Membership Mobilization and Engagement: School Counselor Webinar - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Membership Mobilization and Engagement:

School Counselor Webinar Series

10 Things Effective Counselors Do …

to Help Students Apply to 4 or More Colleges

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Presenters

Debra F. Craig, M.A., Special Projects, Former Executive Director of the Southwestern Regional Office, The College Board, Austin, Texas

• Debra is a nationally recognized education leader and school counseling professional and has served

in a number of K-16 school counseling, instruction and leadership capacities. These roles have included College/Career Counselor, Interim Director of Professional Development and Chief Educational Manager of K-12 Services at the College Board, Southwestern Regional Office.

• Appointed to serve on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Common Application

Committee and the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, Debra has been involved providing expert guidance and leadership in student access, college admission and financial aid policy.

• Debra was named Counselor of the Year by the Texas Counseling Association in 1994 and was

honored with the William Fleming for Counseling Excellence (2001) and the Founders’ Awards (2004) by the Texas Association for College Admissions Counseling.

• Debra has led a number of award winning initiatives and programs to serve students and families

including content creation for the Texas State University uPhone, Parent College Admission Course, and the Fish Bowl Freshman Orientation Programs.

• Debra holds a Master’s of Education in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas and a

Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Texas Tech University.

Confidentiality statement

10 Things Effective Counselors Do …

to Help Students Apply to 4 or More Colleges

December 2013

What We Know

 82% of the nation’s high-achieving students from low-income

households do not apply to a single school that meets their academic qualifications.

 Applying to two colleges instead of one makes it 40% more

likely that students will enroll in a four-year college. Applying to more than two makes their chances of enrolling even better.

 Counselors play a critical role in supporting students to

Apply to 4 or More

Today’s Objectives

 To identify 10 Things Effective Counselors

Do which support every student through the college admission process.

 To provide examples, links, and discussion

for each of the 10.

 To know the resources available through

the online handout.

10 Things Effective Counselors Do to Help Students Apply to 4 or More Colleges

• 1. LEARN about the colleges students apply to often.

 There are 3,984 accredited, degree-granting undergraduate

institutions in the United States. There are also important distinctions about institutions.

 To which of those 3,984 options do your students most often

apply?

 Begin by investigating those institutions as well as other

institutions (2-year and 4-year) within a 100 to 200 mile radius of your school.

• 1. Learn

 Sit-in on visits by college representatives.  Create a “most frequently asked questions” sheet and

interview the college representatives who visit your school. Collect this information in a resource notebook.

 The University of California provides a list of sample

questions which you can ask when on a college visit or when a representative visits your school.

 Create a one-page version for students to use during in-

school college representative visits.

• 1. Learn

 Teach your students how to differentiate among institutions:

 What is a liberal arts institution?  What is a research institution?  What is a college? What is a university?  What is a proprietary institution? How does it differ from a public or private college or university?

 Encourage students’ curiosity by asking them about which

colleges/universities they have an interest/knowledge.

Ask students to provide a college/university name for each of these institutional

• types. Discuss the

differences.

• 1. Learn

 Use a “Score Card” to detail

information and impressions when you or your students visit a campus.

 Keep a stack of these sheets in

your office to give to students and parents when they prepare for college visits.

 Campus Visit Score Card

• 1. Learn

 Consider joining the National Association for College

Admission Counseling (NACAC) Exchange listserve. It provides a single platform where professionals can share information and discussion about the college admission process.

 You do not need to be a member of NACAC to join the

listserve, but you will need a username and password.

 The NACAC Exchange Listserve

• 1. Learn

 Study the home pages of the institutions to which your

students most frequently apply. You will most likely find information for your students AND for you!

• 1. Learn

 For example, on the Admissions page of Colorado State

University:

• 2. Know Course Work requirements

 As preparation:

• Emphasize the importance of taking college preparatory

classes starting in the 9th grade even if the student is not sure about future plans. Taking Algebra is particularly important to keeping future options open.

• Explain the difference between high school graduation

requirements and college entrance requirements.

• Explain what community colleges require.

• 2. Know Course Work requirements

 Stress that you want students not only to be accepted into

college, but also to succeed when they get there: That’s why they need to take the most challenging course load they can handle.

 Provide teachers with relevant and timely information about

college preparation and college requirements so they, too, can provide accurate information to students.

 Help students understand what it means to Create a Solid

Academic Profile.

• 2. Know Course Work requirements

 Examine …

• Individual Course Completion Requirements by state … OR
• Individual Course Completion Requirements by flagship institution … OR
• Individual Course Completion Requirements by individual institution

 In Colorado -

http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Admissions/coursecompletion.html

 In Texas – for UT: http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/freshmen/admission/hs-

courses/minimum

 In Massachusetts -

http://www.mass.edu/forstudents/admissions/admissionsstandards.asp

• 2. Know Course Work requirements

 Encourage EVERY student to take the most challenging

courses available to him or her.

 Investigate career options which require either 2-year college

experience OR 4-year college experience to help students understand the importance of taking challenging academic coursework regardless of their career or interest goals.

 https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers/careers

• 3. Know Where to find specific test requirements

 Encourage EVERY student to register for and to take a college-

admission test – such as the SAT or other college entrance exam.

 The end of the junior year or the beginning of the senior year

is an optimal time for testing.

 There is a required fee – but FEE WAIVERS are AVAILABLE!  Performance on these tests is NOT just used for admission,

but, in many cases, for course placement.

• 3. Know Where to find specific test requirements

 Test requirements are readily available on the Admissions pages of

college and university websites:

• University of Indiana
• Auburn University
• University of South Dakota
• Professional Information for YOU – There are colleges &

universities which do not require testing: http://fairtest.org/university/optional

• 3. Know Where to find specific test requirements

 Students need to know that performance on these tests is

not the only evaluation colleges use to make admission decisions.

 Therefore …  Registering and taking a college admission test is the best way

to insure the Apply to 4™ option remains open for every student.

• 3. Know Where to find specific test requirements

 Links to fee waiver information:  SAT Fee Waivers:

• http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers

 ACT Fee Waivers:

• http://media.act.org/documents/feewaiver.pdf

• 4. Be Familiar with application processes

 The standard application typically includes the following

materials:

• The application form
• The transcript and school profile
• Standardized test scores (sent directly from the testing

companies to institutions)

• Recommendations (possibly)
• Essays (possibly)
• Supporting documents (if needed)

• 4. Be Familiar with application processes

 It is important to:

• Be familiar with the application process (forms, related materials,
• ther requirements) of the colleges/universities to which your

students most often apply.

• Develop calendars and procedures to keep your students on task

during the application process.

• Explore https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ for sample calendars.

 College Planning for 9th and 10th Graders  College Planning for Juniors  College Planning for Seniors

• 4. Be Familiar with application processes

 Big Future provides a “Quick Guide: The Anatomy of the College

Application” which is helpful to students, parents, and counselors!

 College and University websites and Admissions Home Pages will

detail specific application processes.

• Some colleges still have paper applications which can be

downloaded from their sites.

• Most colleges are receiving the majority of their applications
• nline.
• Some colleges use the Common Application. Information is

available at https://www.commonapp.org

• 4. Be Familiar with application processes

 The College of William and Mary offers a list of the “Information

Most Requested by Counselors.” This list is helpful as you research college websites beyond William & Mary. http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/couns elors/index.php

 College application fee waivers are also available.  See the “Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver Form” at

NACAC:

• http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Documents/Ap

plicationFeeWaiver.pdf

• 5. Establish Procedures

 A College Application Checklist provides an effective tool for

keeping students and ourselves, as counselors, organized.

 You can add YOUR office deadline dates to the checklist along

with necessary information – for example:

• How are transcripts requested?
• How much time should be allowed when requesting

recommendations from counselors and/or teachers?

• What are the deadlines for early vs. regular admissions?
• How does a student request test scores?

• 5. Establish Procedures

 For students who are NOT applying to college with the Common

Application, you may standardize the information you provide to colleges by using a Secondary School Report Form.

 Students may need to know about Admission Options – and the

deadline dates which you will require.

• NACAC provides a helpful chart.

http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/Documents/AdmisOptFlyer_Web_Color.pdf

• 6. Communicate Often

 What communication options are available at your school?

• High School webpage?
• Counseling office webpage?
• Information blogs?
• Twitter feed?

 You may use the information resources available at Big Future

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/educator-resource-center/college- handouts-presentations. Include information articles in your school’s

publications or on websites.

• 6. Communicate Often

 Prepare a SHORT list of helpful websites and have copies of the list

available in your office to give to students and parents.

 Prepare a SHORT list!! Parents and students can get

• verwhelmed with long lists of websites.
• Choose one or two general sites (College Board and NACAC are reliable
• ptions), the websites with admission test information, and the website

for FAFSA.

• You can provide more upon request or when you know particular

students’ interests.

• 7. Emphasize the first step in researching colleges

 Know Yourself is a difficult task for a young person … OR for

us as adults!

 Yet, the first step in researching colleges is to examine one’s

• wn interests, goals, and plans for the future.

 There’s no magic formula for beginning the journey to plan

for one’s future, but there are steps students can take to get started and tools to help them out.

• 7. Emphasize the first step in researching colleges

 Big Future provides an “Answer 10 Questions” quick start.

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/know-yourself/answer-

10-questions-and-discover-your-future

 The College Board Sourcebook provides a more extensive interests &

goals questionnaire for students. Handout 3H, pages 1-4.

 The Pre-College Planner, from the Associated Colleges of the Midwest,

provides an overview of the college search and application process. Topics include self-assessment, finding colleges that match one’s goals, financial concerns, and more.

 Download the Pre-College Planner in PDF format

• 8. Distribute handouts to help guide students

 Use the Resources for Guidance Counselors provided by the Associated

Colleges of the Midwest:

http://www.acm.edu/our_collaborations/Pre_College_Collaborations/Resources_for _guidance_counselors.html#Guides

 Communicate in as many ways as possible! If your school uses school-TV

news and/or public address system announcements, advertise dates, deadlines, programs.

 Find informational materials which are easy to download and copy. Have

them readily available in your office to share with students and parents.

• 9. Provide students with researching tools

 At the Educator Resource Center, Big Future, College Board, you

will find college planning resources to support the work you do every day with students and families.

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/educator-resource-center

 NACAC also offers downloadable handouts to share with students and

parents.

• http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/Pages/Default.aspx

 Associated Colleges of the Midwest – Resources for High School

Students and Counselors -

http://www.acm.edu/our_collaborations/Pre_College_Collaborations.html

• 9. Provide students with researching tools

 College Search

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

 Admission Test Information

• SAT - http://sat.collegeboard.org/home?excmpid=CBF2-ST-1-satregform
• ACT - http://www.actstudent.org/

 Financial Aid:

• NEW Financial Aid Toolkit for School Counselors - http://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/
• http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
• Helpful and reliable information: http://www.finaid.org/

 The College Board Sourcebook provides a more extensive list of College Resources

for Students and Families. Handout 3L, pages 1-2.

• 10. Conduct College Fairs

 A college fair features a variety of college representatives who have traveled to a

school or another location to meet with students and their parents. A school may conduct its own college fairs, collaborate with other local schools, or inform their students and parents of college fairs being hosted by NACAC. In addition, corporations or other organizations in your areas may sponsor college fairs that you can publicize to your students.

 NACAC National Fair information:

• http://www.nacacnet.org/college-fairs/Pages/default.aspx
• http://www.nacacnet.org/college-fairs/students-parents/resources/Pages/NCFTips.aspx

 The College Board Sourcebook provides additional tips on how to get the most

• ut of a college fair. Handout 3F, page 1.

 College Fair Tips – Big Future

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/how-to-find-your-college-fit/college-fair-checklist

In Conclusion

 Links which will take you to the College Counseling Sourcebook can be found by

hovering over the first word in the “10 Things” list.

 Permission is granted to download, reprint, and distribute copies of the

handouts for educational purposes.

10 Things Effective Counselors Do –

• http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/me

mbership/counselor-workshops/10-things-effective- counselors-do.pdf

College Counseling Resources

College Board @ www.collegeboard.com

Apply to 4 or More Campaign

http://counselorworkshops.collegeboard.org/apply-to-four-or-more

Big Future - College Planning

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org

Counselor Resource Page

http://counselorworkshops.collegeboard.org/resources

College Counseling Sourcebook*

• Nuts and Bolts of College Advising
• Tips and resources from practicing school counselors
• Chapters devoted to Special Populations including:

Low income and First Generation Students in Foster Care Students with Disabilities

* Join the Apply to 4 or More campaign and provide summary information to receive a complimentary PDF in Spring 2014

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Don’t Forget

 Bookmark the College Board Resource page for school

counselors

 http://counselorworkshops.collegeboard.org/resources  Visit www.collegeboard.org/fcw4ormore and sign the

pledge to join the Apply to 4 or More Campaign

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THANK YOU for your participation!

Note: This webinar will be archived. A link to the presentation will be emailed to participants and made available online.

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