High School Counselor Week

COVID or Not, Why They Come (and How It’s Going)
Inside Higher Ed – April 12, 2022
A look at how the pandemic impacted—or didn’t—students’ admissions and college choice process and experiences.

Here’s the real tragedy in college admissions
CNN – April 9, 2022
The test-taking savant who helped rich kids cheat their way into elite colleges was sentenced Friday. And a jury convicted the University of Southern California water polo coach accused of taking bribes to get kids with fake resumes admitted. But don’t expect the ongoing fallout from ‘Operation Varsity Blues’ to fix the larger system.

US Schools Struggle with Behavior, But See Opportunity
Voice of America – April 12, 2022
Bad behavior among students is part of what experts are calling a mental health crisis among children. Even before the pandemic, research found that bad behavior in the classroom was increasing.

“New Fangled” Majors
Post – April 13, 2022
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer

Young and depressed? Try Woebot! The rise of mental health chatbots in the US
The Guardian – April 13, 2022
Schools are encouraging students to use mental health chatbots to address a surge in depression and anxiety. Critics worry they’re a Band-Aid solution unsupported by evidence

School Counseling Joins the List of Targeted Professions, Leaving Students Even More Vulnerable
Diverse Issues in Higher Education – April 6, 2022
Recent state legislation in Alabama was introduced to ban the use of the American School Counselor Association standards in public schools.The resolution claims that the ASCA’s standards try to “indoctrinate” students in a “personal/social development program without the knowledge of the parents.” As stated by counselor educator, Sandi Logan-McKibben, ‘Now here’s some BS, haven’t ever seen a state bill go to legislation that effectively CANCELS #SchoolCounseling all together?’

How WISD’s mental health counselor program is working and what else is needed
Waxahacnie Daily Light (TX) – April 12, 2022
When Ginger Robinson learned last year that Waxahachie ISD would be receiving federal funding to address learning loss related to COVID-19, she knew licensed mental health counselors needed to be part of the equation. Now, as WISD has completed its first semester of a districtwide mental health counselor program, the director of educational support and counseling services has made two observations.

A top-ranked college may not be best for your kid. Give them these gifts instead
CNN – April 8, 2022
The pressure to give your child the best education is real, but the best education does not always come from a popular institution. To help your family get through college decisions in a way that minimizes the stress and maximizes students’ ability to make good decisions for themselves, experts recommended adults give these gifts to their kids.

Mental health crisis in high school students, cyber-bullying
WXOW La Crosse (WI) – April 12, 2022
Health Experts say for the first time in decades a large majority of students are in a mental health crisis. Threats of violence on social media have posed a different set of mental health challenges. Now high school counselors have to cope with this factor on top of a deadly pandemic. (summary provided, no transcript)

College Admissions Will Never Be the Same. But Will They Be Better?
Barron’s – April 11, 2022
Few colleges are taking the step of actively seeking new ways to welcome students from the communities that are historically underrepresented in higher education. If they really want to build a better admissions system, schools will have to think much bigger than just replacing standardized tests with other proxies that still give rich families an advantage.

Is a College Degree the Worst Investment You Can Make — or the Best?
EdSurge – April 12, 2022
At a recent education conference, two devoted educators faced off about the value of traditional college.

UChicago Study Finds Education Nonprofit Helped Boost College Enrollment, Grad Rates For Low-Income CPS Students
WTTW Chicago (IL) – April 12, 2022
Students in those cohorts met daily during their junior and senior years in high school to discuss their college and career goals, and help each other complete applications and financial aid forms, and received other support from OneGoal. Those students the OneGoal students had a 15.9% higher high school graduation rate; 15.8% higher year-to-year persistence rate in college and an 8.2% higher six-year college graduation rate.

When is FAFSA Due? 2022-2023 FAFSA Deadlines
Yakima Herald (WA) – April 11, 2022
The FAFSA deadlines overlap from year to year and there are other deadlines to consider, which can all get a bit confusing. Use this guide to help you keep track of all the deadlines.

Here are 3 ways to avoid taking on too much student loan debt
CNBC – April 7, 2022
Without a long-term solution for rising student loan balances, college-bound students need to minimize their debt burden. Here are three ways to reduce the amount you borrow at the outset.

Biden Wants to Double the Maximum Pell Grant. What Difference Would That Make?
The Chronicle of Higher Education – April 13, 2022
The Pell Grant has helped low-income students afford college for 50 years. But Biden and higher-ed advocates say it isn’t doing that job as well as it could be. In 1980 the maximum Pell award covered nearly 80 percent of tuition, fees, room, and board at a four-year public university. In 2020 it covered less than 30 percent of those costs.