High School Counselor Week
Weekly stories, facts, trends, and other information from around the country
January 9, 2020
4 College Admissions Trends For 2020
Forbes – January 6, 2020
An election year in 2020 on the heels of a newsworthy 2019 necessitates a rundown of the opportunities and challenges in U.S. college admissions. Here are the top 4 trends likely to impact college admissions this year.
The Year’s Top 10 Higher Education Stories
Forbes – December 31, 2019
It’s time to reflect on the year’s biggest news in higher education. Here’s my top-10 list, dominated by several events involving college admissions.
A Not-So-Tidy Narrative
Inside Higher Ed – January 6, 2020
Students aren’t going to college just to get a job—and that matters
College in the U.S. is at a crossroad. Will it increase social mobility or class stratification?
NBC Think – December 31, 2019
Generations of social scientists and policymakers have relied on a narrow and idealized conception of college. This is changing.
A Word About December Vacation—Did You Really Get One?
Post – January 8, 2020
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D
Things to think about in the new year
Tribune News Service – January 8, 2020
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer
Community service pays big dividends
Post – January 8, 2020
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer
7 higher education trends to watch in 2020
Education Dive – January 1, 2020
College consolidation, partnerships with employers and the effects of deregulation are among the topics we’ll have our eye on this year.
Resources for You and Your Students
NACAC Admitted Blog – January 6, 2020
Start the year off right! NACAC has plenty of resources to help you — and your students — make the most of 2020.
School counseling is not for the faint of heart
Mount Desert Islander (ME) – December 31, 2019
Counselors in one regional school system share stories and discuss their increasingly overlapping areas of resonsibility.
Hawkins school counselors undergo intense training to address suicidal students
Kingsport Times News (TN) – December 30, 2019
The following are the questions submitted to counselors within the county’s 18 schools who are on the forefront of the system’s suicide prevention efforts, and their responses.
How High School Counselors Can Help Students, Parents
Yahoo! Finance – January 2, 2020
ASCA describes school counselors as vital members of the education team. School counselors aim to help students thrive academically, personally and socially, and assist them in exploring their options after high school.
9 Key Practices to Make College Pay Off
Kiplinger – January 6, 2020
The question is not whether college is worth it but rather, how do students get the most from their investment, especially with an eye toward building a post-college career? I believe families need a road map. Let me offer nine essentials…
Best Life: The dangers of being a snowplow parent!
WMC5 News (TN) – January 6, 2020
In this age of anxiety and uncertainty, a new parenting style has emerged called snowplowing. It refers to parents who will do anything and everything to remove any and all obstacles for their kids rather than prepare the child to overcome obstacles themselves. Now, one woman is teaching families how to create success on the child’s terms.
What college applicants are missing when it comes to checking email
FOX 61 Hartford (CT) – November 26, 2019
As we start a new year, it’s time for high school seniors to figure out their futures. But some are just trying to figure out college applications.
Teenagers don’t use email—colleges do. That’s a problem during college admissions season
Chicago Tribune – December 16, 2019
If students aren’t in the habit of sifting through their clogged accounts, they could be missing looming deadlines, to-do notices to complete their applications and announcements about financial aid, scholarships and awards.
College Planning Guide: Holiday vacation is over, juniors and seniors need to keep these 4 things in mind
Newport RI.com – January 4, 2020
Start the New Year with an open mind as you consider all of your options including these four:
Get Organized: 6 tips for decluttering the college application process
The Oakland Press – December 30, 2019
Whether you are a freshman contemplating your future, or a junior who will be applying to college this coming fall, getting organized now will make the process neat and manageable, instead of overwhelming and stressful.
This Is the 11th Grade College Planning Timeline That You Need to Get Accepted
Accepted Blog – January 3, 2020
This post is for pre-applicants (11th graders who are still in the initial planning stage of their applications) and is organized according to season, starting with the winter and bringing you through the spring and summer, up until the fall when you’ll finally sit down and apply.
Expanding Pathways to College
Inside Higher Ed – January 6, 2020
In the current era, the image of the ‘traditional’ college student as a recent high school graduate who is enrolled full time at a four-year, residential college is no longer the reality for most. Transfer policies are crucial, a new report says.
What To Know As An Adult Heading Back To School
Escalon Times (CA) – December 31, 2020
The National Center for Education Statistics says that one in five Americans enrolled in undergraduate higher education is at least 30 years old. Finding the right fit in regard to a college is different for adults than it is students right out of high school.
Why Colleges Won’t Turn Their Degree Programs Upside Down
Forbes – January 3, 2020
A potentially revolutionary idea has begun making waves: start degree programs with industry-recognized certifications. Turning degrees upside down by starting with certifications while delaying general education has the potential to do two jobs…
No, you’re not going to be drafted into the military just because you applied for federal student loans
MarketWatch – January 8, 2020
But there is one key point FAFSA applicants should be aware of: If they don’t register with Selective Service between the ages of 18 and 25, they’re ineligible for federal student aid. With a few exceptions, males in the U.S. must register with the Selective Service when they turn 18 regardless of whether they fill out the FAFSA.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Student Loans: What’s the Difference?
The Motley Fool – January 3, 2020
Here’s a rundown of what students need to know about subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, how much you may be able to borrow of each one, and the important benefits common to both.
How to Avoid College-Scholarship Scams
Wall Street Journal (PAYWALL) – January 2, 2020
Students should never pay a fee to submit a scholarship application or to be entered into a potential recipient pool; this is a red flag. Be wary of unsolicited offers. Avoid giving personal information. Beware of pressure tactics…
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7 ways schools can stomp out bullying
SmartBrief – January 8, 2020
Parents and educational staff need different tactics to address—and end—bullying. While therapeutic intervention often only involves a single person, or a handful of individuals, the school environment provides the opportunity to affect positive change on a broad scale.
Changes to SNAP Program Could Affect College Students
NACAC Admitted Blog – January 2, 2020
According to policy experts the shift will limit benefits for college students enrolled less than half the time.
Top 10 tips from students to use social media positively in 2020
WRAL (NC) – January 8, 2020
According to Kaplan Test Prep, one in four college admissions officers believe social media is fair game to check during the college admissions process. For this reason and others, it’s never too late to upgrade our social media profiles for the better. And who better to offer tips than student leaders?
Brain Training: Making the jump from high school student-athlete to college
KIVI Boise – December 30, 2019
Best advice for parents and student-athletes? Plan early and plan hard with a counselors and a solid support group. All the early workouts, game-film study, and extra lift sessions could mean nothing if your grades, courses, and test scores aren’t up to par.
Reports show suicide is third leading cause of death among student athletes
WGXA (GA) – January 2, 2020
That’s according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which found 35 cases of suicide among a total of 477 deaths.
Your Guide to Free SAT Prep Classes
CollegeVine – December 31, 2019
There are numerous free SAT prep classes, giving students a multitude of ways to brace themselves for this important exam without breaking the bank. Whether you’re dubious of the claims made by for-profit test prepping companies, or lack the financial resources for expensive tutoring, the classes listed below will have you exam ready.
College Admissions Testing: Even More of an Arms Race
Inside Higher Ed – January 6, 2020
The changes to the ACT will only exacerbate the problems, writes Ben Paris.
Revolutionary thinking? Colleges let students opt out of admissions exams.
Christian Science Monitor – January 6, 2020
By moving away from test requirements, colleges are contributing to a profound change in the way society measures merit. Instead of a single SAT or ACT result, they’re reinforcing the importance of a student’s talents and character.