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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.

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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, other 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 online.

• 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/counselors/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/ApplicationFeeWaiver.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

overwhelmed with long lists of websites.

• Choose one or two general sites (College Board and NACAC are reliable options), 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 own 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 out 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/membership/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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