High School Counselor Week

College enrollment plummeted during the pandemic. This fall, it’s even worse
NPR – October 26, 2021
Enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities is on track to fall by another nearly 500,000 undergraduate students this fall, continuing the historic drops that began with the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data out Tuesday.

Survey: 34% of white college students lied about their race to improve their admission, financial aid odds
Yahoo! News – October 26, 2021
The survey, which questioned 1,250 white college applicants aged 16 and up, discovered that 34% of them lied in their applications, according to Intelligent. About 75% of the students who made false claims got accepted into the schools they lied to.

It’s Not Over Till It’s Over
Inside Higher Ed – October 25, 2021
Advocates for tuition-free community college were disappointed by President Biden’s announcement that it won’t be a part of the Build Back Better Act. But they aren’t giving up yet — or anytime soon.

Letters and Venting
Post – October 27, 2021
Counselors’ Corner with Patrick O’Connor Ph.D.

Find colleges that want you more than you want them
Tribune News Service – October 27, 2021
College Admissions Strategies with Lee Bierer 

Educating Amid COVID: From Kentucky Counselors Sounding Alarm About Student Mental Health to New Mexico Investing in ‘Academic Coaches,’ 11 Ways States Are Confronting the Crisis
The 74 – October 25, 2021
Beyond issues of test scores, graduation rates and relief funds, here are 10 other updates from across the country about how states and school systems are confronting the challenges posed by the pandemic and the Delta variant

U.S. DOE Releases New Resource on Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health during COVID-19 Era
U.S. Department of Education – October 19, 2021
This resource highlights seven key challenges to providing school- or program-based mental health support across early childhood, K–12 schools, and higher education settings, and presents seven corresponding recommendations. It includes many real-world examples of how the recommendations are being put into action by schools, communities, and states across the country.

Expert advice for improving students mental health as it hits crisis levels
ABC 7 Buffalo (NY) – October 22, 2021
Area high school counselors gathered to hear from experts about emerging trends and how to help students, including the CEO of Horizon health. ‘Students are coming to school under more and more stress and the pandemic has only accelerated that,’ remarked Mark Veronica, president, High School Counselors’ of Western New York

How the pandemic changed the college application process
WOODTV Grand Rapids (MI) – October 26, 2021
Neha Gupta, founder of College Shortcuts, says colleges are looking beyond test scores and good grades and focusing on the student as a whole.

Helping children cope with anxiety
Hutchinson Leader (MN) – October 27, 2021
Parenting teenagers has never been easy, and parenting teenagers during a pandemic has added a new level of difficulty. As a counseling department, we have noticed symptoms of anxiety in students such as stomach aches, refusal to attend school, and difficulty completing homework. Here are a few things to try if you notice your child is feeling anxious.

How to Help Your Undecided Student Find Direction
College Parent Central – October 25, 2021
There are many reasons for being undecided about a major. In our last article, we suggested that helping your undecided student find direction begins by helping them understand why they are undecided. You can help guide this process, but the deep work involved is your student’s work to do.

Tips on how to tour colleges from home
The Philadelphia Tribune – October 26, 2021
Many schools are offering virtual tours, chats with admissions officers and current students, and other online options to help students get familiar with their school. Be sure to check the websites of schools that you’re interested in to…

Transition To College: Here’s What Students Have To Say About It
CollegeData.com – October 17, 2021
When asked the question ‘What aspect of college were you least prepared for,’ the responses fell into three main areas: academics, finances, and finding life balance. Below is more detail on how students responded within each category.

Scholarship Displacement: After Winning a Scholarship, You Need to Keep It
TeenLife Blog – October 25, 2021
Below, you’ll find tips on how to keep your scholarships. You’ll also find some helpful info on what exactly scholarship displacement is and what you can do to avoid it.

A growing number of colleges are abolishing student loans to avoid making the $1.7 trillion debt crisis worse
Business Insider – October 25, 2021
While these actions are a promising sign for college affordability, only a small number of schools are eliminating student loans from their financial aid packages as the student debt crisis continues to grow nationwide.

What’s new and what’s not in the FAFSA
The Clarion (Madison Area Technical College, WI) – October 26, 2021
Several important changes have been implemented to the financial aid application.

Online Tools That Can Support ACT, SAT Prep
U.S. News & World Report – October 25, 2021
Various virtual test prep resources can help you focus, maximize study time, retain information and perform better.

What major test could matter less for college students this year
News 8 Tulsa (OK) – October 25, 2021
Major tests like the SAT and the ACT carry less weight this year, but that doesn’t mean the process for getting into college will be easier– the work will just be different.