2020
The college application process has always been fraught with uncertainty and the occasional heart-stopping surprise… Still, it is likely you did not imagine your application or acceptance process taking place entirely at your kitchen table during a global pandemic amid a nationwide social-distancing order.

How to navigate the college admissions process during the coronavirus crisis
The Washington Post – April 4, 2020
Advice to those students who have to approach the college admissions process in a way they hadn’t expected, written by Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition for College. The nonprofit coalition is…

What to Know About Legacy Admissions
U.S. News & World Report – April 1, 2020
Though legacy admissions offers an advantage to some students, it’s not an automatic in to a college.

Career & Technical Education

The New Collar Workforce
Industry Week – April 2, 2020
In today’s manufacturing environment, it’s skills and ability—not academic pedigree—that matter most. It’s time to update the blue-collar/white-collar approach to the workforce.

California Reigns Supreme for Timely Non-Degree Training Programs According to New Online Directory
WebWire – April 1, 2020
The massive database assembled by and found on www.AlternativesToCollege.com indicates that 621 providers of so-called college alternative programs are operating across California, more than in any other state.

Hands-On Learning … From Afar: From Career-Technical Instruction to Physical Education, How Teachers Are Adapting Applied Learning Amid the Pandemic
The 74 – April 1, 2020
The sudden need for distance learning is an especially tall order for these teachers, for several reasons.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Eliminating Financial Aid Questions During Questionable Times
Forbes – April 3, 2020
Uncertainty: a word that characterizes this current moment in time. The developments of COVID-19, or coronavirus, have created a nebulous atmosphere…

7 Kinds of COVID-19 Relief for College Students
Lincoln Courier (IL) – April 3, 2020
Colleges nationwide are closing their doors and moving to online-only learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. If you’re left in the lurch, the federal stimulus provides some student loan relief, but…

Why rich students get more financial aid than poor ones
ABC News – April 2, 2020
In lieu of sweeping change among all colleges to increase need-based aid, low-income students can still maximize financial aid that is available.

SAT, ACT & AP

Colleges and Universities Temporarily Waiving ACT/SAT Requirements for 2020 Admissions Only
FairTest – April 8, 2020 (ongoing updates)

College Board Offers At-Home AP Exam Details
Inside Higher Ed – April 3, 2020
The College Board will offer at-home test taking for its 2020 Advanced Placement exams, beginning on May 11. Students will be able to take the open-note exams on any device. They will be able to type or…

At home or at school, in May or in June: Advanced Placement exams will go on despite coronavirus
The Washington Post – April 3, 2020
They will be much shorter than usual, just 45 minutes each. They will be available to take online at home, or at school if authorities permit. And they will be monitored through security measures to deter cheating.

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Coronavirus-Related Resources

Teen Health

The Reality of Covid-19 Is Hitting Teens Especially Hard
Wired – April 6, 2020
The pandemic has been emotionally devastating for us adults, but its impact on teenagers is arguably far greater.

Disabilities

College Scholarships for Students With Autism
U.S. News & World Report – April 6, 2020
Students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder may be eligible for these scholarships.

New Online Resources Available for Deaf Students During COVID-19
UT News (University of TX Austin) – April 2, 2020
Parents and educators can make online learning accessible for deaf and hard of hearing students during the COVID-19 pandemic with new online resources from the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes

Disabled Students Already Faced Learning Barriers. Then Coronavirus Forced an Abrupt Shift to Online Classes.
The Chronicle of Higher Education – April 7, 2020
Students with disabilities face significant challenges under the best of circumstances. Now that the coronavirus pandemic has forced a mass, abrupt shift to online learning, disabled students and their advocates are finding they must sometimes fight to ensure access needs aren’t overlooked by faculty members who are struggling to adapt to a whole new arena of teaching.