High School Counselor Week

Colleges and Universities Cancel Classes and Move Online Amid Coronavirus Fears
New York Times – March 12, 2020
With hundreds of cases and more than two dozen deaths from the virus in the U.S., officials are trying to limit its spread.

Senate Overturns Student Loan Forgiveness Rule
Forbes – March 11, 2020
The U.S. Senate voted 53-42 to overturn a new student loan forgiveness rule introduced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos that critics argue limits student loan forgiveness for students when a college closes due to fraud.

High Schools Push College, Students Not So Sure
The Business Journal (OH) – March 11, 2020
In four years of high school, students are expected to develop some idea of what comes after graduation, whether it’s enrolling in college or a trade school, enlisting in the military or joining the workforce.

A Year After the College Admissions Scandal, Here’s What Has (and Has Not) Changed
Time – March 12, 2020
For all the conversation about the need for admissions reform, and as hundreds of thousands of high school seniors wait to hear back on where they’ll be starting classes in the fall, experts say little has changed.

What Colleges Can Do To Support High School Seniors During the Virus
Post – March 18, 2020
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D.

A new normal for everyone…
Tribune News Service – March 18, 2020
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

No recommendations, no essays and sometimes no test scores
Post – March 18, 2020
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer

Ethical College Admissions: College Counseling in Interesting Times
Inside Higher Ed – March 16, 2020
During and since my tenure as president of NACAC, I have made reference to an ancient Chinese proverb, ‘May you live in interesting times’…

New NACAC Tool Helps Students Navigate College Admission Process Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
NACAC Admitted Blog – March 18, 2020
As a service to students and families, NACAC has created a new resource cataloging campus-specific changes in college admission events, deposit dates, and more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Princeton Review’s 2020 College Hopes & Worries Survey Reports on 12,800 Students’ and Parents’ “Dream” Colleges and Application Perspectives
Yahoo! Finance – March 17, 2020
It’s nail-biting season for the three million high school seniors applying to college — and for their equally anxious parents. Now through April, college decision letters and financial aid award offers are landing in inboxes and mailboxes nationwide.

529 Plan Rules for When a Child Skips College
U.S. News & World Report – March 11, 2020
In recent years, new legislation has expanded the list of qualified expenses to include the costs of a private K-12 education and apprenticeship programs that can serve as alternatives to college…

Top questions for parents to ask at college open house
Buffalo Business First (NY) – March 12, 2020
Open houses at colleges and universities are an excellent opportunity for students to visit the schools that interest them the most, have their questions answered, and explore the campus community. As a parent…

Finishing Strong: Colleges Can Revoke Admission Offers
Pleasanton Weekly – March 12, 2020
You worked too hard to get into college to mess with it now. Seniors should bear in mind that their remaining high school grades can affect their new relationship with the college they plan to attend next fall. Colleges certainly do not like to renege on admission decisions, but…

How the Coronavirus Affects College Admissions
U.S. News & World Report – March 18, 2020
Colleges are emphasizing virtual tours and other online content as well as extending admissions deadlines.

It’s all about the college list
The Union (CA) – March 11, 2020
You have done everything right — the volunteer hours, great grades and test scores and now it is time to pick colleges to apply to. This is where it gets complicated. Making your college list is…

Congress gets a proposal to spend $400 million on creating more apprenticeships
Hechinger Report – March 13, 2020
A message being heard more often and more loudly: College isn’t the only route to success

Labor Department aims to grow apprenticeships with new rule
Education Dive – March 12, 2020
Starting in mid-May, the Labor Department will allow several kinds of entities —_ including colleges, trade associations and employers —_ to monitor and establish apprenticeship programs.

Study: Career and Technical Education Yields Not Just Higher Earnings but Higher Test Scores
The 74 – March 15, 2020
Not only do the schools boost young men’s professional prospects, the authors conclude, they have a substantial impact on their academic performance as well, suggesting…

How the Coronavirus Can Disrupt Your College Financial Aid
U.S. News & World Report – March 16, 2020
Colleges now have more flexibility in federal financial aid matters as they respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

How to search for scholarships, not get lost in spam
ABC News – March 12, 2020
Don’t let a barrage of emails deter you from signing up — or sticking with — a scholarship website…

Students can take steps to avoid debt, or at least keep it lower, by tackling the problem head on
The Herald-Palladium (MI) – March 16, 2020
When Janelle Gehrke started preparing for college a couple years ago, she was determined not to see it turn into a serious case of sticker shock.

Do you qualify for FAFSA?
Fox Business – March 11, 2020
While filling out the FAFSA is important, not everyone is eligible to do so. To avoid wasting your time, make sure you review the basic rules for eligibility before you get started.

Debt decision: What is career education really worth?
The Runner (CSU-Bakersfield) – March 13, 2020
The author is a student at California State University, Bakersfield
Across the United States, youth are being convinced that the only way to lead a successful life is to go to a traditional four-year university, but is this really the only good choice?

Taking a gap year from college led to more personal growth than I ever imagined
The Baltimore Sun – March 17, 2020
The author is a gap year student who lives in Baltimore
A year ago, if you’d asked me during my senior year of high school why I wanted to go to college, I probably would have spouted some half-hearted nonsense about my love for learning.