High School Counselor Week

Could more federal loans help students afford college?
PBS Newshour – Apr 12, 2019
Tatum Johnson was hooked on the view from Clemson University’s North Green soon after she set foot on the South Carolina campus for a tour as a high school senior.

Elite Colleges Should Hold a Worldwide Auction for 10 percent of The Seats in Every Incoming Class.
Forbes – Apr 16, 2019
It was astonishing how quickly people moved from outrage over the latest college admissions bribery scandal to a kind of grim recognition.

College-Admissions Hysteria Is Not the Norm
The Atlantic-Apr 10, 2019
Every year at this time, headlines reveal once again what everyone already knows: America’s top institutions are selective—very. Harvard took a record-low 4.5 percent of the applicants

Readers Respond to Caitlin Flanagan’s Argument on the College-Admissions Scandal
The Atlantic-Apr 12, 2019
“Her conclusion at the end that the traditional donations … actually does significant good for underprivileged students is questionable at best and likely closer to flat out false.”

As Small Private Colleges Keep Closing, Some Are Fighting Back
WGBH.org  -Apr 15, 2019
It was in his part-time job as a campus tour guide that Jared Maymon first heard prospective students and their parents asking not just about the food, the dorms or the required courses,

Handy Hints for College-Bound Parents
Post – Apr 16, 2019
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D

How to handle the wait-list
Tribune News Service – Apr 16, 2019
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

Elite Colleges, Entitled Teens and Guilted Parents
Post – Apr 9, 2019
The College Solution Blog with Lynn O’Shaughnessy

UVa offers an alternative route to Charlottesville
Post – Apr 8, 2019
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer

Why We Had to be Our Own College Counselors and How Congress Can Help
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education – Apr 16, 2019
Students who are trying to become the first in their family to attend college often don’t have anyone at home who can help. So it is especially critical for them to get the help they need at school.

Fund counselors to guide students to life after high school
The Seattle Times-Apr 11, 2019 – Letter
I graduated from high school in June and am now a college freshman. For a high school student in Washington state, access to guidance in academic… 

A New Look at Parenting and Children’s Happiness in College
Psychology Today (blog)-Apr 13, 2019
If the college admissions scandal has taught us anything, it’s that some parents will do anything to ensure their children are able to secure coveted spots

College Tour Road Trips as Routes to Adulthood
New York Times – Apr 12, 2019
It was on a college visit that my dad took me to see a young Richard Pryor perform in Chicago. My first nightclub, my first exposure to stand-up.

Parent Loans for College Are Skyrocketing — and 62% of Families Are Borrowing More Than What the Government Says They Can Afford
MONEY – Apr 16, 2019
Parents are borrowing more money than ever before to send their children to college—even as undergraduate borrowing has started to decline in recent years.

Rethinking Federal Lending to Parents
Inside Higher Ed – Apr 16, 2019
Lending program for parents of undergraduates has expanded beyond its … for postsecondary education in a given year that serves as the basis for college aid

Is a college education worth it? Grads are divided
CNBC – Apr 16, 2019
A college education is likely one of the biggest expenses you’ll face in your lifetime. For many, it also requires going deep into debt. Seven in 10 seniors

Let’s hear it for the ‘safety school’
Baltimore Sun – Apr 18, 2019
Though college admissions scandals starring the rich and famous have dominated recent headlines, most college-bound high school seniors still apply with a hope and a prayer rather than a bribe.

7 Crucial Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
Student Loan Hero – Apr 11, 2019
What’s the party scene like? Where do students go on spring break? While this information might be important to you, these probably aren’t the best questions to ask when choosing a college.

High schoolers are inviting thousands of strangers to watch as they get into college — and get rejected
Washington Post – Apr 17, 2019
Justin Chae woke up from a nap 10 minutes after Stanford University let early-action applicants for the freshman class of 2023 know whether they’d been admitted. With his camera perched next to him

Community colleges embracing ‘guided pathways’ see payoff
Education Dive-Apr 15, 2019
Community colleges are at a watershed moment. Long viewed as an inexpensive pathway to a better job, deep budget cuts and low graduation rates have

What you need to know about applying to college
The Philadelphia Tribune-Apr 16, 2019
Many students and their parents may be surprised to learn it but college application season doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are some things students should know that can help

Going to community college? Here’s why your high school GPA matters
Asheboro Courier Tribune-Arp 16, 2019
Wake Technical Community College announced Monday it would begin using the … If their SAT or ACT score isn’t high enough, they’ll still be placed in those

A Job When They Graduate: The Growing Focus On Vocational Training In Illinois
WNIJ and WNIU-Apr 12, 2019 (LISTEN)
More and more students are turning to vocational career programs, and schools and state government are taking notice. 

Expanding access to work-based learning
The Hill – Apr 13, 2019
Remember shop class? If you’re under 40, you might not. Ask your parents or grandparents about it, and you’re likely to hear nostalgic tales of band saws, welding goggles, and wobbly birdhouses

Advice to high schools from Connecticut manufacturers desperate to fill jobs: steer students away from college
The Hartford Courant – Apr 16, 2019
Employers seeking to fill skilled, well-paid manufacturing jobs are urging high schools to steer students toward vocational training and away from liberal arts colleges

College financial aid letters are confusing. We made a tool to help figure them out
Hechinger Report – Apr 14, 2019
Congratulations! You’ve been selected to receive financial aid to help cover the costs of college. But what exactly is an ‘FSEOG’ or ‘Unsubsidized Stafford,’ and how much of the money you’ve been promised is actually just a loan?

How To Calculate The Cost Of College: A Guide To Financial Aid Terms
NPR.org -Apr 11, 2019
Right now, students across the country are in the process of choosing where to go to college. For many, that decision is closely tied to a school’s financial aid

Feds Recommend Colleges Clarify Financial Aid Offers
Inside Higher Ed- Apr 16, 2019
The Education Department this week issued recommendations for colleges to improve the transparency of financial aid offered to students.

Ethical College Admissions: Dialing for Dollars
Inside Higher Ed- Apr 14, 2019
Last week I learned that the farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland once owned by my grandparents is for sale. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, and the house and outbuildings were long ago torn down, but the news brought back memories