High School Counselor Week

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

 

February 2, 2023

Big Picture

A Watchdog Says the Feds Aren’t Doing Enough to Investigate Problem Colleges
The 74 – January 28, 2023
Substantial misrepresentation by postsecondary schools is a violation of federal law. As a result of misrepresentation, students may have trouble graduating, paying back their loans, or finding a job.

Educational institutions among 3 most common mass shooting sites
K-12 Dive – January 26, 2023
Educational institutions were the third most likely site of a targeted mass attack between 2016 and 2020, according to a five year study of 173 mass attacks published Wednesday by the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center. Most of the attackers’ behaviors elicited concern from classmates and others around them. While many had a history of physically aggressive or intimidating behaviors, half were motivated by grievances like bullying and most used firearms. The Secret Service report suggests schools and workplaces should consider strategies for resolving interpersonal grievances…

How Much Is an Ivy League Degree Worth?
U.S. News & World Report – January 30, 2023
Much of the value comes from networking, experts say.

Columns and Blogs

Deferrals 101
Post – February 1, 2023
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.

Senior Timeline — Ouch, there’s still more to do…
Post – February 2, 2023
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer

Counselors

What’s Driving the Change in Student-to-Counselor Ratios in Schools?
EdSurge – January 31, 2023
The ratio of students to school counselors in the United States continues to narrow, with data released this month showing it has reached the lowest point since 1986, the year the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) began tracking student-to-counselor ratios. EdSurge recently spoke with Jill Cook, executive director of ASCA, to find out what’s driving this year-over-year improvement and to understand the work that lies ahead.

Mayor Eric Adams promises mental telehealth support for all NYC high school students
Chalkbeat – January 26, 2023
All New York City high school students will have access to mental health support through telehealth programs in a major effort to address growing concerns about student wellbeing. City officials did not immediately provide details, but some experts said they were cautiously optimistic about the announcement.School districts across the country are increasingly leaning on telehealth, which may help ease some barriers to mental health care and could make students or families more likely to attend sessions. Still, telehealth requires access to devices, internet, and private space, which may be difficult to guarantee depending on whether students will be expected to access services from home.

Parents

Students lost months of learning due to COVID school closures. What can parents do to help?
USA Today – January 20, 2023
For all the talk of life getting back to normal, school hasn’t been the same in years. While schools and teachers were showered with blame for shifting to virtual classes during the pandemic for months on end, and off-and-on for a while after that, now it may be on parents to realize that the kids are not all right.

Admissions Process & Strategy

First gen students are missing from the nation’s top colleges. Here’s how virtual advising could help.
USA Today – January 30, 2023
Matriculate is a college advising group seeking to help high-achieving students from low- to middle-income families attend the nation’s top colleges. The group pairs high schoolers from these backgrounds with mentors at elite schools. The service is free, too, though students have to apply and it’s limited to families making less than $80,000 annually. Matriculate, which launched in 2014, is one of many organizations working to address a stubborn problem in American education: helping students from nontraditional backgrounds obtain a higher education.

The top 5 things to remember when applying for college
WSBT-22 Indiana – January 25, 2023
There are about six to seven months before colleges and Universities begin to accept a new round of admission applications. College admission officials and high school counselors say high school juniors who want to attend college should be researching schools now and starting the planning process. And there are other things you can do to increase the chances of being accepted to the college of your choice.

Consider Faculty Diversity When Applying to College
U.S. News & World Report – January 31, 2023
While classrooms have become increasingly diverse at colleges and universities across the U.S., that change in the student body is largely not reflected within the faculty ranks. The growth of faculty diversity in higher education continues to move at a snail’s pace, experts say.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Are DACA students eligible for student loans?
Business Insider – January 26, 2023
Unlike US-born students, DACA recipients aren’t eligible for federal student loans or grants. They do have some options for financial aid assistance, however. Here’s what DACA students can do to help cover the costs of college.

Research demonstrates need for student loan policies that encourage college enrollment
Science X – January 30, 2023
How do current and future high school students feel about borrowing for higher education? How do they decide whether and how much money to borrow and under what repayment plan? The various complexities associated with student loans contribute to many students’ aversion to borrowing for college. Better financial aid policies could encourage students to attend college, allowing students to make more informed decisions about investing in higher education.

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African-American Scholarships

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College Scholarships for African American Students
List of scholarships from educational institutions, foundations and organizations now accepting applications.

Inside The Admissions Office

2023 Admission Predictions…and Hopes
Georgia Tech Admission Blog – January 27, 2023
Last week I had the opportunity to answer this prompt in a Higher Ed Dive article, along with a few friends and colleagues around the country: In 150-200 words, what is one admissions trend you expect to see in 2023? Here was my take:

Teen Health

Addressing Teen Dating Violence in Schools
U.S. News & World Report – January 30, 2023
Relationships are a core part of everyday life, especially for young people. As they move through their teens, some students begin to explore romantic relationships. While this can be an exciting and happy time, risks are also involved. According to the CDC, about 16 million women and 11 million men who report experiencing intimate partner violence say it first happened before they were 18. These include instances of physical violence, sexual violence and stalking.

Though mentors have become more common, Gen Z has less access to mentoring resources
USA Today – January 26, 2023
Over the past half-century or so, mentoring has become significantly more common. Yet that trend appears to have stalled in recent years, revealing yet another impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other societal shifts on today’s young adults.