High School Counselor Week

It’s been a year of Zoom and gloom. Here’s how we can build something better.
Chalkbeat – May 5, 2021
Online learning works best when students, families, and school communities have chosen it to meet their specific needs.

Tech Apprenticeships Shift the Costs of Higher Ed From Students to Employers
EdSurge – April 29, 2021
For decades, companies have offered more or less the same deal to Americans in search of office jobs: You pay for your own higher education and skills training, and then we’ll consider employing you. But with corporations unable to hire and hold on to…

Biden pushes 17 years of free school, asks companies and wealthy to pay ‘fair share’
Reuters – May 3, 2021
Biden said his proposed expansion of the U.S. public education system would rebalance the economy and benefit lower-income Americans.

How to Truly Be College Ready
Post – May 6, 2021
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D.

Letters of Recommendation – can be the tipping factor
Tribune News Service – May 6, 2021
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

When Teen Angst Turns to Pandemic Anxiety and Depression
Chicago Health – April 28, 2021
When kids grow into teens, they generally start separating from their parents and spend more time with their peers. But the isolation of Covid-19 has rewritten the script.

High School Grads Preparing for Challenging Transition Amid Pandemic
NBC 5 (Dallas) – May 4, 2021
One team of counselors has been busy helping students understand what to prepare for ahead of their first semester of college or university. They’re even making house calls to reach every single student in need of help.

SUSD gets grant for more counselors
Scottsdale Progress (AZ) – May 4, 2021
The funds – part of the Arizona DOE’s federal COVID-19 relief allotment – will create an additional 71 school counselors and 69 school social worker positions, and fund those positions for a full 2 years.

How To Help Anxious Kids Return To School After A Year At Home
WGBH Boston – April 28, 2021
The return to in-person full-time learning is a welcome break for a lot of parents and kids, too. But for others, it can trigger anxiety with mornings filled with stress about the idea getting back to class.

Tackling the Financial Aid Process With Your Parents
CollegeXpress – May 4, 2021
If you’re confused by the college financial aid application process, here are some simple ways to work with your parents to make everyone’s lives easier.

Common App integrates with three career-counseling platforms
EdScoop – May 3, 2021
The Common App will allow three publishers of career-planning software to integrate the online college application used by more than 900 schools into their platforms, the nonprofit announced Monday.

What’s The Deal With The Coalition App?
Empowerly – May 2, 2021
In October 2015, the new Coalition Application was first rolled out at the NACAC Conference. Over the last five years, it has been the subject of rumor and speculation. As with most aspects of the highly individualized college application process, there is no one right answer. But we can offer some information to guide you in your decision about whether or not to use the new Coalition Application.

Why – and how – showing interest boosts acceptance
Concord Monitor (NH) – May 3, 2021
As application numbers swell at some colleges and universities, enrollment managers are challenged to understand which candidates are legitimately excited about the opportunities at their college. They want…

For college students in crisis, emergency grants are a lifeline
CNBC – May 4, 2021
Any unpaid balance, no matter how small, can prevent a college senior in otherwise good standing from graduating. Some schools now offer completion grants so students who are struggling can still get their diploma.

Be on the Lookout for Financial Aid Scams
News 19 (AL) – May 22, 2021
While scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans help make college more affordable, scammers are taking this opportunity to try to steal some of that money through various schemes and scams. Keep an eye out for the following red flags:

Pandemic changed the FAFSA rules
Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI) – May 2, 2021
As a result of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, new provisions will show up on the 2022 FAFSA and take effect for the 2023-2024 academic year. They include the following: