High School Counselor Week

What 2U’s new flat fee model could mean for the online degree sector
Higher Ed Dive – September 12, 2023
In its early days, education company 2U built its brand by helping top-ranked colleges launch and maintain online programs in exchange for a share of their tuition revenue. But in early August, the company announced it was rolling out a new flat fee pricing model to complement its tuition-share agreements. The company’s announcement comes as tuition-share deals are under regulatory fire.

Department of Education Opens Civil-Rights Probe into New College of Florida following DeSantis Overhaul
National Review – September 11, 2023
The U.S. Department of Education launched a federal civil rights investigation into New College’s alleged discrimination against those with disabilities, per the agency’s letter sent to the college’s interim president Richard Corcoran on Friday. The DOE also said it plans to investigate whether New College communicated effectively with disabled individuals compared to its communication with others.

High school juniors – don’t get overlooked!
Post – September 13, 2023
College Advice & Timely Tips with Lee Bierer

Counselors Share What It’s Like to Lose a Client to Suicide
American Counseling Association – September 12, 2023
Mental health and school counselors need far more support than they typically receive for one of the field’s most traumatic occupational hazards: a client’s suicide, according to reports in the Journal of Counseling and Development. As the U.S. marks National Suicide Prevention Month, researchers are calling on schools and local agencies to recognize and address the emotional and professional toll that mental health professionals suffer when they lose a client or student to suicide. Counselors affected by suicide say their employers and colleagues provide lax support or interventions to help them cope with their emotions. The impact of suicide is especially noteworthy in school settings. Nearly 80% of school counselors surveyed have worked with a student who attempted suicide, and over a third report having experienced a student death by suicide. Understanding the ways a student suicide may uniquely impact school counselors can support training, policy reform and advocacy efforts to bolster supports for counselors following a student’s death

Q&A: How achievement pressure is crushing kids and what to do about it
Phys.org – September 12, 2023
Are we pushing our kids too much? This is a complicated question, and one that many parents struggle to answer. In recent years adolescents have been struggling with alarming rates of anxiety and depression, leaving parents more worried than ever about their children’s well-being. So are parents to blame? Not exactly, says Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It.

Why millions of students are chronically absent from schools
PBS News Weekend – September 10, 2023
At the height of the pandemic, school closures disrupted many students’ lives. In 2022, nearly 16 million students across the U.S. were chronically absent, double the pre-pandemic truancy rate, according to a new Stanford University analysis. To learn more, Ali Rogin speaks with Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works, an organization helping schools face this challenge.

Surprise, it’s college application season already!
Salt Lake Tribune – September 11, 2023
6 things you should know to make the process easier

5 Common College Application Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Chances With Admissions Officers
Forbes – September 7, 2023
In the fiercely competitive landscape of elite college admissions, students must take a proactive and strategic approach to the application process. However, even the most talented and creative students make common missteps that can hinder their chances of earning a coveted spot at their dream schools. Often, students make incorrect assumptions about what admissions officers want to see in applicants, resulting in inauthentic and contrived application materials.

Going on a college tour might be an eye opener, but it probably won’t help you get in
Forbes – September 9, 2023
While college visits done right (see the tips below) are still a valuable way to determine whether an institution is the right fit, taking an official tour won’t earn you any points with the admissions office. Yes, many colleges do still consider what is called ‘demonstrated interest’—how eager a given applicant appears to be to attend the school—in their admissions decisions. And historically, taking the tour was a good way to show interest. But today, no members of the Ivy League and none of the top 15 schools on Forbes’ 2023 America’s Top Colleges even consider applicants’ interest as a factor in admissions. Moreover, even those admissions officers who care about demonstrated interest measure it by a lot more than just who schleps to campus.

FAFSA: Six changes to be aware of
Forbes – September 11, 2023
For the 2024-25 award year, the FAFSA is getting a facelift that includes a redesign and fewer questions. Plus, formulas determining aid eligibility have been modified with the goal of expanding financial assistance for low-income families. When preparing to submit the FAFSA for next school year, these are six changes to be aware of:

Student loans: Education official explains what borrowers should know
Yahoo! Finance – September 11, 2023
U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss several topics, including loan repayments, detail about updates to FAFSA applications and the challenges that put borrowers at risk of defaulting on their loans.

Why A Growing Number Of Business Leaders Believe In Learning By Working
Forbes – September 12, 2023
The time has passed when a college degree would guarantee a lifetime of employment. For jobs of the future, both employers and job seekers need to focus on teaching and learning on the job.