High School Counselor Week

‘Their Whole Sky Has Fallen’: 1 in 450 Youth Have Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID
The 74 – 112/22/2021
The death toll further underscores the daunting task facing schools as they seek to help students recover not just academically, but also emotionally, from a pandemic that has already stretched 22 months and claimed more than 800,000 American lives

Desperate to fill teacher shortages, school districts ask parents and various staff to become substitutes
CNN – January 11, 2022
With more teachers sickened or sidelined by the highly contagious Omicron variant, school districts across the country have resorted to extraordinary measures to keep classrooms running.

US college grads sue Yale, Columbia, other schools over financial aid
BusinessWorld – January 11, 2022
Five US college graduates have sued 16 major US universities accusing them of colluding to limit financial aid to undergraduate students in violation of antitrust laws. The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, saying the collusion has…

Torts Are Killing College Admissions
Post – January 12, 2022
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D. 

Trying to Understand the PSAT Scores
Tribune News Service – January 12, 2022
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

Reach, target and safety schools: Don’t slip when creating a smart college list
Post – January 11, 2022
The College Solution with Lynn O’Shaughnessy 

‘What is a life worth?’ A district finds ways to provide mental health support amid community pressure and lack of funds
EdNC – January 6, 2022
While public disagreements over masks enter the mental health fray, Iredell-Statesville district leaders say mental health support has been a big challenge since before the pandemic. They are focused on getting students the help they need, and they’ve had to get creative with how to fund it.

New law on mental health curriculum goes into effect with start of the new year
EdSource – January 10, 2022
Health classes in California high schools will soon cover more than nutrition and exercise. Thanks to a new law that went into effect Jan. 1, students will learn about depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders and other serious mental health conditions.

Kids are back in school — and struggling with mental health issues
NPR – January 7, 2022
The transition has been more fraught than anticipated. Stressed students are hurting others — and themselves. An with an already saturated health-care system, kids and families are struggling to get timely help. [Podcast + Article]

Admission counselors to high school seniors: Don’t stress college application process
WFXR Roanoke (VA) – January 11, 2022
Admissions counselors are reminding seniors to never carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and to always ask for help. (includes article)

Program Trains Parents To Help Fill College & Career Advising Gaps Caused by Pandemic
NewsWise – January 10, 2022
A college and career readiness program offered by the national nonprofit CFES Brilliant Pathways addresses this gap by training parents to fill the role that counselors, teachers, coaches and community members served pre-pandemic.

Tips for Balancing Academic Standards and Mental Health
Psychology Today – January 5, 2022
The following are strategies that might help you and your kids balance high academic goals while maintaining, or even strengthening, their mental health and resiliency.

How Parents and Schools Are Helping Students Continue In-Person Learning
Verywell Health – January 11, 2022
Keeping kids in school should be a top priority, and using the CDC’s Test-To-Stay tool is a good way to do it. Even if kids stay in class going forward, parents and schools must find new and creative ways to provide comfort and stability to students who may be struggling.

Balancing High School GPA, Academic Rigor
U.S. News & World Report – January 10, 2022
Take classes that will benefit you in college rather than those that are easy or that may look good on applications.

Transcript gaps? Strong college application remains possible
AP News – January 12, 2022
Applying to college typically comes with some uncertainty, but this year’s applicants are tackling one additional question: What should you do when a pandemic has limited what goes into your college applications? College admissions officers have been ready for these changes since…

Ethical College Admissions: 3 Issues
Inside Higher Ed – January 10, 2022
When the Department of Justice ended the ability of NACAC to enforce ethical standards for the college admissions profession several years ago, there was widespread concern that the admissions world might turn into a Wild West. That hasn’t happened yet…but I have recently heard of three practices that hint at erosion of those ethical standards.

16 of the best jobs for college students
Fox Business – January 11, 2022
Getting a job is one way to help pay for college expenses, but it’s important to choose a job that works with your schedule, income needs and goals.

Could College Tuition Cost Less Next Year?
Forbes – January 6, 2022
For students and their families, there is some potentially good news on that horizon. Tuition rates may not increase much from current levels, and several factors point to the possibility that net tuition – the amount students pay rather than the sticker price that colleges publish – might actually decline.