High School Counselor Week

Thousands of Schools at Risk of Closing Due to Enrollment Loss
The 74 – January 9, 2024
A new analysis of national enrollment data, prepared by researchers at the Brookings Institution and augmented by reporting from The 74, offers the most detailed look to date at how the crisis is playing out at the school level, as well as the districts that face — or will soon face — tough decisions about closures and cuts.

We Can Change This: Educators Take On Gun Violence
NEA Today – January 5, 2024
An unprecedented spike in school shootings has shattered communities and left students and educators nationwide living in a state of heightened anxiety. There are proven ways to reduce gun violence in our communities—but most require the political will to make our schools and neighborhoods safer. Educators are speaking out to demand change through their unions and national gun safety organizations.

Community college enrollment is down. Here’s what will happen to workers and the US economy if it doesn’t come back
CNN – January 7, 2024
Community colleges provide access to postsecondary education at a much lower cost compared to four-year universities. But even as employers nationwide are struggling to find qualified workers, community college enrollment is barely beginning to recover from a two-decade steady decline and an even steeper dive when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. If that recovery doesn’t persist, that could come with economic consequences in coming years, such as labor shortages in certain industries and mergers between two-year schools.

Finally, the FAFSA is Ready
Post – January 3, 2024
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer

Why Social Media is Being Blamed for the Youth Suicide Crisis
The 74 – January 5, 2024
The harms of social media — the subject of a bipartisan push to regulate tech company algorithms and a bevy of lawsuits filed by school districts and states — is just one piece of the crisis. But psychiatrist Laura Erickson-Schroth (chief medical officer of the JED Foundation), has observed one promising trend: Schools are more interested than ever in addressing students’ mental health needs. In this interview she discusses addictive algorithms and other negative forces eroding kids’ mental health; the conditions that put some groups of students at heightened risk; and strategies that educators and policymakers can use to keep kids safe.

Character.ai: Young people turning to AI therapist bots
BBC – January 4, 2024
Character.ai isa popular platform where anyone can create chatbots based on fictional or real people. It uses the same type of AI tech as the ChatGPT chatbot but, in terms of time spent, is more popular. And one bot has been more in demand than those above, called Psychologist. The psychology student who designed it says he trained the bot using principles from his degree by talking to it and shaping the answers it gives to the most common mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety. One professional psychotherapist who tried the bot has some concerns, saying it fails to gather all the information a human would and is not a competent therapist. But she says its immediate and spontaneous nature might be useful to people who need help. Other psychologists warn that AI bots may be giving poor advice to patients, or have ingrained biases against race or gender.

Instagram and Facebook will hide more harmful content from teenagers
The Guardian – January 9, 2024
Meta said on Tuesday it would hide more sensitive content from teenagers on Instagram and Facebook amid global pressure from regulators for the social media giant to protect children from harmful content on its apps. All teenagers’ accounts will by default be under the most restrictive content control settings on Instagram and Facebook, Even if a teenager follows an account posting about sensitive topics, those posts would be removed from the teenager’s feed, per Meta’s blog.

How Involved are You in Your Teen’s High School Education?
Yahoo! Finance – January 29 2024
What is the one thing above all others that determines how successful a student will be in high school? Study after study shows that it is parental involvement. Students with supportive parents are 81 percent more likely to graduate, 44 percent more likely to attend post-secondary education, and they earn higher grades and miss fewer days of school. The teachers and school counselors at Learn4Life, a network of 80+ public high schools, take a holistic approach with students and their parents.

8 College Admissions Criteria To Master In 2024
Forbes – January 4, 2024
As high school seniors complete the 2023-2024 admissions cycle and juniors set their sights on applying, it is important to reflect upon the criteria colleges are using to evaluate prospective applicants. NACAC’s Factors In The Admission Decision offers crucial insights, providing a guidepost for students and parents to navigate this complex terrain.

Alternatives to College: What to Know
U.S. News & World Report – January 3, 2024
The college experience can be transformative for many students, helping them discover who they are and opening the door to a lucrative career. But if you’re looking for alternatives, here are a few pathways to consider.

How to Prepare for a College Admissions Interview
U.S. News & World Report – January 9, 2024
Admissions interviews are part of the college admissions process (often an optional one) that give students a chance to converse with someone who represents a school. Students can use interviews to personalize their applications, show their individuality and prove their interest in a school. Here are six tips for students hoping to ace their college admissions interviews:

The FAFSA rollout has been rough on students. The biggest problem is yet to come
NPR – January 9, 2024
College hopefuls are already waiting longer than usual for their financial aid offers this year, due to the delayed release of the FAFSA. But what applicants may not realize is that this year’s FAFSA also comes with a big mistake — one that will lower the amount of federal financial aid many receive unless it’s remedied soon. The problem now is that all of the potential remedies come with a host of complications.

FAFSA delays are straining families and colleges
NPR – January 5, 2024
For college hopefuls, cost is often the deciding factor on whether — and where — to go to school. For more than 17 million students, the FAFSA is the key to unlocking government dollars to help cover that cost. But this year’s FAFSA has been beset by delays and confusion, and the recent “soft launch” of the form has bedeviled families and experts alike. And the failure of the Education Department to adjust for inflation runs afoul of the law…and could cost many families dearly.