High School Counselor Week

One Reason Rural Students Don’t Go To College: Colleges Don’t Go To Them
NPR.org – Mar 6, 2019
The sunrise in rural central Michigan reveals a landscape of neatly divided cornfields crossed by ditches and wooded creeks. But few of the sleepy teenagers on the school bus from Maple Valley Junior-Senior High 

As Elite Campuses Diversify, A ‘Bias Towards Privilege’ Persists
NPR.org – Mar 5, 2019
Elite colleges are making strides to diversify their student bodies, both racially and economically. In the past few years, we’ve seen most top schools commit to enrolling more low-income students through financial aid

The sweet spot on free college: Why 14 is the new 12
Washington Post-Mar 4, 2019
An earnest citizen rises and asks: Are you in favor of free college? You’re ready for this one. You know that most of your audience would agree that a high school

OPINION: Why one plan to cut college debt needs rebooting, not rejecting
Hechinger Report – Mar 5, 2019
The intention was good: The federal government would offer the nation’s teachers, first responders and other public servants relief on their college loan debt.

College Admissions Isn’t Fair. It Also Isn’t Simple.
Post – Mar 5, 2019
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D

How a ‘high school profile’ makes or breaks a college application
Post – Feb 13, 2019
The Explorations Blog with Nancy Griesemer

How you spend your summer vacation is important – Part 2
Tribune News Service – Mar 5, 2019
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

How to Appeal a Financial Aid Letter
Post – Jan 17, 2019
The College Solution Blog with Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Committee focuses on Norwalk school counselors’ roles
The Hour – Mar 3, 2019
NORWALK — School district leaders are launching an ambitious K-12 study and redesign of school counseling services that would review and benchmark the responsibilities of such employees, survey stakeholders regarding their satisfaction with current services 

Parent And Student Money Strategies For College
Forbes – Feb 28, 2019
Sending your child to college is a big step for both the student and the parent. Beyond the education and lifestyle changes, there will inevitably be money

4 Tips to help parents of college students through “Empty Nest” phase
fox13now.com – Mar 4, 2019
When Park City mom Liz Yokubison started the process of sending her twins off to college it rocked her world and she got sad. It’s known as the “Empty Nest” .

Free Online SAT Prep Sites Are Attracting Parents Skeptical of High-Ticket Tutors
eLearningInside News-Mar 3, 2019
In many U.S. cities, if you have a child preparing to write the SAT, your monthly tutoring costs can easily exceed what many American families spend on housing. According the U.S. Census Bureau, on averag

Student applies to wrong college, gets free flight for campus tour
NBC News 5 – Mar 5, 2019
A Louisiana student’s mistake recently went viral and led to opportunities she’d never really considered. Kaitlynn Lovelady applied to the wrong college, then tweeted about it, but she never expected the response she received.

Rejections hurt. Here’s how to help your child during college-acceptance season
Washington Post – Mar 5, 2019
Anita Walia’s daughter had always been an overachiever. She made the girls’ varsity soccer team as a high school freshman, earned good grades in the most challenging courses at the private school she attended 

3 reasons to choose a college based on price
Washington Post – Feb 28, 2019
Many prospective students choose a college for its location, its reputation or even its campus vibe. Here are three reasons to choose a college based on price.

College Planning: Junior Year Checklist
Forbes-Mar 5, 2019
Junior Year Checklist – As a junior in high school, college might still seem far off. However, spending the remainder of this year is key to the college planning process because you will be studying for and taking standardized tests

To accept or deny? How the college admissions process works
The Berkshire Eagle – Feb 28, 2019
On a Thursday afternoon in late January, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Associate Director of Admission Kayla Hollins was sitting next to stacks of student welcome materials in a Smith House conference room. A horde of applicants would soon receive their acceptance letters

Career and Technical Education prepares our students for jobs that haven’t even been created yet, N.J. commissioner says
The Star Ledger – Feb 28, 2019
In the Garden State, hundreds of teachers, administrators, and school counselors involved in Career and Technical Education (CTE) serve more than 179,200 secondary and postsecondary students.

Career centers offer high schoolers a leg up
nwitimes.com-Feb 28, 2019
Jay Edwards, at age 17, has already discovered his career path and a job he loves in a high demand field. Edwards, a Valparaiso High School senior, credits attendance at Porter County Career and Technical Center for helping him in his career quest.

How to compare college aid letters
CNBC – Mar 4, 2019
It’s as important as the college acceptance letter but rarely as black and white. A school’s financial aid offer typically maps out your expected family contribution

What Students Can Do if Parents Can’t—or Won’t—Fill Out College-Aid Forms 
Wall Street Journal-Mar 3, 2019
Generally, college students have a better shot at financial aid when their parents participate in the application process. But parents aren’t always willing or able to fulfill this need.

My kid is financially independent. Why is my money info still required on the FAFSA for college?
NJ.com – Mar 5, 2019
Q. Why do my children have to include my income until age 26 on the FAFSA? My oldest son and my youngest child were both out of the house supporting themselves when going to college. I was not supporting them financially, nor did I claim them as dependent on income taxes.

What Is the Expected Family Contribution?
NerdWallet (blog)-Mar 1, 2019
The Expected Family Contribution, or EFC, is an estimate of the amount of money that your family can contribute toward your college education. It’s a crucial component in determining the total of any federal financial aid you’ll receive to help pay for college.