High School Counselor Week
Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country
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August 27, 2026
Adults Have Struggled to Set Rules for AI In School. These Teens Figured It Out
KQED (CA) – July 30, 2026
Over the course of one frantic weekend, 98 teens representing all 50 states put their busy lives on hold to try to do something remarkable. The students, most of them high school juniors and seniors, gathered in a precise replica of the U.S. Senate chamber and attempted what the real, adult Congress has largely failed to do: draft and pass “legislation” to help the nation’s K-12 schools navigate the questions and chaos created by artificial intelligence. To these teens, the stakes for getting ahead of AI are clear. They pointed out how adult leaders were slow to protect students from the risks of other tech developments.
What Happened the Year the Country’s Largest School District Banned Phones in School
Good Housekeeping – June 20, 2026
This spring, when we spoke with teachers, students, and parents about how New York’s First Phone-Free Year played out, what we heard was (mostly) a collective sigh of relief.
Introduction to College (And Life)Post – August 26, 2026
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D.
Welcome Back – A Senior To-Do List for the FallPost – August 26, 2026
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer
How High School Counselors Support Students Applying to College
U.S. News & World Report – August 25, 2026
School counselors play a significant role in guiding students toward their next chapter after high school. Some of their responsibilities include helping students with course selection, writing recommendation letters, organizing information sessions with admissions officers and submitting transcripts to colleges post-acceptance, as well as providing emotional support. Given counselors’ time constraints, students should initiate the first conversation about post-secondary plans as early as 9th or 10th grade, and come to their appointment with a list of questions. Below are some examples…
AI Won’t Replace College Counselors—But It May Bring Their Best Skill To Millions Of Students
Forbes – June 10, 2026
The future of AI in admissions may not be about replacing counselors. It may be about scaling the most valuable part of counseling. The counselor’s greatest contribution is not knowledge of colleges. Information about colleges is widely available. The counselor’s greatest contribution is asking the right questions. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly capable of doing exactly that. However, the results depend on inputting quality prompts. Below we list 25 AI prompts students should consider using before building a college list.
Colleges reinstate ACT, SAT requirements, adding pressure for students
19 News Cleveland – August 21, 2026
Most of the top 50 universities across the nation have reinstated testing requirements for applicants. For test optional schools, consider taking it to qualify for National Merit and other scholarships. Even for seniors, it’s not too late.
Common App Adds 19 Colleges to Direct Admissions Program
Inside Higher Ed – August 26, 2026
Starting in September, 234 colleges will begin reaching out to first-generation and low- and middle-income students with proactive college admissions offers through Common App’s growing direct-admissions program, the nonprofit announced Tuesday. The group includes public and private colleges from 42 states and Washington, D.C.
More U.S. Colleges Are Dropping Supplemental Essays for 2026-27 Admissions
NCH Stats – July 15, 2026
Several selective U.S. colleges are reducing or eliminating supplemental essays for the 2026–27 admissions cycle. Colleges are also questioning how much useful information certain prompts provide. And generative AI has made it harder to determine if responses represent a student’s natural voice or polished machine-generated language. However, don’t assume fewer essays meaan easier admission: every application should still be complete, accurate, and carefully prepared.
5 college admissions myths students and parents should ignore
My Central Jersey – July 12, 2026
The college application process has become increasingly complex, leaving many students and parents unsure about which advice to trust and which myths to ignore. Here are five common misconceptions about college admissions and the facts behind them.
How to get a student loan with a low income
USA Today – August 24, 2026
Paying for college often feels overwhelming, especially if you come from a low-income background. Low-income students have several options to pay for college, including federal aid, grants, scholarships, and private loans, and loans may not be necessary. However, after exhausting federal aid, grants, and scholarships, private student loans can help cover any remaining funding gaps.
Senators Propose Letting Students Use Financial Aid To Pay For CLEP And Prior Learning Exams
The College Investor – August 12, 2026
A new bipartisan Senate bill would let students put federal financial aid toward the cost of prior learning assessments. These include the exams and portfolio reviews that award college credit for knowledge gained on the job, in the military, or through other training outside the classroom. Credit for prior learning (CPL) can shave months or years off a degree and thousands off tuition, but the assessments themselves cost money and federal aid generally can’t be used to pay for them today.
The FAFSA is Coming! 2027–28 FAFSA Beta Testing Begins in August
National College Attainment Network – July 24, 2026
The US Department of Education has announced its beta testing plan for the 2027–28 FAFSA. Beta 1 was limited to a focused group of school districts and higher-ed institutions. However, from now through the end of September, any student or parent can ask to participate directly in the Beta 2 phase, with new groups admitted through the month. If interested, Request Access at https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-support
What Students Want Parents to Understand About the Admissions Process
U.S. News & World Report – July 30, 2026
Incoming college freshmen say parents should understand the pressure of the application process and find a balance between giving support and giving space.
This Is The Evidence-Backed Reason Why Autism Rates Are Rising
Parents – July 20, 2026
Over the last decade or more, the number of kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased significantly. But this increase doesn’t mean that autism is growing faster than what should be expected. Instead, experts explain that increased awareness, wider research, and clearer diagnostic criteria are likely responsible for the increase—along with adults who are receiving diagnoses later in life.
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5 Tips for Starting Your College Application
Gonzaga University – July 30, 2026
The college application process can be daunting, especially as you have so many other things happening in your life: school, friends, activities, work, etc. We hope these 5 Tips for Starting your College Application to Gonzaga (or any school that uses the Common App) will help you get going:
Court Blocks Trump Admin.’s Abstinence Emphasis in Teen Pregnancy Program
Education Week – August 24, 2026
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from implementing new requirements for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grantees, but did not reverse earlier decisions to cancel funding in that area. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in June abruptly canceled funding for more than 50 separate programs that teach children and teenagers how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and revamped the grant with new requirements that align with conservative priorities like emphasizing abstinence and fertility. Sexual and reproductive health education experts raised concerns about the changes saying that focusing on abstinence only is not proven to change behavior among young people.
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Fortune – July 25, 2026
Increasingly, schools are rethinking their policies about buying and assigning a laptop to every student and the millions of dollars they spent on them, as studies show implementing technology in schools has reportedly coincided with either decreasing test scores or no progress at all for students. The trend comes as evidence emerges that access to screens does not improve student outcomes and could instead be holding them back.
Supreme Court Ruling Removes Heightened Barrier for Students With Disabilities Seeking Relief Against School Districts
EIN Presswire – August 24, 2026
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision is continuing to reshape the legal landscape for students with disabilities and their families by eliminating a heightened legal standard that had made certain disability-discrimination claims against public school districts substantially more difficult to pursue.
DOJ memo stokes fear among disability advocates of a return to institutionalization
NPR – June 20, 2026
The new memo, written by Lanora Pettit, principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, argues that, while federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, it does not impose an “integration mandate” on states to provide these community services. What’s more, the memo argues, despite the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision holding that a state cannot institutionalize such patients without justification, “”What counts as adequate justification remains an open question.” Pettit further wrote, “We recognize that this view of Olmstead’s import is out of step with the common understanding of that decision within the federal courts.”
Online career training is growing – does it work?
The Hechinger Report – August 26, 2026
The leading company offering virtual workforce learning to high school students is posting record profits. But student outcomes can be uneven, and state regulations for and oversight of these programs vary widely. Some students leave the programs with little career prep to show for their time enrolled. Others thrive. As one student’s mother noted, “If you’ve had a bad experience with online school, it doesn’t mean it’s [because it’s] online school. It could just be the school.”